Jane Eyre Social Standards Essay

A social standard is defined as a standard of behaviour generally accepted by the society in which one lives. Women’s social standards have always been an important issue, focusing on the sexuality of women, jobs, and roles in a family. In Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre lives in the society of the Victorian Era, a period with strict standards regarding women. Jane does not live by and refutes these standards, making the work into the first steps for questioning the role of religion in society and feminism. In the Victorian Era, piety and inferiority were expected standards of all women. Anyone who did not believe in God, even those who did not wholeheartedly conform to religious customs, were shunned upon and expected to go to hell. In response to Jane, Mr. Brocklehurst states that “‘...you have a wicked heart; and must pray to God to change it: to give you a new and clean one: to take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.’” (40) The quote proves the expectation to worship God in order to live a happy life. Women were expected to be obedient to their husbands, as women were still considered inferior to men. Men beating their wives for not obeying their wishes was common and socially accepted across all classes, emphasizing the
expectation of obedience. In Jane and Rochester’s first conversation, Rochester discusses his right to order Jane around, stating, “‘Leaving superiority out of the question, then, you must still agree to receive my orders now and then, without being piqued or hurt by the tone of command.’” (157) Although not as extreme as men from the era, Rochester still expects Jane to be subservient to him, even if Rochester was not much older and many more years of experience. Despite the strict standards, Jane happily defies expectations. Rather than seeking God for salvation and happiness in heaven, Jane wishes to find happiness in life on Earth. This can be explained with Jane’s searching and questioning of the existence of heaven and God. “‘You are sure, then, Helen, that there is such a place as heaven; and that our souls can get to it when we die?’” (97) While Helen is content with dying, Jane is overwhelmed by Helen’s faith and wishes to find love and happiness in the world. Regarding obedience, Jane prefers to be independent and on equal terms with Rochester. Despite reminding Rochester that she is his paid subordinate, Jane states that, “‘I don’t think, sir, you have a right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; you claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience.’” (157) Jane believes superiority should be based on one’s actions, rather than their characteristics, such as age or gender. This extends to why Jane marries the newly-blinded Rochester. Jane is now equal, and at the beginning, was superior to the dependent Rochester. Jane’s response to the social standards of the Victorian Era shows support for the questioning of religion in society and feminism.
Through Jane’s resistance to complete faith in Christianity, Jane does not believe that faith alone will not get someone through life. This was emphasized with Helen’s extreme faith and untimely death. Through this, Charlotte Bronte supports the idea of using religion only as a moral guideline and not as a lifestyle. Jane’s fight for independence and to be on equal terms with men, is a clear symbol of the early forms of feminism in the Victorian Era. This is emphasized with Jane resistance to being inferior to anyone simply because of their characteristics, such as age or
gender. In Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre lives in a society where complete faith in God is expected and where women are considered inferior to men. Jane does not adhere to the norm and wishes to find happiness in this world rather than in heaven. Jane strived for independence and to be on equal terms with the men in the novel, which was nearly unheard of in Victorian society. Through Jane’s response to the social standards, the novel questions the role of religion in society and was one of the early symbols of feminism of the Victorian Era.