Gender Role Limitations in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre...

Gender Role Limitations in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre The nineteenth century Victorian era woman needed wealth or position to avoid a life of drudgery. Women were viewed as trophies or possessions men owned. They were not permitted to develop nor expected to, and even venturing out on their own was considered inappropriate. During the era in which Jane Eyre was published the home and family were seen as the basic unit of stability in society. At the middle of this foundation stood a wife and mother representing the sum total of all morality - a Madonna-like image. This image was reinforced by social institutions such as mainstream religious and political beliefs. Women were steered away from independence, confidence, and†¦show more content†¦Jane is filled with passion, however, and her willful disobedience is often her attempt to explain her feelings. We see her passion find its fulfillment and understanding in Rochester. When they meet, we see Janes all-consuming passion and not much less of a fire in Rochester, I saw it in your eyes when I first beheld you: their expression and smile did not (again he stopped) did not (he proceeded hastily) strike delight to my very inmost heart for nothing...My cherished preserver, good night. Strange energy was in his voice, strange fire in his look (Bronte 133). The purpose of Brontes novel is to demonstrate that women could go beyond the oppressive limitations of their environment and find fulfillment. Janes cries for love are mistaken as evil outburst by those who wish to keep women repressed. Oppression of women was so great that women even in the home were expected to be nonproductive. The ideal or perfect Victorian women were ones who adopted an image of repose or idleness, basically to show the world they could. Nervousness and fainting were expected in women, and certain disagreeable topics or bad news could cause such traits to erupt. By trusting in her passion, by trusting in her own abilities, and by making her own decisions, Jane is able to overcome the agony all around her. Homeless, starving, and misjudged, Jane isShow MoreRelatedThe Exposure of Feminist Critique in 19th Century Literature: a Look at Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Jane Eyre1749 Words   |  7 Pagesimplicit, physical, and even made humorous or satirical. Ch arlotte Brontà «, a 19th century Victorian feminist wrote her novel Jane Eyre as a means of exposing the confining environments, shameful lack of education, and pitiful dependence upon male relatives for survival (Brackett, 2000). 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