Feminism in Jane Erye

A detailed Summary of Feminism in Jane Erye

Feminism is a very contradictory theme throughout literary history. It does not have to be seen as a complete rebellion against men, but can simply represent intelligence and self-worth in a female. This philosophy is shown in many of the works of Charlotte Bronte. She uses independence as a "keynote in her thinking about her own life and the life of all unmarried women" (Ewbank 157). One such work is Jane Erye. In this novel Charlotte Bronte personifies her philosophy through the main character of Jane. As Jane matures from child to woman her strength of character is what makes her memorable. Through her endurance, moral convictions, and intense emotional capacity Jane is shown as the epidemy of feminism.

Jane's strength to endure harsh circumstances is shown throughout the novel. The novel "arrests attention in its opening chapters by disclosing an individual character enmeshed in, yet independent of, unusual circumstances" (Tillotson 28). Under the care of her aunt, Jane must endure a loveless childhood. She is always seen as an outsider looking in. Jane's strength is shown by her lack of self-pity. Although she is like a terrified cornered animal she fights back with intellectual and

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Erye. New York: First Signet Classic Printing, 1960.

Ewbank, Inga-Stina. Their Proper Sphere. Massachusetts: Harvard UP, 1966.

Another characteristic presented by Jane is her moral conviction. This strength begins to come forth with her relationship with Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester awakens all of Jane's greatest desires. She sees her attraction to him as a dilemma that must be avoided. "Jane, who cares passionately for Mr. Rochester, preserves her detachment from him" (Craik 73). The emotions between Mr. Rochester and Jane become so intense that "by the time this marriage is reached it has come to represent the resolution of moral and emotional conflicts" (Craik 72). Those conflicts become even more profound with the wedding's interruption. At this point Jane realizes that her love has no hope. She said, "The whole consciousness of my life lorn, my love lost, my hope quenched, my faith death-struck, swayed full and mighty above me in one sullen mass" (p.301). She longs to stay but knows it cannot be. "Jane expresses the tension between her desire to be Rochester's and her moral knowledge that she must leave him" (Ewbank 183). The reader must begin to "perceive as one Jane's agony and its emotional and spiritual implications" (Ewbank 185). In the end Mr. Rochester pressures Jane to become his mistress. "The intensity of pressure which he puts on her is matched, not by fear or revulsion of the popular heroine, but by a responsiveness which she barely masters" (Heilman 35). But Mr. Rochester lets her go because he "too, recognizes that without her soul and spirit she is not worth having" (Ewbank194).

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Approximate Word count = 1416
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English