Social Norms In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre Research Paper
Every period in time has had its own social norms and class systems that people are expected to adhere to. In the time period in which Jane Eyre lives in, women have many expectations, rules, and regulations to live up to. From an early age, Jane learns that she is different; that she has her own morals and standards that she will not sacrifice anything for, even if it means defying the very laws and standards that defined society and even women in her time. Most critics have marked Jane Eyre as a woman who stands for feminism and independence, which can be true. But while most people believe that Jane Eyre is a heroine that depicts feminine stereotypes, a closer reading also contends that Jane is presented as a character who challenges feminine and social norms.
One of the main things noticed when reading the novel, Jane Eyre, is how Jane puts men and woman on the same level; she sees them as equals. “Women are supposed to be calm generally: but women feel just as men feel…” (Bronte 111). Throughout the novel, Jane always strives for equality and was even willing to give up marriage to keep it so. As Jane builds a relationship with Mr. Rochester, she begins to fall for him and vice versa. But even when Mr. Rochester asks for her to become his dearly beloved, Jane refuses until she is certain that \he intends to marry her because his “equal is here, and [his] likeness” …show more content…
Jane Eyre. New York: Bantam Books., 1987. Print. 18 Dec. 2012.
Ellis, Lorna. "Jane Eyre and the Self-Constructed Heroine." Appearing to Diminish: Female Development and the British Bildungsroman, 1750-1850. London: Associated University Presses, 1999. 138-161. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Russel Whitaker. Vol. 152. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 5 Dec. 2012
Gerding, Julie. “Defiance of a Culture”. N/A. N/A. Ballwin: Parkway West High School, 2007.
Every period in time has had its own social norms and class systems that people are expected to adhere to. In the time period in which Jane Eyre lives in, women have many expectations, rules, and regulations to live up to. From an early age, Jane learns that she is different; that she has her own morals and standards that she will not sacrifice anything for, even if it means defying the very laws and standards that defined society and even women in her time. Most critics have marked Jane Eyre as a woman who stands for feminism and independence, which can be true. But while most people believe that Jane Eyre is a heroine that depicts feminine stereotypes, a closer reading also contends that Jane is presented as a character who challenges feminine and social norms.
One of the main things noticed when reading the novel, Jane Eyre, is how Jane puts men and woman on the same level; she sees them as equals. “Women are supposed to be calm generally: but women feel just as men feel…” (Bronte 111). Throughout the novel, Jane always strives for equality and was even willing to give up marriage to keep it so. As Jane builds a relationship with Mr. Rochester, she begins to fall for him and vice versa. But even when Mr. Rochester asks for her to become his dearly beloved, Jane refuses until she is certain that \he intends to marry her because his “equal is here, and [his] likeness” …show more content…
Jane Eyre. New York: Bantam Books., 1987. Print. 18 Dec. 2012.
Ellis, Lorna. "Jane Eyre and the Self-Constructed Heroine." Appearing to Diminish: Female Development and the British Bildungsroman, 1750-1850. London: Associated University Presses, 1999. 138-161. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Russel Whitaker. Vol. 152. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 5 Dec. 2012
Gerding, Julie. “Defiance of a Culture”. N/A. N/A. Ballwin: Parkway West High School, 2007.