Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847, is a classic novel that tells the story of an orphaned girl who grows up to become a governess and eventually finds love and independence. While the novel is not overtly political, it can be read through a Marxist lens, as it deals with themes of class, power, and social oppression.
Marxism is a political and economic theory developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that suggests that society is divided into two classes: the bourgeoisie, or the ruling class who own the means of production, and the proletariat, or the working class who sell their labor for a wage. According to Marx, the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat, using their economic power to maintain control and keep the working class oppressed.
In Jane Eyre, we see this dynamic at play in the relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester, the wealthy man who becomes her employer and eventual love interest. Mr. Rochester is a member of the bourgeoisie, while Jane is a member of the proletariat, working as a governess in his household. Despite their eventual love and respect for each other, their relationship is initially marked by a power imbalance, with Mr. Rochester holding all the economic and social power.
This power dynamic is further complicated by the fact that Jane is also a woman in a patriarchal society, and as such, she is doubly oppressed. Mr. Rochester, as a man, is able to exert even more control over her, and their relationship is not equal. Jane is also aware of this power imbalance, and throughout the novel, she struggles to assert her own independence and agency, challenging the social norms of the time that sought to keep her in a subordinate position.
Despite these challenges, Jane ultimately achieves independence and agency, finding her own voice and breaking free from the constraints of both class and gender. In the end, she refuses to marry Mr. Rochester unless he can give her equal social and economic status, and she is able to find her own financial independence through her work as a governess.
In conclusion, while Jane Eyre is not a explicitly Marxist novel, it can be read through a Marxist lens, as it deals with themes of class, power, and social oppression. The relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester illustrates the exploitation and power imbalance inherent in capitalist societies, and Jane's journey towards independence and agency challenges these social norms and challenges the status quo.
Marxist Criticism In Jane Eyre And Mansfield Park By Jane...
In the conversation between Bessie and Jane, Bessie calls Jane a fine lady because she has now learnt how to play the piano, speak French and work embroidery on the muslin and canvas Brontë, 1847. . It will be shown that she is the one who constantly thinks herself to be inferior, and even when she is said to be Rochester 's equal, she thinks of some way in which she is inadequate, in order to sabotage her own happiness. When some of the upper class, aristocracy arrives at Thornfield, Brontë shows their hollow personalities through the eyes of Jane. Jane is an independent, passionate, and respectful young woman, although she often seems very practical and rational. The plot of Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontë, generally follows this form.
A Marxist Approach to Jane Eyre
Throughout the whole novel Jane is confronted with religious characters such as Mr Brocklehurst, Helen Burns and St. The forced incarceration is, although real to Jane and the plot, used as a metaphor by Bronte, in relation to class. Brontë criticizes the ideology that being rich is synonymous to being a better human being and deserving of respect. Brocklehurst upholds the concept that the orphan girls of the Lowood Institute should be taught self-denial and simplicity, and punished severely when they do not follow instructions. In a conversation preceding their betrothal, Rochester treats Jane like a good servant: Because she's been a "dependent" who has done "her duty," he, as her employer, wants to offer her assistance in finding a new job. Brocklehurst attempted to keep the poor and orphan content in their deplorable condition, and as a result he managed to save money and exercise his authority on the basis of his superior station. Jane is of ambiguous class standing, and as a result is a source of tension among the other characters around her.
"Jane Eyre" and Marxism Analytical Essay 41818
Primarily through the character of Jane, it also accents the cracks in this system, the places where class differences were melding in Victorian England. Through Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë expresses several issues of Victorian Britain, such as gender equality or the class system but religion is a reoccurring and omnipresent subject in Jane Eyre. There have been so many arguments about this case for many years, but the life of Jane has a lot in common with the author of the novel, Charlotte Bronte. The viewpoints in the following chapter assess how much progress has been made in securing equality for women in business, politics, and sports. His father did not want to divide his property among his two sons and diminish it, therefore, he planned to marry Edward into riches, and this brought nothing but disaster and pain to Edward. The inequalities are usually felt by women, because of their gender is related with something that weak, slow, home, and so on.
