𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐄𝐲𝐫𝐞: 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
It is indeed true that being able to stand up for yourself will help you survive the oppression of life. This is what the novel taught me. Honestly speaking, Jane Eyre is one of my most favorite novels, alongside Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, Charles Dickens', and Mark Twain's. Jane Eyre is a revolutionary novel written by Charlotte Bronte during the Victorian period under the gender-neutral pen name ‘Currer Bell’.
This novel exposes the sufferings of women during the patriarchal Victorian period in England. This novel shows a girl who lived in a discriminating society and was maltreated, suppressed, and shamed by the people around her, but overcame her trials with her courage. Upon analyzing the novel, I was thinking that the novel was written to awaken the spirit of the people to end gender inequity and discrimination. As a novel with strong social themes, Jane Eyre is a feminist novel, as it puts women in the spotlight by characterizing the protagonist as a brave, independent, and dignified woman. Characterized by tackling issues that were rampant in society during the Victorian period, such as marriage, discrimination, and gender violence, Charlotte Bronte’s approach to the novel aligned with feminist ideology and principles.
In Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre’ oppression was one of the central conflicts of the novel. Throughout the story, I can see how Jane is oppressed by those around her, including her cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed, and her cruel son, John Reed, and the strict headmaster of the Lowood Institution, Mr. Brocklehurst. As a female author, I think that she intentionally wrote the novel to attack society at the time, to open the eyes of the people, and to lead them towards new thinking about women. This is why Charlotte Bronte empowered the protagonist with the characters that people during those times were not able to see in women. One of the key characteristics of Jane is her resiliency in the face of adversity.
Overall, "Jane Eyre" is a powerful novel that explores the motifs of oppression and the characteristics of individuals who are able to rise above it. Moreover, it challenges traditional gender roles and expectations and explores the complexities of love and human connection.
As someone who is interested in bildungsroman novels, I really love this novel because it interestingly shows the development of the character from orphan to governess.
For me, this novel shows us readers the importance of being true to ourselves and sticking to our core principles. Love is indeed a universal language of kindness. Thus, we must love one another regardless of our differences. God loves us equally, so we must do the same for everyone. Revenge is the action of a fool, but love is the action of a wise man. Remember that being able to love and be kind amidst the harshness of the world is a power.