Jane Eyre Religion Essay
Jane’s Christianity
Jane Eyre, a nineteenth century novel written by Charlotte Brontë, follows the life of its title character as she attempts to navigate her world as a young woman without family or prospects. Jane Eyre is classified as a bildungsroman, or a “coming-of-age” story. Throughout the novel, issues of feminism and religion arise as prominent themes that Jane must come to terms with as she works to find her place in Victorian society. Conflict exists among scholars regarding this relationship between religion and feminism in Jane’s bildungsroman. Some scholars choose to view the two themes as separate issues, while others believe they work together, and in some cases even depend on one another throughout Jane’s journey in the novel. …show more content…
Though some chose to read the novel as one that focuses solely on feminism, a close analysis reveals that the feminist achievements Jane makes over the course of the novel are dependent upon her …show more content…
For example, critic Kristi Sexton reads the novel as one in which Jane’s spiritual journey is ultimately the most important theme. Sexton recognizes that many critics “see Jane’s journey as a woman’s conflict against an unjust male-dominated world,” but believes that this reading does not identify the main conflict in the story: Jane’s spiritual awakening (178). Sexton refers to feminist readings as “credible” but limited, as they miss the focus of the novel. Critic Kevin A. Jenkins, on the other hand, declares the novel a feminist work, stating that Brontë “rejects the narrow, male-dominated Christianity of her day and offers in its place an alternative vision in which paradise is a present possibility and male and female are truly equal” (306). Brontë’s influence on traditional biblical stories is most noticeable in her interpretation of the Garden of Eden. Jane views Thornfield as an “Eden- like” place, from which she is cast out (Brontë 278). Jenkins writes that “Brontë’s radical reshaping of the biblical story suggests that she feels the old myth and its constraints must be challenged”
Jane Eyre, a nineteenth century novel written by Charlotte Brontë, follows the life of its title character as she attempts to navigate her world as a young woman without family or prospects. Jane Eyre is classified as a bildungsroman, or a “coming-of-age” story. Throughout the novel, issues of feminism and religion arise as prominent themes that Jane must come to terms with as she works to find her place in Victorian society. Conflict exists among scholars regarding this relationship between religion and feminism in Jane’s bildungsroman. Some scholars choose to view the two themes as separate issues, while others believe they work together, and in some cases even depend on one another throughout Jane’s journey in the novel. …show more content…
Though some chose to read the novel as one that focuses solely on feminism, a close analysis reveals that the feminist achievements Jane makes over the course of the novel are dependent upon her …show more content…
For example, critic Kristi Sexton reads the novel as one in which Jane’s spiritual journey is ultimately the most important theme. Sexton recognizes that many critics “see Jane’s journey as a woman’s conflict against an unjust male-dominated world,” but believes that this reading does not identify the main conflict in the story: Jane’s spiritual awakening (178). Sexton refers to feminist readings as “credible” but limited, as they miss the focus of the novel. Critic Kevin A. Jenkins, on the other hand, declares the novel a feminist work, stating that Brontë “rejects the narrow, male-dominated Christianity of her day and offers in its place an alternative vision in which paradise is a present possibility and male and female are truly equal” (306). Brontë’s influence on traditional biblical stories is most noticeable in her interpretation of the Garden of Eden. Jane views Thornfield as an “Eden- like” place, from which she is cast out (Brontë 278). Jenkins writes that “Brontë’s radical reshaping of the biblical story suggests that she feels the old myth and its constraints must be challenged”