Theme- Roles

"Everybody has their place, do you agree my dear? Well, what if pleasing others by your looks was you one and only role? Or making a healthy profit for your partner as your only job? Seems rather stifling, young you agree my dear? Well, well, well, this was all too true for our Jane Eyre. Imagine that dear, being surrounded by such people with such materialistic values. Let us see how Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte addressed this theme in her novel, shall we?"

The role of man and women were very clear in the society that Jane Eyre lived in. To sum those roles, a certain young Lady by the name of Miss Ingram, one of the 'delicate doves' in the

“flock of white plumy birds”(173) that visited Thornfield,  summed those roles, or 'job's' for men and women very nicely for us to observe:

She stated:

‘Oh, I am so sick of the young man on the present day... Poor, puny...Creatures so absorbed in care about their pretty faces and their white hands, and their small feet; as if a man had anything to do with beauty! As if loveliness were not the special prerogative of women- her legitimate appanage and her heritage! I grant an ugly woman is a blot on the fair face of creation...{for men} let their motto be: - Hunt, shoot, and fight...” (182).

As if this weren’t enough of an obvious gender stereotype, she continued to say:

 “‘ Whenever I marry... I am resolved my husband shall not be a rival, but a foil to me. I will suffer no competitor near the throne; I shall exact an undivided homage: his devotions shall not be shared between me and the shape he sees in his mirror’” (182).

Well now, lets examine this rather arrogant quote. First, the girls that visited Thornfield were described as “flock of white plumy birds”, was another label that relates to the roles of women in the society. She clearly believes that men and women have very separate, and very distinct roles in society. In fact, for a man or women to denture or fail these specific jobs one has to society, should be frowned upon- such as a man concerning with looks or a woman failing to please to the eyes of the beholder. The second part of her quote reveals the arrogant nature of her character, but also reflects some of the familiar views of men and woman roles that were commonly shared throughout their society.

Even strong-willed Jane fell victim to the superiority complex that men held over women:

To St John:
" “I found him a very patient, very forbearing, and yet an exacting master: he expected me to a great deal... he acquired a certain influence over me that took away my liberty of mind: his praise and notice were more restrained than his indifference...I fell under a freezing spell. When he said ‘go’, I went! ‘come’, I came; ‘do this’, I did it. But I did not love my servitude: I wished, many a time, he had continued to neglect me.” (404-405)"

This quote relates to St John as well as Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester was a very bossy and demanding man: from the day that Jane first met Edward in the forest and he demanded her help, then even continued to be demanding when she abandoned him after the discovery of his lunatic wife and his temperament demanded that she stayed. Jane always fell subordinate to these men, always followed their demands and opinions, she even addressed both man as 'sir'. This is partially a display of Jane following the social expectations of her time, but is also a way of Bronte addressing that men and women did have strong and distinct roles at that time- strong enough to even curb Jane Eyre to their rule.

Although Jane may be trapped in a society that values male-dominance over woman's intuition, she addresses her views on roles and duties in her own words:

“Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel...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...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.” (111-112).

Clearly here, she notes society's expectations of women to be calm, quaint, and meek. That were to be defined by 'stockings', 'pudding' and 'knitting'- household chores and reserved clothing. But, Jane attacks this unfair logic by stating that it is unfair to condemn women for their thirst of knowledge, ambition, expansion of character, or higher learning that any person is wishing to seek. The feels that any human, male or female, has the right to expand or better themselves