How Does Jane Eyre And Maya Angelou Present Male Characters
Compare the ways in which Charlotte Brontë and Maya Angelou present male characters, through detailed discussion of Jane Eyre and wider reference to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Jane Eyre is an early insight into how proto-feminists were regarded in the 19th century, where a women’s role was stereotypically to be seen and not heard. Charlotte Bronte uses the character Jane Eyre as a platform to express the imbalance of equality between the two genders and uses a series of male characters to depict how an independent, disadvantaged female is regarded in such a male dominated society. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou uses a similar platform of a disadvantaged female in the early 20th century to reflect how discrimination and extreme poverty affect the attitudes of males not only in relation to Maya Angelou, but to other black people in …show more content…
the racist community of Stamps in 1930s Southern America. Bronte challenges the idea of a conventional hero in Jane Eyre by creating a dark character such as Mr Rochester. Rochester appears controlling, dominant and dishonest yet it is only in the end where Bronte has suggested that his good qualities will come to light and that “adversity causes enlightenment,” 1making him a suitable and worthy partner for Jane. Rochester exhibits many instances where he is dictatorial to the people around him. He orders Jane to “draw your chair a little further forward.” This declarative reinforces the typical gender stereotypes that men are superior to women and that his commands must be obeyed. Jane prefers to stay where she is but she had to satisfy her boss’ wishes. This also illuminates the blossoming infatuation that Jane has with Rochester and could even be seen to foreshadow and mimic the relationship that Jane and Rochester would share; in that Jane would be obliged to conform to Rochester’s ideals and rules, rather than be his equal.
It is shown in Jane Eyre that Mr Rochester has kept his first wife in the attic as a way to avoid dealing with her condition, presenting him as a passive and inconsiderate carer. This action also highlights that Rochester has a history of limiting women’s freedom, since he locked his wife away from the world. The reader might wonder how long will it take for him to limit Jane’s “fiery personality” 2like he limited Bertha’s freedom. Rochester’s behaviour appears to be selfish and narcissistic: when he is confronted about still being married to Bertha during his marital ceremony to Jane, he defends himself by saying that he is not to blame because of the “stout heart men may bear.” Rochester is rationalising his attempted bigamy because apparently that is how some men just behave. He is not taking responsibility for his actions, “I was cheated,” which is not fair to Jane; he is being selfish as he did not tell Jane that he was already married. However, perhaps because he only thinks of himself, he thought that he didn’t have to similarly, because Mr Freeman is older than Maya and has more authority than her, Maya feels obliged to comply when he gives her orders, even though she is frightened and has been threatened that he might “kill Bailey”. She had to do as she was told by a man.
The division of class is an important theme throughout Jane Eyre. Bronte perhaps uses Rochester as a platform to explore the upper-class community and he is presented as rich and intimidating to those around him. Adele remains silent when she is in the room with him because she “dared not speak loud” in his presence. The semantic implication here reflects Rochester’s superiority in the house and that he merits respect from those within it. “Class is paramount within society” 3and because of the social inference and attitude in the 19th century, there is coercion for the characters to remain within their class boundaries which males reinforce. Being an orphan and a governess limits Jane to a lower class meaning that she would normally never have the opportunity to live her life the way Rochester lives his. Rochester is respected, Jane is not. This amplifies the significant class distinction between Rochester and Jane, highlighting the pair as unequal in terms of their place in society. In Caged Bird, the separation between different skin colours in the 1930s was paramount. Maya was refused dental treatment because of Dentist Lincoln’s policy, “don’t treat coloured people.” The racism and discrimination of Dentist Lincoln highlights men who have a valued position in society’s hierarchy which gives them power and the opportunity to live a more privileged life than those they discriminate against.
Conforming to the more traditional ideals of a conventional hero, Bronte introduces Rochester as confident and self-assured; which are more desirable characteristics. However, when Rochester catches Jane staring at him, he becomes arrogant and asks “do you think me handsome?” The closed question offers Jane few possibilities. It could be that because Rochester is the master of the house it is expected that his servants and workers massage his ego. Another interpretation could be that Rochester only expects one answer; yes. Rochester has power, wealth and an estate; attributes that a family would look for while trying to marry off their daughters; in the way the Ingrams attempt to match Blanche with Rochester. Alternatively, it is narrow-minded for Rochester to assume that the only reason Jane would stare so intently at his “granite-hewn features” is because she finds him attractive- she does not at that point. In Caged Bird, Bailey is described as handsome; he is “small, graceful and smooth.” These adjectives give Bailey the opportunity to be confident in the way he looks, something which Rochester already is. Men use their appearance to their advantage to boost their self esteem and to make them desirable to others in a way the female protagonist simply don’t.
Rather than just focusing on Jane’s interesting proto-feminist behaviour, a conceivably more shocking notion is Rochester’s incapability to comprehend it. Rochester is presented as narrow-minded. He says “By my word! there is something singular about you” the use of exclamatives signifies that Rochester is not accustomed to opposition and so views Jane as different and odd. The irony here is that Rochester singles Jane out from society for being autonomous when perhaps it is odder for him to have a mad woman in the attic. Rather than celebrate Jane’s desire for independence, Rochester would prefer to blend Jane in with the rest of the women in 19th century; he describes Jane as “quaint, quiet, grave and simple”. Women were deemed as quite passive beings and nothing extraordinary; Rochester would prefer to try and relate Jane to this stereotype of women rather than embrace the strong and independent nature she has. This suggests that men at this time, especially perhaps those with power and money like Rochester, wanted to conform to quite traditional and archaic notions.
When Rochester is preparing to marry Jane, he displays rather fickle behaviour.
It is established that Rochester disliked Blanche Ingram’s preference for fancy dresses and her inclination towards material goods; he considers this quite superficial and was one of the reasons he fell for “plain Jane” 4instead. The hypocrisy here is that Rochester begins to push gifts such as a “diamond chain” and a “circlet”, onto Jane; a possible way to show ownership and dominance over her. These are both field specific terms in relation to jewellery; something which Jane has shown no passion or interest for. Rochester is presented as controlling when he says “I will attire my Jane in satin and lace.” This suggests that he is trying to change Jane into the wife he wants to have, rather than the wife Jane would actually be to him. In Caged Bird, Maya is subject to the dominating behaviour of Mr Freeman. Mr Freeman uses the direct imperative; “pull your draws down” as a way to assert his control. As Maya is scared, Angelou presents men as stronger than women due to their powerful status and ability to issue manipulative
orders.
Bronte uses different male perspectives to illustrate their characters. John Reed bullied Jane when she lived at Gateshead, and these memories shaped her into the woman she becomes. John is aggressive and abrupt and shows Jane no respect with imperatives such as “Show the book.” He makes her feel excluded and alone, “You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant” and “you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg,” John singles Jane out and distances her from the Reed family. Jane’s lower class status is emphasised through this separation. Being in the lower class in the 19th century was deemed worthless, so having Jane living in the Reed household is something John does not want to be associated with. Perhaps this is why he bullies Jane so callously. The importance of hierarchy was emphasised from an early age. On the contrary, in Caged Bird, Maya loves her brother because he “loved me.” Bailey was kind to his sister and made her feel safe and welcomed in their family, presenting Bailey as caring- something which John Reed never was.
Bronte and Angelou created a range of male characters to portray the views and opinions that men had. The female protagonists in both novels depict the dominating and ruthless behaviour of males and how these characteristics were conveyed in relationships with them. With the few exceptions of Bailey and a changed Rochester, it can be seen that male characters are mainly focused on their own advancement, above that of anyone else.
Word count: 1578
References
1. cliffnotes.com/study.guide/literature/jane-eyre/character-analysis/Edward-fairfax-rochester.html
2. voices.yahoo.com/edward-rochester-jane-eyre-2795646.html
3. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/canalysis.html
Bibliography
Angelou, Maya, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, 1969, New York: Random House.
Bronte, C. “Jane Eyre”, 2010, Harper Press, London.
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/jane-eyre/summary-analysis/chapter-13.html
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/section7.rhtml
suite101.com/article/character-analysis-of-the-icon-jane-eyre-a292309
www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/covert15.html
www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/hesse1.html
Jane Eyre is an early insight into how proto-feminists were regarded in the 19th century, where a women’s role was stereotypically to be seen and not heard. Charlotte Bronte uses the character Jane Eyre as a platform to express the imbalance of equality between the two genders and uses a series of male characters to depict how an independent, disadvantaged female is regarded in such a male dominated society. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou uses a similar platform of a disadvantaged female in the early 20th century to reflect how discrimination and extreme poverty affect the attitudes of males not only in relation to Maya Angelou, but to other black people in …show more content…
the racist community of Stamps in 1930s Southern America. Bronte challenges the idea of a conventional hero in Jane Eyre by creating a dark character such as Mr Rochester. Rochester appears controlling, dominant and dishonest yet it is only in the end where Bronte has suggested that his good qualities will come to light and that “adversity causes enlightenment,” 1making him a suitable and worthy partner for Jane. Rochester exhibits many instances where he is dictatorial to the people around him. He orders Jane to “draw your chair a little further forward.” This declarative reinforces the typical gender stereotypes that men are superior to women and that his commands must be obeyed. Jane prefers to stay where she is but she had to satisfy her boss’ wishes. This also illuminates the blossoming infatuation that Jane has with Rochester and could even be seen to foreshadow and mimic the relationship that Jane and Rochester would share; in that Jane would be obliged to conform to Rochester’s ideals and rules, rather than be his equal.
It is shown in Jane Eyre that Mr Rochester has kept his first wife in the attic as a way to avoid dealing with her condition, presenting him as a passive and inconsiderate carer. This action also highlights that Rochester has a history of limiting women’s freedom, since he locked his wife away from the world. The reader might wonder how long will it take for him to limit Jane’s “fiery personality” 2like he limited Bertha’s freedom. Rochester’s behaviour appears to be selfish and narcissistic: when he is confronted about still being married to Bertha during his marital ceremony to Jane, he defends himself by saying that he is not to blame because of the “stout heart men may bear.” Rochester is rationalising his attempted bigamy because apparently that is how some men just behave. He is not taking responsibility for his actions, “I was cheated,” which is not fair to Jane; he is being selfish as he did not tell Jane that he was already married. However, perhaps because he only thinks of himself, he thought that he didn’t have to similarly, because Mr Freeman is older than Maya and has more authority than her, Maya feels obliged to comply when he gives her orders, even though she is frightened and has been threatened that he might “kill Bailey”. She had to do as she was told by a man.
The division of class is an important theme throughout Jane Eyre. Bronte perhaps uses Rochester as a platform to explore the upper-class community and he is presented as rich and intimidating to those around him. Adele remains silent when she is in the room with him because she “dared not speak loud” in his presence. The semantic implication here reflects Rochester’s superiority in the house and that he merits respect from those within it. “Class is paramount within society” 3and because of the social inference and attitude in the 19th century, there is coercion for the characters to remain within their class boundaries which males reinforce. Being an orphan and a governess limits Jane to a lower class meaning that she would normally never have the opportunity to live her life the way Rochester lives his. Rochester is respected, Jane is not. This amplifies the significant class distinction between Rochester and Jane, highlighting the pair as unequal in terms of their place in society. In Caged Bird, the separation between different skin colours in the 1930s was paramount. Maya was refused dental treatment because of Dentist Lincoln’s policy, “don’t treat coloured people.” The racism and discrimination of Dentist Lincoln highlights men who have a valued position in society’s hierarchy which gives them power and the opportunity to live a more privileged life than those they discriminate against.
Conforming to the more traditional ideals of a conventional hero, Bronte introduces Rochester as confident and self-assured; which are more desirable characteristics. However, when Rochester catches Jane staring at him, he becomes arrogant and asks “do you think me handsome?” The closed question offers Jane few possibilities. It could be that because Rochester is the master of the house it is expected that his servants and workers massage his ego. Another interpretation could be that Rochester only expects one answer; yes. Rochester has power, wealth and an estate; attributes that a family would look for while trying to marry off their daughters; in the way the Ingrams attempt to match Blanche with Rochester. Alternatively, it is narrow-minded for Rochester to assume that the only reason Jane would stare so intently at his “granite-hewn features” is because she finds him attractive- she does not at that point. In Caged Bird, Bailey is described as handsome; he is “small, graceful and smooth.” These adjectives give Bailey the opportunity to be confident in the way he looks, something which Rochester already is. Men use their appearance to their advantage to boost their self esteem and to make them desirable to others in a way the female protagonist simply don’t.
Rather than just focusing on Jane’s interesting proto-feminist behaviour, a conceivably more shocking notion is Rochester’s incapability to comprehend it. Rochester is presented as narrow-minded. He says “By my word! there is something singular about you” the use of exclamatives signifies that Rochester is not accustomed to opposition and so views Jane as different and odd. The irony here is that Rochester singles Jane out from society for being autonomous when perhaps it is odder for him to have a mad woman in the attic. Rather than celebrate Jane’s desire for independence, Rochester would prefer to blend Jane in with the rest of the women in 19th century; he describes Jane as “quaint, quiet, grave and simple”. Women were deemed as quite passive beings and nothing extraordinary; Rochester would prefer to try and relate Jane to this stereotype of women rather than embrace the strong and independent nature she has. This suggests that men at this time, especially perhaps those with power and money like Rochester, wanted to conform to quite traditional and archaic notions.
When Rochester is preparing to marry Jane, he displays rather fickle behaviour.
It is established that Rochester disliked Blanche Ingram’s preference for fancy dresses and her inclination towards material goods; he considers this quite superficial and was one of the reasons he fell for “plain Jane” 4instead. The hypocrisy here is that Rochester begins to push gifts such as a “diamond chain” and a “circlet”, onto Jane; a possible way to show ownership and dominance over her. These are both field specific terms in relation to jewellery; something which Jane has shown no passion or interest for. Rochester is presented as controlling when he says “I will attire my Jane in satin and lace.” This suggests that he is trying to change Jane into the wife he wants to have, rather than the wife Jane would actually be to him. In Caged Bird, Maya is subject to the dominating behaviour of Mr Freeman. Mr Freeman uses the direct imperative; “pull your draws down” as a way to assert his control. As Maya is scared, Angelou presents men as stronger than women due to their powerful status and ability to issue manipulative
orders.
Bronte uses different male perspectives to illustrate their characters. John Reed bullied Jane when she lived at Gateshead, and these memories shaped her into the woman she becomes. John is aggressive and abrupt and shows Jane no respect with imperatives such as “Show the book.” He makes her feel excluded and alone, “You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant” and “you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg,” John singles Jane out and distances her from the Reed family. Jane’s lower class status is emphasised through this separation. Being in the lower class in the 19th century was deemed worthless, so having Jane living in the Reed household is something John does not want to be associated with. Perhaps this is why he bullies Jane so callously. The importance of hierarchy was emphasised from an early age. On the contrary, in Caged Bird, Maya loves her brother because he “loved me.” Bailey was kind to his sister and made her feel safe and welcomed in their family, presenting Bailey as caring- something which John Reed never was.
Bronte and Angelou created a range of male characters to portray the views and opinions that men had. The female protagonists in both novels depict the dominating and ruthless behaviour of males and how these characteristics were conveyed in relationships with them. With the few exceptions of Bailey and a changed Rochester, it can be seen that male characters are mainly focused on their own advancement, above that of anyone else.
Word count: 1578
References
1. cliffnotes.com/study.guide/literature/jane-eyre/character-analysis/Edward-fairfax-rochester.html
2. voices.yahoo.com/edward-rochester-jane-eyre-2795646.html
3. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/canalysis.html
Bibliography
Angelou, Maya, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, 1969, New York: Random House.
Bronte, C. “Jane Eyre”, 2010, Harper Press, London.
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/jane-eyre/summary-analysis/chapter-13.html
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/section7.rhtml
suite101.com/article/character-analysis-of-the-icon-jane-eyre-a292309
www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/covert15.html
www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/hesse1.html