Analysis of Jane Eyre
Analysis of Jane Eyre
In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte portrays one woman's desperate
struggle to attain her identity in the mist of temptation, isolation, and
impossible odds. Although she processes a strong soul she must fight not
only the forces of passion and reason within herself ,but other's wills
constantly imposed on her. In its first publication, it outraged many for
its realistic portrayal of life during that time. Ultimately, the
controversy of Bronte's novel lied in its realism, challenging the role of
women, religion, and mortality in the Victorian society.
In essence, Bronte's novel became a direct assault on Victorian
morality. Controversy based in its realistic exposure of thoughts once
considered improper for a lady of the 19th century. Emotions any
respectable girl would repress. Women at this time were not to feel
passion, nor were they considered sexual beings. To conceive the thought of
women expressing rage and blatantly retaliating against authority was a
defiance against the traditional role of women. Jane Eyre sent
controversy through the literary community. For not only was it written
by a woman but marked the first use of realistic characters. Jane's
complexity lied in her being neither holy good nor evil. She was poor and
plain in a time when society considered "an ugly woman a blot on the face
of creation." It challenged Victorian class structure in a strictly
hierachal society. A relationship between a lowly governess and a wealthy
nobleman was simply unheard of. Bronte drew criticism for her attack on the
aristocracy who she deemed as hypocritical "showy but ... not genuine." She
assaulted individual's already established morals by presenting a plausible
case for bigamy. Notions which should have evoked disgust and outrage from
its reader. Yet its most scandaless aspect was its open treatment of love.
In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte portrays one woman's desperate
struggle to attain her identity in the mist of temptation, isolation, and
impossible odds. Although she processes a strong soul she must fight not
only the forces of passion and reason within herself ,but other's wills
constantly imposed on her. In its first publication, it outraged many for
its realistic portrayal of life during that time. Ultimately, the
controversy of Bronte's novel lied in its realism, challenging the role of
women, religion, and mortality in the Victorian society.
In essence, Bronte's novel became a direct assault on Victorian
morality. Controversy based in its realistic exposure of thoughts once
considered improper for a lady of the 19th century. Emotions any
respectable girl would repress. Women at this time were not to feel
passion, nor were they considered sexual beings. To conceive the thought of
women expressing rage and blatantly retaliating against authority was a
defiance against the traditional role of women. Jane Eyre sent
controversy through the literary community. For not only was it written
by a woman but marked the first use of realistic characters. Jane's
complexity lied in her being neither holy good nor evil. She was poor and
plain in a time when society considered "an ugly woman a blot on the face
of creation." It challenged Victorian class structure in a strictly
hierachal society. A relationship between a lowly governess and a wealthy
nobleman was simply unheard of. Bronte drew criticism for her attack on the
aristocracy who she deemed as hypocritical "showy but ... not genuine." She
assaulted individual's already established morals by presenting a plausible
case for bigamy. Notions which should have evoked disgust and outrage from
its reader. Yet its most scandaless aspect was its open treatment of love.