JANE EYRE

by Charlotte Brontë

What makes Jane Eyre a feminist heroine?

part 1

One of the very limited options open to the average middle-class female in Victorian England was the position of a governess. This often proved to be a humiliating experience, and few women actually sought such employment. Jane has a few bad experiences before she ends up at Thornfield and the fact that she persists in her ambition to get a job is quite remarkable.

Jane is not afraid to assert herself when required. She clearly knows how far she can go and where her limits are, and has absolutely no hesitation in making her voice heard. She is completely straightforward with Rochester, especially once they are engaged. She breaks away from the stereotype of the ideal Victorian woman, who was supposed to be modest and submissive.

The story is about her developing independence and finding a way to be independent in the world, and also about the conflict between doing what one wants and doing what one is supposed to do in society, when it is right or necessary to compromise.

Remember Jane's paintings? She paints solely to please herself and express her ideas and fantasies. This is one of the first examples in literature of a woman making art to express her inner life, and it remains unusual.

Jane says repeatedly that she wants the same liberties and opportunities for herself that boys get, which society refused her.