In this essay I will endeavor to explore the theory that Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre (1847) was not written in the intention to be received as a feminist text. . In the Victorian era when the text was written, the role of women was seen, at best, as reserved only for the domestic sphere (Hughes, 2014). However, after the publication of her poem "The Angel in the House" (1854), Patmore's poem coined the phrase to be adopted by every woman in the household considered to be of devotion and purity extremes. Charlotte Brontë undoubtedly renounced the society that refused to accept her for the exact woman she was. The belief is that Brontë skillfully contradicted society through her writing and that her biographical portrait of the character of Jane Eyre is ultimately the opposite of how Patmore portrayed her. his wife and his morality. Patmore describes his wife as an angel, saying, “The perfect flower of love only blows where noble manners veil faults, angels can be familiar” (p. 140). Although Brontë originally published this text in 1847 under the pseudonym "Currer Bell" in a masculine tone to conceal her femininity, the argument that will be made is not that this was performed in a feminist manner, but that of a person fearing reprisals and mockery. . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Firstly, this essay will endeavor to examine the history of this period and compare it to the definition of feminism and, indeed, the reasons why it is not. thought that Brontë wrote this novel with a feminist vision. During the Victorian era from 1837 to 1901, feminism began to emerge as a powerful political force, with a shift in views and the start of charitable missions, the Victorian female consensus changed. Women began to believe that they should no longer be sheltered from the public sphere. The literature of the 19th and 20th centuries was developing, in addition to society regarding the position of women, respect for equality with men, or more precisely how Martin Luther affirmed in his book (Luther's table talk, 1832) this which follows: “Women should stay at home, sit still, keep house, bear and raise children. A woman is, or at least should be, a friendly, courteous and cheerful companion in life, the honor and ornament of the home, and inclined to tenderness, for for this she is chiefly created to have children and be the pleasure, joy and comfort of their husbands", the word feminism derives from the French word feminism, according to the online Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of feminism is the belief that women should have equal rights , power and opportunities than men and being treated the same or the set of activities intended to achieve this state. The feminist movement refers to reform campaigns around issues such as voting rights, equal pay, and reproductive rights. In response to Brontë's novel, Elizabeth Rigby's review of the novel was scathing, advising in the Quarterly Periodical (1848) that Rigby attacked the morality of the novel, strongly disapproving of the novel and the manner in which Jane Eyre was presented: "It is a very remarkable book: we have no memory of another combining such genuine power with such horrible taste.” Jane Eyre is widely considered to be one of the first feminist novels, but it is believed that in the context of Victorian England, Jane Eyre could be considered feminist, butonly to a certain extent. Coventry Patmore's depiction of what he saw as the perfect Victorian woman was clear in his poem written to adorn his wife Emily (originally published in 1854, revised until 1862). Whether he considered a perfect woman or an angel of the house, as such, the expectations of the woman are that she is devoted, that she is sympathetic, pious and above all pure. The following extract gives an overview of how the ideal relationship between men and women is presented: the man must be happy; but to please him is a woman's pleasure; into the abyss Of her condolence needs She does her best, she throws herself. How often he throws himself for nothing and attaches his heart to an icicle or a whim, each impatient word of which provokes another, not from her, but from him; While she, too gentle even to force her penance with kind responses, waits, awaiting his remorse, with forgiveness in her compassionate eyes [...] She leans and cries against his chest, and seems to think that the sin was his; Or any eye to see her charms, At all times she is still his wife, Dear devoted to his arms; She loves with a love that never tires; And when, unfortunately, she loves alone, Through a passionate duty, love springs higher, As grass grows higher around a stone. However, Carol Christ writes that "The Angel in the House is not a very good poem, but it is culturally significant for its definition of the sexual ideal." Even though society has developed sufficiently over the last two hundred years, what may have seemed incredibly feminist in the 19th century is at odds with 21st century feminism. Jane's actions are deeply rooted in her moral beliefs, and the ability to make conscious life choices for herself is undeniably feminist. However, she cannot fully free herself from an oppressive, marriage-obsessed culture. The argument that Jane's character is not that of a feminist becomes clear on her wedding day, while at the altar about to marry her love, Jane discovers that Rochester is already married to Bertha and Brontë writes that Jane, “who had been an ardent pregnant woman this woman, almost married, had again become a cold and solitary girl: her life was pale; his prospects were desolate” (Brontë, 2006, p.341). If Brontë intended in her writing for Jane to be received as a feminist character, this statement presented presents Jane with the opposite intention. It is common knowledge that for the 19th century woman, marriage was probably the most profound and far-reaching institution that would affect her path in life. However, women who married renounced any form of political freedom in doing so. and financial matters. Gender conflict is a recurring theme in Jane Eyre. Jane is vulnerable to the patriarchal system and it is suggested that Jane Eyre's fear of reprisal and mockery began at the cruel hands of the Master. John Reed, although only a schoolboy of about fourteen, Jane says he “bullied and punished me; not two or three times a week [...] but continually.” Jane, however, shows her contempt for his cruelty and self-imposed superiority by speaking to him in an equally derogatory tone: “Bad and cruel boy! I said, “You are like a murderer, you are like a slave driver” (p. 13). This is the first of many chapters in which Jane's battle against the patriarchal, male-centered, controlled organization begins (Abrams, 1993). . Jane first fights against John Reed, then actually faces further reprisals from other patriarchal figures in the novel. Throughout thetext, it clearly appears that there is an ideological divide between the public sphere (male domain, paid work, concerned by politics) and that of the private sphere (the domestic role of women). These two ideologies had great importance during the Victorian era and even in later years. A Victorian woman residing outside her private sphere is implausible, or, as Dr. Theophilus Hyslop said in 1905, "the withdrawal of a woman from her natural sphere of domesticity to that of mental labor only makes her less able to maintain the virility of his body. the race”. Jane makes a statement in chapter six which is presented to the reader that she would indeed dispute such a statement mentioned by Hyslop since she says that "No one knows how many rebellions apart from political rebellions are fermenting in the masses of life[. .. ] women are supposed to be very calm in general: but women feel exactly what men feel." Moreover, Dr. Hyslop further states: "In fact, the higher the woman tries to carry the torch of intellect, the less the rays of light for the vision of her offspring". It is argued that if Brontë did indeed intend to present Jane Eyre as a feminist model, why did the social constraints remain, the chains of the 'oppression intact and the boundaries left as a result? There is a clear indication in chapter six that Jane has an opinion and takes a position through her writing that women should not be confined to the home and be allowed to work as their fellows: “They need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brother; [...] their most privileged creatures are narrow-minded in saying that they should confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing the piano and embroidering bags. It is rash to condemn or mock them if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has deemed necessary for their sex. In their book The Madwoman in the Attic (1979), Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar state that "it was Charlotte who provided the deliberately gender-ambiguous pen names." They further claim that Brontë had the power to create the characters in any way she wanted. However, Rigby takes issue with Brontë's creation of the role of the governess, the governess – a woman employed in a household to train children, in a way in which she describes that "a governess is not a real woman, but a burden for society” (Rigby, 1848, p.507). However, Eagleton proposes that Jane and her role as governess should be viewed as follows: "She is a superior servant and therefore (unlike, supposedly, the other servants) [...] she lives at this ambiguous point in the social structure [. ..] in which two worlds meet and collide”. From the beginning of the novel it becomes clear that Jane is an independent woman, this fact is not questioned. Having been sent to stay with her aunt, the cruel Mrs. Reed, Jane is forced to do everything for herself, as she has no money or real family. The early introduction of women in the novel, such as the non-feminine woman that is Mrs. Reed, allows for a perception of her in such a way that she is not represented as a female character, but rather as a type figure masculine in the novel. chapter 1 “She was a woman of robust constitution, with square shoulders and strong limbs, not tall and, although fat, not obese.” Mrs. Reed's assertion of masculinity is further supported by Jane, when she says that "her house and its tenant were entirely under her control." This clearly indicates that Jane, although residing with a.