Marxism In Jane Eyre

In Victorian society, there were many aspects of the time period that would be seen as problematic for today’s average social norm. This time period had “the idea that people are not born equally, people in high rank despise people in low rank, and men are superior to women” (Gao). During this time, some of these issues were addressed and brought to attention through poems and novels where the social standard is defied. While there are multiple lenses the novel can be seen through, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is ultimately a feminist text.
Jane Eyre can be examined through a feminist approach because of the way she is presented through her thoughts and actions . In the story, Jane makes herself known as the protagonist by standing up for herself
Jane defies the social custom by falling in love with and marrying Mr. Rochester, who to begin with, is in a social class above hers. She is not sure on her decision in the beginning, because “Jane, as a member of the lowest class, she is always looked down upon by those with money and power” (Gao). Eventually she gives in, “Jane loves Rochester with all her heart and Rochester’s status and wealth make him so high above for Jane to approach, yet she never feels inferior to Rochester though she is a humble family teacher” (Gao). Jane’s mother, who is no longer alive, married down from her social class and was disowned from her family. Jane is now breaking this barrier that her mother was faced with by marrying Mr. Rochester. Although she is advised not to marry him by Mrs. Fairfax, who tells her that she is “so young, and so little acquainted with men,” and she “wished to put [her] on [her] guard” (Bronte 290). However, Jane breaks this social barrier despite what Mrs. Fairfax is telling her. The view this novel takes on the social system can also be seen as criticism to the time period, because the higher class in the story, such as Mrs. Reed, is not worthy of her wealth whereas Jane, who works diligently and has good morals, is poor and is not paid as well as she deserves. The highest class was also supposed to have decent morals, which Mrs. Reed has none of, while Jane possesses many. The way Jane
Bertha Mason, Mr rochester's secret wife, is oppressed and hidden from others, resulting in jane being unaware of her presence and condition. The first time she appears is when she bites Richard Mason, her brother, in the middle of the night, and Rochester needs Jane to look after him while he goes to find Bertha. Richard Mason claims that she “bit [him]. She worried [him] like a tigress” (Bronte 227). At this time, Jane is unaware who this person is, but helps Rochester with the aftermath even though he tells her to go back to bed. This shows that Jane does not always listen to men, while the average woman in the time period is expected to. The second time Jane encounters Bertha is on the night before her wedding day, when she is supposed to be marrying Mr. Rochester. Jane believes she has a dream of someone who “took [her] veil from its place, held it up, gazed at it long, and then threw it over [their] own head” (Bronte 305). While she internally believes that this was not a dream, Rochester persuades her to believe it was, out of fear of Jane realizing this person was real. This shows how Rochester is oppressing Bertha, and hiding her from the world. Bronte also hides Bertha from the audience, because “Bertha never speaks,” and “she was metaphorically gagged” (Gray). Then, on the day of their wedding, the truth is finally revealed to Jane, that “Mr. Rochester has a wife now living” (Bronte 312). Mr. Rochester