Gender Roles In Jane Eyre

“all the house belongs to me, or will do in a few years”. Discuss the significance of gender in Bronte’s portrayal of the child characters in Jane Eyre.
Through my study of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, I was quick to discover that the novel is a product of its time, but also portrays revolutionary ideas about female autonomy and the right to equality for all. Jane Eyre was written in 1847, a time were a women’s social standing and importance was significantly less to that of her male counterpart. A woman’s main objective was to find a husband and settle down. Little was made of a woman’s career choices or opportunities as it was considered daft to think a low born girl could grow up to be anything more than a governess. (Murphy, 2013) Merry
She has been an orphan from a young age and as a lowly born, orphan female, she has faced oppression all her life. Although she has faced oppression and threats to her autonomy, she continually succeeds in showing she can be a free thinking, independent female (Murphy, 2013) The first time we see Jane stand up to male authority is through an outburst she directs towards John after he throws the book at her, "Wicked and cruel boy!" I said. "You are like a murderer--you
Later we see her rebuke Mrs Reed’s claim that she is deceitful and should be brought up in a manner which best suits her prospects. "I am not deceitful: if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed; and this book about the liar, you may give to your girl, Georgiana, for it is she who tells lies, not I" (Bronte, 1847). It is through these comments that we see Jane’s first verbal victory against an oppressor and it marks an important point in Jane’s discovery for autonomy. Mr Brocklehurst forms an opinion about Jane because of the fact that she is a lowly female girl and also because of the account he received from Mrs Reed. Jane is someone looking to break the mould. She has her own ideas of autonomy and gender inequality. Along the way she has gained inspiration from women who have managed to succeed in one way or another. Mrs Fairfax is the authority of Lowood when Mr Brocklehurst isn’t around. She is a powerful woman, a person Jane can look up to. Not only is she powerful but she is also kind, and makes a good impression on Jane. Other examples of this include Miss Temple and Helen Burns. On a more extreme level, Celine Varens is a woman who is at the mercy of men, but can manipulate her lovers into indulging