Charlotte Bronte created a heroine in Miss Jane Eyre that redefined not only what women could be but the way women were perceived in the 19th Century. Jane Eyre displays quite a few significant feminist aspects; in fact, in 1966 R.B. Martin stated that Jane Eyre was the first major feminist novel. One of the strongest feminist elements of the book is when Jane leaves Thornfield and proves her worth independent of Mr Rochester where ‘she makes a life by herself, and dares to show her own voice’.
Bronte frequently blurs gender roles in Jane Eyre, which is a significant aspect for women at the time of writing and publication. ‘Jane Eyre unsettled views as to how women should act and behave’, distorting societal constructs that women should be feminine and passive. Jane does not conform to the gender role that society tries to place upon her, yet she proves that she is very much still a woman.
Readers see the gender roles get blurred mostly in scenes between Jane and Rochester. In fact we see it in their very first scene together when Jane comes to the rescue of Rochester after he falls off his horse. Later on in the story we once again see Jane come to Rochester’s rescue when his bed is on fire. While these scenes show Jane physically dominate over Rochester, there are other times when she is emotionally or wilfully more dominate. Jane won’t accept Rochester’s gifts; arguing down the number of items she will except from him, she displays feminine rebellion when she refuses to become his mistress, she even refuses to stroke his ego by telling him she doesn’t believe he is handsome.
Towards the end of Jane Eyre we see a complete reverse of the gender roles between Jane and Rochester. Jane is now wealthy whereas Rochester is not, and Rochester has also become blind and disabled meaning that Jane is now not only the ‘bread winner’ but also the physical strength of their relationship. Throughout their tumultuous relationship Jane shows that men and women can be equal, and that they can use that equality to build a loving and caring relationship.
While Jane is able to blur gender lines successfully within her relationship with Rochester, her independence and passion caused her grief in other aspects of her life. As a young girl, Jane is constantly dominated by her male cousin John. John takes a position of superiority over Jane, bullying her, as well as physically and emotionally abusing her. John asserts his superiority over Jane because of her gender, as well as taking a superior; although less violent attitude towards his mother and sisters.
Throughout her childhood at Gateshead with John and the Reed family, Jane never takes her abuse passively. The fact that Jane both physically and verbally fights back against John, rather than behave passively like a good young lady should, she is harshly punished and labelled insane. John’s behaviour is never questioned, yet while defending herself from injustice and actually physical abuse; Jane is deemed the problem because her actions don’t match those that society deems appropriate for girls.
After being sent to Lowood, Jane continues to stand up against injustice, and desires to fight the institution regardless of the consequences. It isn’t until Jane meets Helen and sees that there are other ways to handle emotions that Jane begins to grow and evolve. This evolution was fuelled by injustice against women but nurtured by female solidarity. The women Jane meets at Lowood teach her to forgive and to not allow anger and hatred to rule her life.
Even though Jane learns to forgive and control her anger, this didn’t change her feelings on injustice and it certainly doesn’t mean she will allow anyone else to have power over her and her decisions. Jane uses her learning’s to grow and find a more controlled way of handling domineering behaviour and standing up for herself. This more mature behaviour is shown in her relationship with St John at Moor House. Jane’s dealings with St John show that Jane has realised that she is the only person that has control over her life, her actions and her decisions.
In spite of pressures from society about how women should behave, Jane stays true to her own values and listens to her heart when she turns down St John’s marriage proposal. While Jane is not opposed to the idea of missionary work, she does not what to marry St John in order to do it. Jane discusses her desire to join him as an equal or even as an aid to his missionary work, but will not consent to be his wife. Even after St John shuns her and tries to convince her that the only way for her to be a missionary is to be his wife, she still refuses to consent to marriage and she refuses to be made to feel guilt or shame over her decision.
Throughout the entirety of the story Jane maintains her passion for justice; Jane does this by learning how to resist and defend against injustice, all the while dealing with men who continually try to exert authority over her. The only person with authority over Jane’s life is Jane, and she alone makes her decisions, no matter what people may say or do to her. Jane’s complete and utter refusal to conform to societies expectations about men and women and how each should behave, gives Jane a freedom that women in her time did not have.
Jane Eyre shows, through a first person narrative that women are equal to men in many ways and that women don’t have to be passive and controlled. With a strong female protagonist and an insight into the thoughts of women; Charlotte Bronte showed that men can never have power over women, and thus created ‘a pivotal text for feminists’ that showed that women can be whatever they want to be regardless of what society expects from them.
~>GEM<~
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