Examine the use of the theme of social class in ‘Jane Eyre’ and how this is illuminated by your reading of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. The novel ‘Jane Eyre’ highlights the idea of social class and the position of women in society. It tells the story of how protagonist Jane progresses through different social classes in life‚ beginning as the low position of an orphan and ending in the higher position of being both wealthy and married. Charlotte Bronte’s own social background was that of being
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Revolutionary Jane In Brontë’s time‚ the Victorian era‚ class system still played a huge role in society. People of a certain class would often look down on people from another class. Class was something you were born into. It was almost impossible to shift from one class to another. In the novel Jane Eyre‚ Brontë presents a very revolutionary character in that aspect. Charlotte Brontë is critical about the class system and tries to show that through Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is not influenced by
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The overriding theme of class and social status in the Victorian era is forgrounded in the opening chapter of Jane Eyre and explored in the entirety of the novel through Gothic genre literary technique of a double‚ between Jane’s wealthy cousins the Reeds contrasting with her lower class relatives‚ the Rivers. In the 19th century‚ class divisions were far more fixed and pronounced than they are today‚ and the predetermined class you were born into based on wealth‚ dictated the sort of life you would
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Explore the role of social class in ‘Jane Eyre’. Social class plays an important role throughout the novel for Jane’s ambiguous class status becomes evident from the opening chapter. Bronte refers to Jane as a poor orphan living with her cruel relatives‚ she feels alienated from the rest of the Reed family. Jane’s callous cousin John Reed tells Jane she has "no business to take our books; you are a dependent . . . you ought to beg‚ and not to live here with gentleman’s children like us." In this
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the same level as the family. Read the passages about the house party and the way Blanche Ingram and her mother talk of governesses‚ knowing full well that Jane is sitting right there. For a gentleman to marry a governess‚ let alone his household’s governess‚ was unheard of. Marriage was her only way to better herself. So the stance that Jane takes when she demands that Rochester allow her to continue to work after their marriage was to say the least unusual. Often Bronte puts in Jane’s mind and
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contemporary society. This is evident in the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë where at many points within the novel‚ Brontë‚ through the character of Jane Eyre voices her then radical opinions on society common to that era‚ through which contemporary readers can then draw parallels to with aspects of their own society. It is rather obvious to the reader that Brontë‚ through the character of Jane Eyre‚ is somewhat critical of Victorian England’s strict social structure and hierarchy‚ a primary vehicle
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develop their social and moral opinions in a way that no other literary genre allows them to. Within the novel‚ the author can expand and detail their thoughts‚ values and beliefs through their characters. In other genres‚ such as poetry or short stories‚ authors are not allowed the time or space to develop ideas. Novels also allow the author to comment on or respond to new ideas in society. Charlotte Bronte did this with her novel Jane Eyre commenting on ideas including love‚ social class and gender
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In the novel Jane Eyre‚ charlotte Bronte displays the different stages of maturity an individual goes through from childhood to when they become an adult. Bronte shows this idea of maturity clearly in Jane Eyre character. Jane Eyre is a dynamic character as throughout the novel she changes her decisions and ideas according to the situations she faces. Jane’s action and decision making in the novel demonstrates the growth in her maturity from a rude wilful child to an ambitious young lady and how
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Literary Analysis/Research) In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte‚ Bronte’s use of foils to reveal Jane’s true character enriches the reader’s interest when reading the novel. Characters in the novel such as Georgina Reed‚ Blanche Ingram‚ Helen Burns‚ Bertha Mason and Mr. Rochester show a meaningful contrast to Jane’s personality. Georgina Reed and Blanche Ingram act as similar foils to Jane. Georgiana and Blanche have beautiful appearances and are spoiled while Jane has a plain appearance and is obedient
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Bronte’s character Jane Eyre had truly existed in that time period‚ she would have defied most of these cultural standards and proved herself a paradigm for aspiring feminists of her day. Jane’s commitment to dignity‚ independence‚ freedom of choice‚ unwillingness to submit to a man’s emotional power and willingness to speak her mind were fostered by some female characters in the novel. Yet these traits also contrast sharply with some of Bronte’s other female characters Jane Eyre can be labeled as
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