A History: Tragedy in the Bronte Household — Charlotte Bronte had an extremely difficult homelife, which is said to be reflected in “Jane Eyre,” as the subheading of the novel was once “An Autobiography.” The Brontes were all exceptionally gifted and all fated to die young. Bronte’s mother and two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth,  past away in Charlotte’s childhood and her brother, Branwell, suffered addictions to opium and alcohol, forcing her and her remaining sisters to nurse him at the time of his collapses, his psychosis, and his ultimate death. The living sisters found comfort in writing, an unconventional practice for women of this era due to patriarchal dominance perpetuated through prescribed gender roles and ignorant presumptions of the capabilities of women.

During this time, the ideal woman acted as “the Angel in the House,” behaving in a submissive, powerless, self-sacrificing manner. Both Bronte and her protagonist, Jane, had difficulty conforming to this patriarchal model for women. When Bronte wrote to poet laureate Robert Southey for advice about writing, he replied, ” Literature cannot be the business of a woman’s life, and it ought not to be. The more she is engaged in her proper duties, the less leisure will she have for it, even as an accomplishment and a recreation.” Facing chauvinism and prejudice, Bronte adopted the pseudonym “Currer Bell” in order to overcome gender limitations, and only after “Jane Eyre” became a bestseller at its publication in 1847 did  Bronte reveal her true identity and force contemporary society to reevaluate sexist notions of female authorship.

The novel was thoroughly praised until critics learned the author was female; thereafter, the reviews became more negative due to the passionate and sexual tone of the work. One such review came from the Rambler in 1848: ” Jane Eyre is, indeed, one of the coarsest books which we ever perused. It is not that the professed sentiments of the writer are absolutely wrong or forbidding, or that the odd sort of religious notions which she puts forth are much worse than is usual in popular tales. It is rather that there is a tendency to relapse into that class of ideas, expressions, and circumstances, which is most connected with the grosser and more animal portion of our nature; and that the detestable morality of the most prominent character in the story is accompanied in every sort of palliation short of unblushing justification.”

Major Themes: A strong theme through the work is the concept of gender inequality and social position. Bronte plays with this theme to express her critique of the Victorian social hierarchy. In her childhood, Jane’s imprisonment and mistreatment reflects her lower social status. After agonizing through the humiliations of her financial inadequacy, she works hard as a teacher and governess to support herself, while facing feelings of inferiority.  This sense of low self-esteem is apparent in her relationship with Mr. Rochester, when she refuses his first marriage proposal due to their financial and social differences. Thus, Jane sacrifices her love for Mr. Rochester in order to preserve her autonomy until she has her own fortune and can enter the marriage on equal standing. Bertha Mason is another character through which Bronte demonstrates gender inequality and social position. Bertha represents unbridled passion and madness, and her imprisonment is symbolic for patriarchal suppression. In relation to the “Angel in the House” model for Victorian women, Bertha embodies the “monster,” bearing many of the qualities causing a great amount of anxiety among the men of the Victorian era. While Bertha is portrayed as somewhat of a villain, Bronte may have intended for her to be seen as a critique of society in which passionate women are seen as monsters or madwomen, and seems to suggest that her insanity may have been fabricated in part by the patriarchal force  that made her give up her fortune through marriage to Mr. Rochester. Jane personifies both the “angel” and the “monster.” While she acts with pure and moral intentions, she also possesses qualities such as passion, independence, and tenacity. While Bronte blurs the lines between these patriarchal concepts, the reader can identify the parallels to Bronte’s life and infer that she is making  a personal statement about the contention between passion and passivity in her own life.

Social Impact: For years after its publication, “Jane Eyre” sparked a firestorm of controversy, which contributed to the destruction of the prevailing status quo. Mainstream political and religious beliefs supported and promoted the “Angel of the House” model of women and struggled to maintain patriarchal dominance. A powerful movement developed, changing women from the “Girl of the Period” to the “New Woman,” a figure who threw off tradition, rejected marriage, advocated contraception, as well as independence through paid work. This greatly impacted the social fabric of the time, causing a reevaluation of women’s role in society and the discarding of the unenlightened presumptions of the capabilities of women.

Quotes:

“God and nature intended you for a missionary’s wife. It is not personal, but mental endowments they have given you: you are formed for labour, not for love. A missionary’s wife you must — shall be. You shall be mine: I claim you — not for pleasure, but for my Sovereign’s service.”

This quote by St. John  reflects a woman’s position in society during this time: the male sense of ownership and the expected subservience of the female gender.  It also demonstrates the prevailing pious beliefs of the time  that love and passion have no relation to a moral life. While Jane respects St. John’s view of morality and his dedication to the church, she is disinclined to forfeit her chance at love and happiness to accommodate his wishes. It seems as if Bronte has incorporated this relationship into the work to reflect her own loveless marriage, as well as the will to choose passion over practicality.

In the Media: Many film, radio, musical, and television adaptions have been released in the last hundred years attempting to capture the essence of the novel. There have been many great Mr. Rochester’s, including: George C Scott, Ciaran Hinds, and Toby Stephens. In 2006, a British television mini-series was released on BBC, relating the tale in four episodes. Attached is the trailer:  Jane Eyre 2006

Sources:

• Bronte, Charlotte. “Jane Eyre.” 1984.  The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. 
• “The World’s Best Reading.” Reader’s Digest. 1984. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.
• The Internet Movie Database (imdb.com)