Jane Eyre: Independence
In Charlotte Bronte's famous book Jane Eyre, a girl was portrayed that was growing up around the turn of the nineteenth century. Jane was an orphan with no family or friends. She was mistreated and misunderstood by the people around her. Jane seemed doomed for a life of failure, until she decided to go against all odds and stand up for the life of success she deserved. Jane's actions opened the doors for a new interpretation of women and showed that it was possible for a woman of the nineteenth century to achieve independence and success on her own. During the 1800's women were stereotyped as being submissive and ignorant. They were seen as trophies and were never meant to develop a mind of their own. Because of this stereotype, it was difficult for women to be taken seriously. Jane proved to be the antithesis of all these things. She may have been portrayed as a plain woman, but also intelligent, strong-willed and self-confident. Jane used these traits as her guide in her journey to self-fulfillment throughout the novel. Jane had to overcome many barriers throughout her life. The first of these was the fact that Jane was an orphan since infancy as well as a member of the lower class. Jane never seemed to fit in at Gates head
Jane had managed to triumph over male power throughout the novel, and that seemed to be her largest accomplishment. She overcame her tormentors. She succeeded in one area where John Reed told her that she was doomed to failed, which was life in general. Jane also ended up outliving John Reed, much to everyone's surprise. Jane won her battle with Rev. Brocklehurst by refusing to live at Lowood under his orders for the rest of her life. Jane's departure was symbolic of her leaving behind her old life and starting a new one. Another obstacle Jane had to overcome throughout the novel was male power. The first of the men to cause her trouble was John Reed at Gates head. He represented a physical force and a patriarchal family. Another man who caused trouble was Rev. Brocklehurst who tormented Jane at Lowood. Rev. Brocklehurst signifies religion, education and the social structures of class. Edward Rochester arrived to represent attraction. All of these men were representative sources of male power over women. All three men also try to take advantage of Jane's seeming defenselessness. Many women of the time period often had to deal with oppression. Jane was one of such women, because that was what the stereotype imposed upon her. There was always some form of resistance against Jane whenever she tried to sta
Some common words found in the essay are:
Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester, Rev Brocklehurst, Charlotte Bronte, St John, Jane Rochester, Due Jane's, John Reed, Rivers Jane, Reed Gates, rev brocklehurst, edward rochester, nineteenth century, throughout novel, st john, male power, john reed, aunt reed, role model women, gates head, obstacle jane, reed rev brocklehurst, aunt reed rev,
Approximate Word count = 889
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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