An Analysis of Feminism in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Bronte. The novel Jane Eyre is a first
person narrative of the title character and is divided into 38 chapters of varying length. In its
internalization of the action, the focus is on the gradual unfolding of Jane's moral and spiritual
sensibility.
The novel is set somewhere in the north of England and goes through five distinct stages:
Jane's childhood at Gateshead Hall, where she is emotionally and physically abused by her aunt
and cousins; her education at Lowood School, where she acquires friends and role models but
also suffers privations and oppression; her time as governess at Thornfield Hall, where she falls
in love with her Byronic employer, Edward Rochester; her time with the Rivers family, during
which her earnest but cold clergyman cousin, St John Rivers, proposes to her; and the finale with
her reunion with, and marriage to, her beloved Rochester. During these sections the novel
provides perspectives on a number of important social issues and ideas.
The novel contains elements of social criticism, with a strong sense of morality at its core,
but is nonetheless a novel many consider ahead of its time given the individualistic character of
Jane and the novel's exploration of classism, sexuality, religion, and proto- feminism. The role
and standing of women in the Victorian era is considered by Bronte in Jane Eyre, specifically in
regard to Jane's independence and ability to make decisions for herself.
The essay will answer question that how she, as a young woman, small and of relatively
low social standing, encounters men during her journey, of good or bad? And how the people
around her attempt to establish some form of power and control over Jane no matter their
ultimate intentions? In this essay, it is revealed the feminism perspective of this novel. The
feminism includes several issues throughout the story focuses on the issue of gender roles, too
good to be true, the mad woman in the attic, psychological problems, Mr. Rochester.

Plot Summary
The story of Jane Eyre begins when she is being raised by her cruel and wealthy aunt, Mrs.
Reed since Jane is a young orphan. A servant named Bessie provides Jane with some of the few
kindnesses, she receives, telling her stories and singing songs to her. One day, as punishment for
fighting with her bullying cousin John Reed, Janes aunt imprisons Jane in the red-room, the
room in which Janes Uncle Reed died. While locked in, Jane, believing that she sees her uncles
ghost, screams and faints. She wakes to find herself in the care of Bessie and the kindly
apothecary Mr. Lloyd, who suggests to Mrs. Reed that Jane be sent away to school. To Janes
delight, Mrs. Reed concurs.
Once at the Lowood School, Jane finds that her life is far from idyllic. The schools
headmaster is Mr. Brocklehurst, a cruel, hypocritical, and abusive man. He preaches a doctrine
of poverty and privation to his students while using the schools funds to provide a wealthy and
opulent lifestyle for his own family. At Lowood, Jane befriends a young girl named Helen Burns,
who is strong martyr like attitude toward the schools miseries is both helpful and displeasing to
Jane. A massive typhus epidemic sweeps Lowood, and Helen dies of consumption. The epidemic
also results in the departure of Mr. Brocklehurst by attracting attention to the insalubrious
conditions at Lowood. After a group of more sympathetic gentlemen takes Brocklehursts place,
Janes life improves dramatically. She spends eight more years at Lowood, six as a student and
two as a teacher.
After teaching for two years, Jane yearns for new experiences. She accepts a governess
position at a manor called Thornfield, where she teaches a lively French girl named Adele. The
distinguished housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax presides over the estate. Janes employer at Thornfield is
a dark, impassioned man named Rochester, with whom Jane finds herself falling secretly in love.
She saves Rochester from a fire one night, which he claims was started by a drunken servant
named Grace Poole. But because Grace Poole continues to work at Thornfield, Jane concludes
that she has not been told the entire story. Jane sinks into despondency when Rochester brings
home a beautiful but vicious woman named Blanche Ingram. Jane expects Rochester to propose
to Blanche. But Rochester instead proposes to Jane, who accepts almost disbelievingly.
The wedding day arrives, as Jane and Mr. Rochester prepare to exchange their vows, the
voice of Mr. Mason cries out that Rochester already has a wife. Mason introduces himself as the
brother of that wife a woman named Bertha. Mr. Mason testifies that Bertha, whom Rochester
married when he was a young man in Jamaica, is still alive. Rochester does not deny Masons
claims, but he explains that Bertha has gone mad. He takes the wedding party back to Thornfield,
where they witness the insane Bertha Mason scurrying around on all fours and growling like an
animal.
Rochester keeps Bertha hidden on the third story of Thornfield and pays Grace Poole to
keep his wife under control. Bertha was the real cause of the mysterious fire earlier in the story.
Knowing that it is impossible for her to be with Rochester, Jane flees Thornfield. Penniless and
hungry, Jane is forced to sleep outdoors and beg for food.
At last, three siblings who live in a manor alternatively called Marsh End and Moor House
take her in. Their names are Mary, Diana, and St. John Rivers, and Jane quickly becomes friends
with them. St. John is a clergyman, and he finds Jane a job teaching at a charity school in
Morton. He surprises her one day by declaring that her uncle, John Eyre, has died and left her a
large fortune: 20,000 pounds. When Jane asks how he received this news, he shocks her further
by declaring that her uncle was also his uncle: Jane and the Riverses are cousins. Jane
immediately decides to share her inheritance equally with her three newfound relatives.
St. John decides to travel to India as a missionary, and he urges Jane to accompany him as
his wife. Jane agrees to go to India but refuses to marry her cousin because she does not love
him. St. John pressures her to reconsider, and she nearly gives in. However, she realizes that she
cannot abandon forever the man she truly loves when one night she hears Rochesters voice
calling her name over the moors. Jane immediately hurries back to Thornfield and finds that it
has been burned to the ground by Bertha Mason, who lost her life in the fire. Rochester saved the
servants but lost his eyesight and one of his hands. Jane travels on to Rochesters new residence,
Ferndean, where he lives with two servants named John and Mary.
At Ferndean, Rochester and Jane rebuild their relationship and soon marry. At the end of
her story, Jane writes that she has been married for ten blissful years and that she and Rochester
enjoy perfect equality in their life together. She says that after two years of blindness, Rochester
regained sight in one eye and was able to behold their first son at his birth.

The Analysis of Feminism in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre

The feminist movement in society found its approach to literature in the 1960s. (Tyson,
2006) Of course, women had already been writing and publishing for centuries, but the 1960s
saw the rise of a feminist literary theory. Women were thought to be unintelligent and many
women accepted that judgment. It was not until the feminist movement was well under way that
women began examining old texts, reevaluating their portrayal of women and writing new works
to fit the developing concept of the modern woman.
Feminists argue in the west have been dominated by men whether they are the politicians
in power or the historians recording it all Western literature reflects a masculine bias, and
consequently, represents an inaccurate and potentially harmful image of women. In order to fix
this image and create a balanced canon, works by females and works about females need to be
added and read from a feminist perspective. Tyson (2006, p. 121) explains that at those era, the
women could be seen smoking and drinking often in the company of men and without
chaperones.
In this essay, the analysis of feminism is based on several main issues. The issues are
gender roles, too good to be true, the mad woman in the attic, psychological problems, Mr.
Rochester.
1. Gender roles
A gender role is what society makes believe of what a female or a male should be like
giving them the norms of what they should be and act like being stereotypes that people use
to define masculinity, and femininity. In the Early 18th Century, some of the stereotypes of
gender roles that men should be Powerful, Logical, Individual, Independent while women
are weak, domesticated, dependent, private.
Throughout the whole novel of Jane Eyre, it can clearly be seen how Jane makes
feminist statement. She does not show as much characteristics of being an example of a
Victorian woman, but she still shows that the Victorian women live within her.
"Eyre I had finished this replay my soul began to expand, to exult with the
strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt. It seemed as if an
invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into unhoped-for
liberty" (Bronte, 1847:46)
Freedom back then was not easy to acquire. Jane felt this freedom, was important, she got
courage to stand up against some to society's believes at such young age.
During the Victorian Era, men and society had high standards for women, standards
such as; women taking care of the children and being there for when the men needed them.
Once they were married they were basically property and their past was forgotten. The
stereotype was that women needed a man to sustain her. It was hard for a woman to find
work back then. If lucky, the lower class women could be; servants, domestic help, factory
workers, prostitutes etc. Middle/ upper class women could help in family business, the
society or economy enforced woman to be home.
They could not own property, or work in the fields. They could most certainly not work.
Victorian women back then had to play the role of a very womanly figure. Victorian women
had to fit the image of a tiny waist and big busted figure. They had to accept marriages and
stick to them because if it did not then it would be seen as a wicked woman, Then men
would not want to marry the woman because of her past actions. Once a woman was to be
married, she would carry her husband's identity. The men worked or took care and provided
for his family. Becoming a mother in the Victorian era was beautiful thing to society's eyes;
it was an honor to become a mother. Women were valued more in society by their actions. If
they were good wives or good mothers, they were the perfect image.
Where woman were not expected to stand up for themselves, Jane confronted Mrs.
Reed, living in that house with her three cruel cousins. Jane showed how independent she
was. She did not need a man to sustain her. She waited for the day she could get out of Mrs.
Reed's house and begin to live her life on her own. She became governess at Mr. Rochester's
house, who later on begged for her hand in marriage. She declined because she thought her
freedom would be lost in getting married with him. She thought right because men back then
had the total control of women and she wanted to be independent herself. She later ran away
and met St. John Rivers who proposed to her as well. Jane thought of it for awhile because
his intentions seemed good to her. Not all though, she could not tolerate this marriage
without love. She loved him, but as a brother nothing more. In everything Jane decided on,
she took in notice what god had to say to it. She put her fate in god's hand. Not a man or
woman.
Many women back then only wanted money, a house, and a good name in society;
unlike Jane any other women would have surely taken proposal in marriage. Jane, not
following the traditional Victorian woman, she neglected. Mr. Rochester kept on insisting on
buying her things.
"Oh sir! Never mind jewels! I don't like to hear them spoken of. Jewels
for Jane Eyre sounds unnatural and strange; I would rather not have
them". (Bronte, 1847:302)
"Glad was I to get him out of the silk warehouse, and then out of the
jeweler's shop; the more he bought me, the more my cheek burned with a
sense of annoyance and degradation". (Bronte, 1847:313)
This shows how Jane does not care for such thing. She does not care for money, unlike Mrs.
Ingram. Mrs. Ingra wanted to marry Mr. Rochester for his wealth.
 In short, women should be allowed to use their talents despite the spirit of
rebelliousness which flows through Jane Eyre; Charlotte Bronte was not overtly radical in
her social views. While Bronte does not approve of women voting, she does believe they
should be allowed to work. In the novel, Jane makes a passionate plea for women to be
allowed to use their talents, and not to be confined to the home such as making puddings and
knitting stocking, playing on the piano and embroidering bags.
2. Too Good to be True
Jane Eyre was a rebellious child, and quite a strong willed person. These characteristics
make her fall short of the feminine ideal of her day, so she was not a too perfect person to
her first readers. It is only today when we expect novel main characters to be prostitutes and
serial killers that Jane Eyre seems too good to be true.
Miss Eyre is almost too good to be true. She is treated like a saint. As a child, when she
is unjustly accused and made to stand on a chair to be mocked, Jane is raised up, a silhouette
against a bright window, an icon in a cathedral. Her angelic friend Helen tells her that she is
surrounded by benevolent spirits. Christ like, Jane stands on borderlines between children
and adults, rich and poor. Even her name suggests sainthood. Bronte might have meant Eyre
as a reference to money Jane would inherit. Jane is meek and poor in spirit, and as such she
is the heir of Gods blessings.
Jane Eyre, a "plain and little" young woman who is been hired to care for the wealthy
Englishman's charge, a French girl named Adele (who may or may not be the man's
daughter). Jane does indeed have a tale of woe. Her life has been shot through with
mistreatment, misunderstanding and misery. Yet Jane neither fixates upon her suffering nor
breathes a word of that woe full past to anyone let alone mercurial Mr. Rochester.
Instead, she devotes herself to her duties. Her quiet conscientiousness wins a friend in
Mrs. Fairfax, the chatty, advice dispensing housekeeper who keeps Thornfield humming.
And her noble character quickly attracts the attention of Rochester, too. At first, Jane does
not understand why he is begun treating her more like a confidante than a servant. But when
his intimations become more pointed
Because my equal is here and my likeness (Bronte, 1847:387)
 He tells her only the slightest hint of a smile on Jane's face lets us know that she, too,
might be falling in love. Soon is an engagement. And what was once Jane's well guarded
secret, too impossible to be true, blossoms in plain view.
But it is too good to be true. And when Rochester's own dark secret claws its way out of
Thornfield's attic, Jane has no choice but to flee into the desolate moors of northern England,
once again dependent upon the mercy of strangers.
Although Jane has begun the process of truly being happy, she still succumbs partially
to her own pessimism. Jane and Rochester plan a wedding, but Jane fears it is too good to be
true. She says,
I feared my hopes were too bright to be realized; and had enjoyed so much
bliss lately that I imagined my fortune had passed its meridian, and must now
decline (Bronte, 1847:277)
Jane Eyre is determined, above all else, to be true to herself. She does not let the
misfortunes that have befallen her shape either her identity or the possible future happiness
that she longs for. Instead she resolves to do what is set before her and to cultivate a spirit of
quiet contentment. Rochester's growing affections, of course, put Jane's convictions to the
test. Though the older, more powerful man repeatedly alludes to his interest, it is only when
he proposes marriage that Jane lets down her guard and her sense of what is proper between
employer and employee. Mrs. Fairfax wisely warns Jane to keep guarding her heart, though,
even during the engagement intuitively sensing that all is not as it seems. Jane Eyre has
never looked anything less than extraordinary to her eyes.
3. The Mad Woman in the Attic
The phrase "the madwoman in the attic" is the invention of two famous feminist literary
critics, Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar. They develop a critical theory about this
"madwoman in the attic" figure: she represents all the subverted rage and pain experienced
by Charlotte Bronte. The phrase, of course, refers specifically to Bertha Mason, Rochesters
sometime wife, now an insane prisoner locked in the attic of his house with Grace Poole for
a nursemaid. Bertha can be locked away, kept secret, and labeled as insane, but nobody can
deny her intensity or power: she is sexually potent, wicked smart, and absolutely ruthless.
Nobody can kill her, either, because she seems to be invincible in this novel, of course, she
chooses to commit suicide.
 The incident of the madwoman in the attic is probably the most famous in Jane Eyre,
and it has given rise to innumerable interpretations and symbolic readings. For example,
Bertha Mason could represent the horror of Victorian marriage. Rochester claims to have
imprisoned her because she is mad, but it is easy to imagine an opposite relation of cause
and effect, in which years of enforced imprisonment and isolation have made her violently
insane or, at least, increased her insanity. Thus, the madwoman in the attic could represent
the confining and repressive aspects of Victorian wifehood, suggesting that the lack of
autonomy and freedom in marriage suffocates women, threatening their mental and
emotional health. Berthas tearing of Janes wedding veil could be seen as symbolizing her
revolt against the institution of marriage.
Of course, there is another woman writer here besides Charlotte Bronte there is Jane
Eyre herself, who narrates this entire novel and describes it as her "autobiography." Could
Bertha represent Jane if she is also Janes antagonist? Of course! We are never more like
someone than when we consider them our mortal enemy. Think about it: Bertha is locked in
a room for ten years and goes crazy "like some wild animal"; Jane is locked in the red room
for five minutes and completely freaks out. Bertha sneaks around Thornfield at night to
thwart Rochesters plans of remarrying; Jane sneaks around Thornfield at night to thwart
Rochesters plans of using her to commit bigamy. Berthas supposed to be insane; Jane
hears voices. So it is the thing: if Jane and Bertha are actually very similar, and if Berthas
pyromaniac madness represents the incendiary potential of the woman writer telling her
story, then it seems entirely possible that Jane could end up like Bertha, or that Jane just has
the good fortune to be a little more desirable to Rochester and thus escape Berthas fate.
According to Gilbert and Gubar, all female characters in male authored books can be
categorized as either the angel or the monster. The angel character was pure,
dispassionate, and submissive; in other words, the ideal female figures in a male dominated
society. In sharp contrast to the angel figure, the monster female character was sensual,
passionate, rebellious, and decidedly uncontrollable: all qualities that caused a great deal of
anxiety among men during the Victorian period.
Jane Eyre possesses many of the qualities of the so called angel: she is pure, moral, and
controlled in her behavior. Yet, at the same time, she is extremely passionate, independent,
and courageous. She refuses to submit to a position of inferiority to the men in her life, even
 when faced with a choice between love and autonomy, and ultimately triumphs over social
expectations.
Yet, Berthas position as the obstacle to Janes happiness with Mr. Rochester, as well as
her state of complete imprisonment, suggest that her madness may have been partially
manufactured by the male dominated society that forced her to give up her wealth in
marriage to Mr. Rochester. Moreover, the similarities between Berthas behavior in the third
story attic and Janes actions as a child in the red room suggest that neither character is full
angel or full monster but rather a combination of the two.
Although Bertha does serve as one of the seeming villains of the novel, she should be
seen more as a critique of a society in which passionate woman are viewed as monsters or
madwomen. Charlotte Brontes act of writing a novel particularly such a Gothic one was
no doubt equally threatening to the men of her time period. In some ways, Brontes decision
to merge the identities of the angel and the monster in the two primary female
characters of her novel can be seen as a personal statement about the conflict between
passion and passivity in her own life.
4. Psychological Problems
In analyzing psychological problems within the story of this novel, it can be viewed
from either each character or events. In the analysis of character in psychological terms, it
concentrates on how characters behave, treating them as psychological cases:
a) Mrs. Reed would be a suitable character particularly in relation to the loss of her
husband and her inability to handle responsibility.
b) The highly repressed Mr. Brocklehurst, with his distaste for the natural', could be seen
as an example of a man who uses strict religious practices as a means of concealing his
own psychological problems
c) Bertha Mason, the deranged creature who lives in Rochester's attic and has a hold on his
life can be seen as symbolic of his lust or passion. This proves women who had been
associated with the flesh and sexual passion
d) St John Rivers is an example of a personality undergoing conflict between a sense of
duty and his passionate feelings for someone else. This is seen in Chapter 32, where he
allows himself to give way to his feelings for a set time.
 e) The maiming of Rochester at the novel's end could be seen as a sort of castration of his
passion and physical prowess, although it does not take account of his subsequently
fathering children by Jane.
Meanwhile, the main case that may leads to the conflict is family and parent-child
relationships. This focuses on the varieties of such relationships found throughout the novel.
As in many nineteenth century novels, there is a distinct absence of parents and hardly any
of the novel's main characters, Jane, the Reed children, many of the pupils at Lowood
School.
Children might have poor relationships with their parents. Rochester, for instance with
Adele who has grown up in stable or complete families which is in fact not her own. There
are a number of surrogate parents such as Mrs. Reed Brocklehurst, Miss. Temple and Mr.
Rochester.
5. Mr. Rochester (Edward Fairfax Rochester)
Mr. Rochester, Edward Fairfax Rochester, is stern featured, heavy browed, craggy
faced, rude, abrupt, horny, twice Janes age, always on the edge of violence, likes to order
people around, keeps his wife locked in the attic, and teases Jane on at least one occasion
until she cries. Here is the crazy part: that is why he is so awesome. He may be fantastically
ugly. He may be kind of a jerk. But he is real! Well, OK, he is not real. He is a character in
Jane Eyre. He is a genuine seeming character, not some stuck up, pompous, handsome
young man who smoothly says all the right things and does not have any personality of his
own.
Despite his stern manner and not particularly handsome appearance, Edward Rochester
wins Janes heart, because she feels they are kindred spirits, and because he is the first
person in the novel to offer Jane lasting love and a real home. Although Rochester is Janes
social and economic superior, and although men were widely considered to be naturally
superior to women in the Victorian period, Jane is Rochesters intellectual equal. Moreover,
after their marriage is interrupted by the disclosure that Rochester is already married to
Bertha Mason, Jane is proven to be Rochesters moral superior.
Mr. Rochester is a famous and somewhat controversial character. Mr. Rochester is a
wealthy man with a large home, Thornfield Hall. He is often angry, lustful and emotional.
He is also wild and dissipated. The Byronic hero is usually dark and moody, sexually
intense, mysterious, emotional, troubled, and arrogant. Rochester is an example of the
Byronic hero who is a passionate man, often guided by his senses rather than by his rational
mind. For example, when he first met Bertha Mason, he found her dazzling, splendid, and
lavish all qualities that excited his senses and resulted in their catastrophic marriage.
Rochester is not afraid to flout social conventions. This is also apparent in his relationship
with Jane, rather than maintaining proper class boundaries, Rochester makes her feel "as if
he were my relation rather than my master."
Rochester likes to make excuses for himself: he is not a bad person by nature, he was
just in a really bad situation with this whole Bertha thing, what could he do but lock her in
the attic and sleep his way across Europe, huh? And what is he supposed to do now that he
cannot get a divorce, just take care of his wife for the rest of her life, considering that he is
got all her money anyway and that he shipped her across the Atlantic away from any friends
or family who might have helped her? As if! Bigamy is clearly the only reasonable option,
right? Janes different from all the previous women in Rochesters life because she will not
let him get away with that kind of bogus logic. Rochesters long, sophisticated explanations
of why his particular situation requires a new and different sort of morality do not convince
Jane at all.
Like Jane, Rochester is connected with almost psychic powers. His "wealth" of power
for communicating happiness seems magical to Jane, as are his abilities to read people's
unspoken thoughts from their eyes with incomprehensible acumen. As gypsy fortuneteller,
he weaves a magical web around Jane with words and looks directly into her heart so that
she feels as "unseen spirit" is watching and recording all of her feelings. He also peers into
Blanche's heart, recognizing her for a fortune hunter. Finally his telepathic cry to Jane when
she is at Moor House shows his psychic ability.
Although Rochester had critiqued Blanche Ingram and Celine Varens for their
materialism and superficiality, here he seems to be mimicking them. Rochester's passions
and materialism need to be disciplined before he can be the proper husband for Jane.
Perhaps not insignificantly, he is blinded and loses a hand when Bertha sets fire to
Thornfield; symbolically, his excessive passion has finally exploded, leaving him disabled.
Rochester has passed "through the valley of the shadow of death" to become the perfect
 mate. Having finally paid for his sins, he is now a suitably docile husband for Jane, who
morally guides and corrects him at novel's end.

Conclusion
To fix the image of masculine bias and create a balanced canon, works by females and
works about females need to be added and read from a feminist perspective. In this case Jane
Eyre is a novel about woman and is written by woman, Charlotte Bronte. The main issues of
feminism in this novel are gender roles, too good to be true, the mad woman in the attic,
psychological problems, Mr. Rochester.
It is clear in the gender role issue that feminism or woman role is centered in this novel as
Jane makes women to be allowed to use their talents, and not to be confined to the home. While,
she is determined to be true to herself since she does not let the misfortunes that have befallen
her shape either her identity or the possible future happiness that she longs for.
This novel also presents the two mad women in the attic who are Charlotte Bronte and Jane
Eyre herself when she was child. In the analysis of character in psychological terms, it
concentrates on how characters behave, treating them as psychological cases. Mr. Rochester is a
famous and somewhat controversial character, despite his stern manner and not particularly
handsome appearance, he wins Janes heart.

Reference

Bronte, Charlotte (Ed.). 1847. Jane Eyre. London, England: Elder & Co.

Tyson, Lois (Ed.). 2006. Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide (Second ed.). New
York: Routledge.