Feminism in the novel Jane Eyr
The word "feminism" today can conjure up any number of images and nasty thoughts of left-wing bra-burning man-hating radicals or women in politics fighting for pro-choice options. It seems like everyone has an opinion when it comes to the word feminism, and many of them are somewhat negative. However, recently, feminism has calmed down and gained a quieter reputation. Although feminism seems to the modern reader a phenomenon of the 20th century with the suffragettes of the 20's and the women's liberation movement of the 60's and 70's, it has always existed. It was not always called feminism, nor did believers in equality always have a refuge with like-thinkers. In Charlotte romance novel, Jane Eyre, the protagonist, Jane, had a definite feminist bent. In 1800's, behavior followed such straight-laced regulated standards that most modern women would be considered excruciatingly radical and unconventional. Thus Jane's version of feminism was much milder by our expectations, but it exists nonetheless. Jane strove for what Webster's dictionary describes as, "the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men," except of course, there was no "doctrine" in
Jane was very lucky in how she dealt with those around her. When her natural independence showed, it often had a positive result, thus teaching Jane that demanding independence and equality worked. As a child, she confronted Mrs. Reed when she had been cruel to Jane. Jane told her she was "deceitful, at which point, Jane's "soul began to expand, to exult, with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph I had ever felt. Then, Mrs. Reed "looked frightened even twisting her face as if she would cry. With this much success, a few days later when Mrs. Reed came to say goodbye to Jane before she sent her to school, Jane soundly ignored her. Additionally, Jane's keen understanding of injustice was perpetuated by a single-sex educational environment and by knowing Helen Burns. The Lowood curriculum of history, geography, grammar, French, sewing, drawing, and music taught Jane that knowledge is what is important, not status. After all, Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst had status, and it didn't make them any better for it. In conclusion, just as there are many aspects that go into making a person an individual, there were many reasons why Jane Eyre was a feminist. But she was. She said, "Nobody knows how many rebellions besides political rebellions ferment in the masses of life in which people earth. Women are supposed to be very quiet generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer too rigid a constraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex. the 1840's. But seeing as there was no standard to follow, why was Jane a feminist? She was not exposed to men while she was growing up, she had no female role models to learn submission from, when she tried being independent and demanding equality, it w
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Approximate Word count = 1461
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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