FEMINISM IN JANE EYRE

FEMINISM IN JANE EYREABSTRACTJane Eyre is the most famous work of Charlotte Bronte,who is considered as an extraordinary woman novelist.Because the novel throbs with the heart-beats of its author, both literary critics and the readers have taken great interest in its unconventional heroine Jane Eyre, whose unconventionality is shown in the heroines pursuit of liberty, equality and independence. It is an autobiographical novel in a certain degree. This essay attempts to prove Jane is a real feminist through the analysis of her personality. Jane Eyre is a typical and magnificent representative in Enalish literature, not only for her plain but famous appearance but also for her characters outstanding and alien thoughts. The image of Jane Eyre is brilliant for her rebellious character. She always insists on her principle to rebel and fights bravely against the unjust word. She still trise her best to pursue freedom, equality, independence and true love. By unremitting efforts she finally get dignity gets dignity, freedom and true love. Key Words: Jane Eyre feminism limitations oppression struggle 简爱中的女权主义摘要简爱是现实主义时期著名女作家夏洛蒂勃朗特的代表作品，她被认为是一位卓越的女作家。因为她在小说中描述的是与传统不同的女主人公简爱的勇于追求自由，平等和独立精神。它也是作者的自传体小说。通过对简爱的性格进行剖析，证明了简爱是一个标准的女权主义者。简爱这个人物形象，博得读者的爱怜，在英国文学史上是位具有代表性的人物，不仅表现在外表的朴实无华，而且表现在她性格上的独特魅力。简爱因其性格中所具有的强烈反抗意识而特别地引起注目。她坚持自己的原则去不断反抗不公平的社会。她用尽全力追求自由，平等，独立和真爱。经过坚持不懈的努力她最终获得自尊，自由和真爱。关键词：简爱 女权主义 局限性 压迫 抗争目 录ABSTRACT .I摘要.II1. Introduction.51.1 The AuthorCharlotte Bronte.51.2 Feminist Criticsm.51.3 The Social Background of Jane Eyre.61.4 The Summary of the BookJane Eyre.62. The Manifestation Mode of Feminism.82.1 The Definition of “Feminism”.82.2 Feminism Shown in Jane Eyre.82.3 Life is Struggle.92.4 An Unequal Love.112.5 Oppression and Repel142.6 Ecological Feminist152.7 The Image of Women Characters163. Limitations184. Meaning194.1 Feminism in Todays Life.194.2 Comparing Feminism in Janes Time And Todays Time.195. Conclusion23Works CitedII1 Introduction1.1 The AuthorCharlotte Bronte Jane Eyre has been popular with readers all over the world since its publication in 1847.It was written by Charlotte Bronte, one of the most outstanding British writers in nineteenth century. She was a famous talented realistic woman novelist. She portrayed the struggle of the individual to maintain his integrity with a dramatic intensity entirely new to English fiction.Charlotte Bronte was born in the family of poor country clergyman at Thornton Yorkshire in 1816. She was the third child of the family. Her sister Emily wrote Wuthering Heights, and the other sister Anne wrote Agnes Grey. She and her sister went to a charity school with bad food and poor living conditions, then, Charlotte removed from the school to start a sketchy learning at home. Formal schooling was not much in their youth, but wide reading and home educationseemed to give free play to their imagination. They wrote stories and poems. In 1842, they went to Brussels for nine months to learn French. Charlotte worked there as a teacher for one year. Charlotte died in 1855, less than one year after her marriage to a clergyman A.B, Nicholas.1.2 What is Feminist Citicsm Feminist criticism comes in many forms, and feminist critics have a variety of goals. Some have been interested in rediscovering the works of women writers overlooked by a masculine-dominated culture. Others have revisited books by male authors and reviewed them from a womans point of view to understand how they both reflect and shape the attitudes that have held women back. A number of contemporary feminists have turned to topics as various as women in postcolonial so-cieties, womens autobiographical writings, lesbians and literature, womanliness as masquerade, and the role of film and other popular media in the construction of the feminine gender. Until a few years ago, however, feminist thought tended to be classified not according to topic but, rather, according to country of origin. This practice reflected the fact that, during the 1970s and early 1980s, French, American, and British feminists wrote from somewhat different perspectives. French feminists tended to focus their attention on language, ana-lyzing the ways in which meaning is produced. They concluded that language as we commonly think of it is a decidedly male realm. Drawing on the ideas of the psychoanalytic philosopher Jacques Lacan, they reminded us that language is a realm of public discourse. A child enters the linguistic realm just as it comes to grasp its separateness from its mother, just about the time that boys identify with their father, the family representative of culture. The language learned reflects a binary logic that opposes such terms as active/passive, masculine/feminine, sun/moon, father/mother, head/heart, son/daughter, intelligent/ sensitive, brother/sister, form/matter, phallus/vagina, reason/emotion. Because this logic tends to group with masculinity such qualities as light, thought, and activity, French feminists said that the structure of language is phaUocentric: it privileges the phallus and, more generally, masculinity by associating them with things and values more appreciated by the (masculine-dominated) culture. Moreover, French feminists suggested, masculine desire dominates speech and posits woman as an idealized fantasy-fulfillment for the incurable emotional lack caused by separation from the mother (Jones, Inscribing, 83). French feminists associated language with separation from the mother. Its distinctions, they argued, represent the world from the male point of view. Language systematically forces women to choose: either they can imagine and represent themselves as men imagine and represent them (in which case they may speak, but will speak as men) or they can choose silence, becoming in the process the invisible and unheard sex (Jones, Inscribing 83).1.3 The Scial Bckground of Jane Eyre 1832, the year when the first Reform Bill was passed, is usually regarded as the end of the Romantic era and the beginning of the Victorian age, although Queen Victorian did not start her reign until 1837. The Victorian age (1832-1902) was a time of profound change. The Industrial Revolution had reshaped the class structure of English society by creating the rich bourgeoisies and powerful but politically deprived proletariat who would have to fight for their right. Humanknowledge also made major advances that inevitably posed as a direct challenge to the authority of religion. The Victorian age is usually subdivided into the following phases: the early victorian period, the mid-victorian period, and late victorian period. Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre in the early victorian period when the conflict between labor and capital was so sharp. In this period the labour cried for democracy, freedom and equality.1.4 The Summary of the BookJane EyreJane Eyre is a Bildungsroman, or a coming-of-age novel, which recounts the first nineteen years of the character of Jane Eyre, in thefirst-person voice.Ten -year -old orphan Jane Eyre lives unhappily with her wealthy, cruel cousins and aunt at Gateshead. Later she is sent off to school at Lowood, but there, under the hypocritical Evangelicalism of the headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst, she suffers further privations in the austere environment. She befriends Helen Burns, is taken under the wing of the superintendent, Miss Temple. Jane excels as a student for six years and as a teacher for two.Jane finds employment as a governess at the estate of Thornfield for a little girl, Adele. After much waiting, Jane finally meets her employer, Edward Rochester, a brooding, detached man who seems to have a dark past. Other oddities around Jane develops an attraction for Rochester, not based on looks (both are considered plain) but on their intellectual communion. However, the higher social standing of the beautiful Miss Ingram seemingly vaults her above Jane. Though Rochester flirts with the idea of marrying Miss Ingram, he is aware of her financial ambitions for marriage. An old acquaintance of Rochesters, Richard Mason, visits Thornfield and is severely injure. Jane, baffled by the circumstances, tends to him, and Rochester confessesto her that he made an error in the past that he hopes to overturn by marrying Miss Ingram. He says that he has another governess position for Jane lined up elsewhere.Jane returns to Gateshead for a while. When she returns to Thornfield, Rochester asks Jane to marry him. Jane accepts, but a month later, Mason and a solicitor, Mr. Briggs, interrupt the ceremony by revealing that Rochester already has a wife: Bertha Mason, Masons sister, a lunatic who is kept in the attic in Thornfield. Rochester confesses his past misdeeds to Jane. In his youth he needed to marry the wealthy Bertha for money, but was unaware of her familys history of madness, and over time she became an incorrigible, dangerous part of his life which only imprisonment could solve. Despite his protests that he loves Jane, she cannot agree to marry him because of his previous marriage, and leaves Thornfield. Jane arrives at the desolate crossroads of Whitcross and is reduced to begging for food. Fortunately, the Rivers siblings (St. John, Diana, and Mary) take her into their home at Moor House. She develops great affection for the ladies, and happily teaches at St. Johns school. Jane learns that she has inherited a vast fortune from her uncle, and that the Rivers siblings are her cousins. She divides it among her new family and phases out her teaching duties. St. John is going to go on missionary work in India and repeatedly asks Jane to accompany him as his wife; she refuses, since it would mean compromising her capacity for passion in a loveless marriage. Instead, she is drawn to thoughts of Rochester and, one day, after experiencing a mystical connection with him, seeks him out at Thornfield. She discovers that the estate has been burned down by Bertha, who died in the fire, and that Rochester, who was blinded in the incident, lives nearby. He is overjoyed when she locates him, and relates his side of the mystical connection Jane had. He and Jane marry and enjoy life together, and he regains his sight in one eye.2 The Manifestation Mode of Feminism2.1 The Definition of “Feminism”Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women. In simple terms, feminism is the belief in social, political and economic equality of the sexes, and a movement organized around the belief that gender should not be the pre-determinant factor shaping a persons social identity or socio-political or economic rights. A large portion of feminists are especially concerned with what they perceive to be the social, political and economic inequality between the sexes which favors the male gender; some have argued that gendered and sexed identities, such as “man” and “woman”, are socially constructed. Feminists disagree over the sources of inequality, how to attain equality, and the extent to which gender and genderbased identities should be questioned and critiqued.2.2 Feminism is Shown in Jane EyreJane Eyre is an orphan being raised by Mrs Reed, her cruel, rich aunt, she spends more years at Lowood, six as a student, and two as a teacher. After teaching for two years, Jane wants to get new experiences. She then accepts a family tutor job at a big house called Thornfield. There she teachers a lively French girl named Adele. Janes employer is an impassion man names Rochester. Jane find herself fall in love with him, she becomes depress when she see Rochester bring home a beautiful but bad woman. She believes that Rochester will propose to the woman, but to her surprised, Rochester propose to Jane, and she agrees. The wedding day arrives. When Jane and Rochester prepare to exchange their rings, a man comes and cried out that Rochester already has a wife. Rochester is very surprised, but he does not deny the mans claim. He explains that he does marry a woman named Bertha when he is young, but Bertha has gone mad. Knowing that it is impossible for her to stay with Rochester, Jane escaped from Thornfield. Jane Eyre, in the aunt family who resides temporarily, has conflict with her overbearing cruel cousin, though she is thin and small, Jane dare to wrestle with her cousin, and angrily rebukes him: “Your this boy really is virulent and also brutal, you look like a murderyou look like a man who maltreat the slave, you look like Rome emperor.” “She also dare to accuse her aunt who hides shortcomings callously: You thought you are a good person, but you are bad , you are cruel-hearted.” Here manifested feminisms self-respect and independent, and rebellion viewpoint. After Jane found she has fallen in love with the master deeply in the status so disparate situation, she dare to love, because she believed human spiritual is equal. A poor teacher with great courage falls in love with a high character, in the rank deep strict social concept, it is just as beggar hope to be a king, therefore this itself is to challenge to social and prejudice. Here manifested feminism pursue spirit freed and equal viewpoint. Janes emotion to Rochester is unusual sincerity and single-minded, this mainly displays in her to Rochester rigid and in the intense love. When John Eyre proposes to her, wants her to take he assistant and goes together in India for missionary work, although Jane thought “He is a good person”, but has refused his proposing. Because looked like in Jane Eyre, he loves is not herself, he loves is God. More importantly, regardless of how he treats her, in her heart what she loves is still Rochester, because a pastor to her love is incomplete. But when Jane knew Rochester had the insane legitimate wife, she also rejected his love, she was not willing to cultivate the behavior the lover, what she wanted is a true significance complete love. Here has manifested feminism pursue true sense and complete love view.2.3 Life is StruggleAccording to Jane Eyres different life environment can fall into four parts in all her life: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, and Whitcross. Four places have four men, someone are the reason for the struggle, someone are the object of struggle, someone are belonging of the struggleThe first struggle: Mans childhood is extremely important period in the all life. No matter which theory, all they think the it is the huge influence about her personality development when Jane Eyre stay in her aunt. Because of Janes parents are both dead, she sojourn her uncles home. In this important role-Mr.Reed dont appear in the Janes life in time that make Jane from the orphan become the have the relatives girl. As the first master of Gateshead, Mr.Reid should have absolute rights, his niece Jane should be taken under Reeds wing, and Jane should a little master. However, this role leave Jane and her life prematurely. Before Jane closed in the red house, she doubt that “if Reed still in here, he must be take care of me” however, this is people, make Jane run away from her life.Before Jane have been taken to the red-room, she was used to tolerate the unbearable pain and the ache. She often sit on the window to hide herself with curtain, she didnt want to get others attention. However, face to unreasonable cousin, Jane cant always endure these and didnt said it. When Jane in the red house, her thought is complex and changeable, she think she should run away, should struggle, she doubt her mediocre who she is at the present, final, she really deeply understand, Mr.Reed have dead. When she know it, she wake up from harbor bitterness and produce a great fear. The fear make Jane humble plead for her aunt, then her aunt is always impatient make Jane know that aunt think she is a malice despicable and sinister sly gril at heart. So Jane start realized that she should leave Gateshead. Jane have accustomed to life that a dog as it, Mr.Reeds dead make Jane understand that she cant still live impossible, if Mr.Reed still alive, he is the hope for Jane. Then his dead is tinderbox of Janes despair. Such was the despair make Jane run away from the used to lifeThe second struggleAfter she run away from Gateshead come to the Rowold. In Gateshead, Jane get wreck on heart and spirit, and in Rowold, she havent been defeated that the poor life. New friends and new knowledge make Jane think she still have a competitor- Mr.Whitcross. In Lowood, Mr.Whitcross have an absolute right to do something, from the first meet, Mr.Whitcross start have the distrust to Jane. When Jane stay in Lowood in those early days, Jane often full into “samll seat” of fear. When the day arrived, Jane have dyspnea and her throat had been squeezed as angry as her heart burns. But, Helen and her education that restrain Janes indignation with proud.Howeve, these two important task dont stayed with Janelife. Then becouse of they leave to make Jane the second struggle. The untimely death of Helen that it is the first time for Jane face death. But they finally conversation let Jane understand the death is noting to fear, so Jane become more brave and fearless. Jane feel her change, she get the emotion in old day, with hope, worried, incitation and exciting come to a new world.The second struggle have more independent consciousness than the first struggle. Jane realize she should find more value in more world when have nothing around her. Her struggle is active, is exactly advocate feminism.The third struggleIn Thornfield, Jane meet Mr. Rochester, she fall in love with him, and Mr. Rochester love her, too. After years of hard living, Janes thought gradually mature. Mr. Rochester is a brutal and arbitrary man, but Jane is a last but not least, hold natural girl before the Mr. Rochester. In the process of fall in love with Mr. Rochester, Jane seek independent free equal the love, it is foreshadowing for Jane leave at last. Jane is in love with Mr.Rochester do not in a long time, her heart is in a constant, turbulent riot. Jane had serious battles with fear and doubt the whole time when she fall in love with Mr.Rochester, Jane find herself in the infatuation, she would offered own mind and body, but she is trying to control herself, and constantly ask herself must have her soul. When she know about Rochesters wife, face to Mr.Rochester who is hysterical, Jane is quite reasonable and level-headed. She lobby vigorously against that Rochesters action. So she refused to live with Rochester when church and government both think Mr.Rochester still married with other woman. Jane grew up lacking a loving and protective family, this love that Mr.Rochester and is the reflection of all results and value, however, she is educated, so she just have love is not enough, it is must have respect, especially Jane. She have a care about her, the more solitary the more friendless and helpless, the more helpless the more self-possessed. And if the first two struggle is impulse under her heart rule her head, the third struggle is based on a result of rational thinking. But this rational thinking still depend on a kind thirst for love of freedom and equality, not complete rational thinking. In is together in the process, they always have unfair factor because of Janes self-abased. So Rochesters wife awakened her warried, finally, she against her ad