Eng4U Essay
Brian Sam
Niagara Christian Community of Schools
Miss A. Armstrong
ENG4U
1 May 2009
The Female Voice in the Eyes of Charlotte Brontë and Shakespeare Our ears have become accustomed to the solo male voice, although there should be two completely different voices. It is the female voice which is greatly repressed in society throughout the ages. Women are expected to follow a man-made code of conduct. Women have even become goods traded among men. This unfair phenomenon existed in both the Elizabethan and Victorian eras in which Shakespeare and Charlotte Brontë lived, respectively. Interestingly, both authors feel that the repressed female voice should be heard. Freedom, equality and independence are what the female voice has been demanding. They present a form of female liberation in their works The Taming of the Shrew and Jane Eyre through the notable female protagonists they create. Specifically, these female protagonists are brave enough to rebel against the social handcuff, acting against the traditional marriage system. However, their lives end up very differently. One remains independent from men while one succumbs to men. Shakespeare and Brontë depict the women in their own unique ways of characterization, simulating how the modern feminists handle the age-old paradox of marriage and domestic expectations. Carefully crafted by Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre is the speaker of the repressed female voice. Jane Eyre is an orphan, knowing well that she is poor, plain and obscure. Jane’s congenital characteristics are incompatible with popular culture in the first half of the nineteenth century since she pursues equality, liberty and independence from men. Sacrificing her dignity to compromise with men and social customs would never be her choice; instead, she chooses to stand up and rebel bravely. Her special traits are both charming and bizarre. Rebellion is highlighted in her childhood. This is vividly characterized through her conversation with her
Niagara Christian Community of Schools
Miss A. Armstrong
ENG4U
1 May 2009
The Female Voice in the Eyes of Charlotte Brontë and Shakespeare Our ears have become accustomed to the solo male voice, although there should be two completely different voices. It is the female voice which is greatly repressed in society throughout the ages. Women are expected to follow a man-made code of conduct. Women have even become goods traded among men. This unfair phenomenon existed in both the Elizabethan and Victorian eras in which Shakespeare and Charlotte Brontë lived, respectively. Interestingly, both authors feel that the repressed female voice should be heard. Freedom, equality and independence are what the female voice has been demanding. They present a form of female liberation in their works The Taming of the Shrew and Jane Eyre through the notable female protagonists they create. Specifically, these female protagonists are brave enough to rebel against the social handcuff, acting against the traditional marriage system. However, their lives end up very differently. One remains independent from men while one succumbs to men. Shakespeare and Brontë depict the women in their own unique ways of characterization, simulating how the modern feminists handle the age-old paradox of marriage and domestic expectations. Carefully crafted by Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre is the speaker of the repressed female voice. Jane Eyre is an orphan, knowing well that she is poor, plain and obscure. Jane’s congenital characteristics are incompatible with popular culture in the first half of the nineteenth century since she pursues equality, liberty and independence from men. Sacrificing her dignity to compromise with men and social customs would never be her choice; instead, she chooses to stand up and rebel bravely. Her special traits are both charming and bizarre. Rebellion is highlighted in her childhood. This is vividly characterized through her conversation with her
Cited: Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1945. Kahn, Coppelia. “The Taming of the Shrew: Shakespeare’s Mirror of Marriage.” Modern Language Studies 5. 1975. St. Catharine’s Public Library Literature Database . (3 Mar. 2009). Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. Boston: Penguins, 1998.