jane eyre social class essay

Social Inequality in “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte Essay

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Introduction

Social classes, women in society, best of both worlds, works cited.

Jane Eyre is a fictional character created by Charlotte Bronte. The character is the protagonist in a novel that gained commercial and critical acclaim 170 years ago. Jane Eyre’s character explored the challenges faced by a girl in a journey from childhood to adulthood. At the same time Jane Eyre symbolizes the struggle of the social classes in 19 th century England.

It is more than a coming-of-age novel. Jane Eyre wanted to explore the world on her own. The story traced the development of the ten year old child as a hapless prey in an oppressive household, to someone who returned with the power to change her fortune. A child went out of the door and a full-grown woman came back many years later to claim what was rightfully hers.

It is both a dramatic and romantic tale that follows a familiar pattern. But Bronte was not content with a simple storyline because she interspersed it with the struggle of the social classes (Shuttleworth 148). At the same time it is a story about “upward female mobility and flagrant female rebellion (Shuttleworth 148). These are ideas not yet accepted in 19 th century England.

It is also a novel that reflects the significant changes that had been occurring in 19 th century England. A modern world is about to emerge from centuries of traditions. This was remarkably illustrated in Jane Eyre through the evolution of a poor girl into a woman of influence. Her success was made possible only through dogged determination and hard work as described in the following commentary: “As with the productive working-class body, the reproductive energies of the female boyd had to be fully utilized, without transgressing the fine line of regulatory social control” (Shuttleworth 160). Hence, Jane Eyre kept on pushing but at the same time she is mindful of her limitations. But this did not bother her to destroy the hurdles set before her.

Jane Eyre mirrors the changes that occur during that period in English history. Through the rapid changes in technology there emerged a new class. The middle class reared its head in the 19 th century and Bronte simply wrote about its impact to society (Bell & Offen 271). The middle class are not slaves and servants. At the same time they are not part of the aristocrats. They are not rich but they have the means to improve themselves and made their existence indispensable to the wealthier members of society (Bell & Offen 271). This newfound power was the result of greater access to education. Jane Eyre’s character displayed the need not only of social mobility but to reach the ultimate goal of being a confirmed member of the gentry (Shuttleworth 150).

Jane Eyre highlighted the tension between the middle class and the upper class. In the beginning of the novel the author introduced the Reed family as part of the gentry (Peters 5). However, Bronte did not only focus on the tension between the rich and poor. She also highlighted the fact that women were treated disgracefully during her time. John Reed, his cousin, made her understand through the pain of numerous beatings that everything in the house belonged to him (Bronte 29).

Her years spent with the Reed family as well as his dealings with men also highlighted another social issue of that era. Women can never expect equal treatment in relation to members of the opposite sex. In the confrontation between Jane Eyre and her cousin the following insights can be gleaned “even at an early age, the dominance of the male heir as head of the family is never questioned” (Peters 5). This explains the reluctance of the Jane’s Aunt to discipline her son.

Jane Eyre provided a blueprint that inspired women in her time. By giving into a life of dedicated learning, she was able to change her status. She depended on no one but herself. She was an orphan and she was maltreated by those around her. She was knocked down but she refused to give up. Those who treated her kindly were few and they did not last long in the struggle towards self-independence (Shuttleworth 155).

Although she has found this new ability to take care of herself in a dignified manner, there is still one area of her life that has to be confronted before she can truly find happiness. This part of the novel is the most critical portion of Jane Eyre’s story. It seems that the servitude in the Reed’s home, the struggle to be accepted and succeed in school and the testing that comes along with being a governess pales in comparison to her final challenge (Bell & Offen 274). Her final test concerns her ability to find happiness and contentment without marriage.

She cherished her independence. She rejoiced in her newfound power to chart her own destiny because she can create wealth through hard work and self-determination. But the invisible forces of love and romance are uncharted waters for a young woman who is isolated in a society that does not know how to treat an orphan who ascended to the ranks of the middle-class. Jane Eyre was a mere reflection of the personal struggle that rages in the heart of the author. According to one biographer, Bronte desperately wanted to prove to the world that an unmarried woman can triumph in a world dominated by men “that there was no more respectable character on this earth than an unmarried woman who maker her own way through life” (Nestor 11). In the novel, Jane Eyre’s character has the strength to say no to marriage.

She was in the perfect position to marry and it was a tempting proposition because her struggle with life’s worries and unpredictability is supposed to have only one remedy. It is to marry someone with the ability to take care of her until the day she dies. But when she found out that it was dishonourable to marry the man she loves she is courageous enough to say no and left with a heavy heart. This setback is temporary because one day she is going to be reunited with the man she loves.

In the present time there is no denying the fact that this is a man’s world. This assertion can be supported by evidence coming from the entertainment industry up to the highest levels of political power. There are only a few women rulers and CEO’s. Women occupy different spheres but they are few and far in between. Most of the time women are seen in the bottom tier leadership roles and many are servants rather than serving in the position of influence. This is a male dominated world and more so in non-Western societies.

There are numerous horror stories coming from places like China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa wherein women are treated a little higher than beasts of burden. They are treated as if they are possessions of men. In some societies their value are closely linked to their relationship to the head of the household, a male relative that is responsible for her protection and upkeep.

Although much has changed in the Western world there was a time when women are not treated with the same respect as they are treated now. The idea of gender equality was a foreign concept. However, since time immemorial, women tried to find their place seeking not only equal opportunities but also respect. Women fought for their right to work and the right to vote. In the Western world changes were accomplished but the process was very slow.

There were many contributors. The work has to be done not only by one person but the cumulative effect of a group of women linked by the desire to reach their full potential. One of the most influential voices came from women writers. They have the ability to influence society in a profound way. The pen has always been mightier than a sword. However, putting ink to paper is easier said than done. It has to be pointed out that most women were not given access to education.

Education has always been considered as a source of political and commercial power. Therefore, access to this power source has to be carefully regulated. At the same time education is an expensive endeavour and in a typical family wherein the number of children exceeded the capacity of the parents to nurture them, the wise move has always been to educate the boys and the girls are supposed to stay home.

The longing of women to break free from the stereotype accorded them was beautifully rendered in the scene where John Reed bullies Jane Eyre. John Reed is depicted as a fat boy and it contrasted heavily with the poor sad state of the young Jane Eyre. The image of a fat boy with access to expensive and tasty meal symbolizes the privilege of class and the superiority of men. They have everything that they needed and more.

The fat face means the hoarding of resources. There are so many things that can be shared but their greed drove them to overconsumption. At the same time the fat boy is overly conscious of his status. When Jane Eyre casually asked him why she was called into his presence, John Reed harshly retorted: “Say, ‘What do you want, Master Reed?’” (Bronte 8). Arrogance is part of the privileged class and they wear it as if they expected people to cheer them for doing so. Aside from the haughty behaviour of his cousin, another important feature of the character is his indifference towards education.

John Reed is supposed to be in school but instead he is home eating, playing and bullying his poor cousin. It is a powerful imagery used by the author to clarify that the degree of women’s longing to study is matched by the carefree attitude of men. They have the privilege, and instead of using it to improve themselves, men waste their potential in their indulgence of the flesh.

It is therefore important to value the work of trailblazers like Bronte who help pave the way for the expression of women’s sentiments. However, they were conscious to tone down the voice of dissent. Bronte’s talent allowed her to develop a story that concealed a powerful statement; nevertheless, it was done with utmost care.

In other words, writers like Charlotte Bronte knew that although they have the ability to challenge the status quo they can only rock the boat in such a way that people are jolted awake but not to throw them overboard. Feminists in the 21 st century can point to Bronte as an early example of a woman’s courageous stand to challenge the status quo. But it is more accurate to say that she was an early pioneer and a reluctant fighter of women’s rights.

In real life Charlotte Bronte wanted to show the world that women need not suffer in a male-dominated world. She expressed her desire for independence and judging on her writing skills and the words that flowed from her pen it is easy to say that she burns with this desire to be free. She understood women’s rights in a time when it was not popular to talk about it. Her novel challenged the age old tradition that women can only find their value in marriage. Therefore, it is the most important thing in life. She also challenged the idea that women are supposed to live a life of servitude from the day they were born until the day they die.

In the beginning and middle part of the novel the same sentiment can be seen in the life of Jane Eyre. Readers empathise with her character and they understood that she longed to be free. Her decision to leave the oppressive household of the Reeds and her decision to transform her life by using every opportunity that came her way is a true reflection of the author’s life. Her readers cheer her every move.

The most critical part is when Jane Eyre stood in a place familiar to many women in the 19 th century. A man has proposed and this man is the answer to her prayers. A marriage means eternal bliss. But when she finds out that it is a dishonourable thing to do she shunned marriage earning the praise of feminists all over the world. But all of a sudden, the story goes back to an expected ending. Jane Eyre is back in the arms of her lover.

There are certain social forces that Bronte respected. She said everything in her heart but at the end she knew that the best way to proceed is to tone down her message. It can be argued that Bronte was worried about the success of her novel. It can be argued that her success as a writer depended on a novel that is widely received. However, it can also be said that she simply wanted to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Bronte’s skill is remarkable in the development of a complex character like Jane Eyre. But her characterization was downplayed by the social issues that she incorporated to her novel. A woman seeking to live independently in a male-dominated society certainly raised some eyebrows. But she was determined to prove her point. Nevertheless, Bronte realized that she has to tone down her rhetoric.

Nestor, Pauline. Charlotte Bronte . UK: Barnes & Noble, 1987. Print.

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Bibliography

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Charlotte Brontë

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Jane Eyre: Introduction

Jane eyre: plot summary, jane eyre: detailed summary & analysis, jane eyre: themes, jane eyre: quotes, jane eyre: characters, jane eyre: symbols, jane eyre: literary devices, jane eyre: quizzes, jane eyre: theme wheel, brief biography of charlotte brontë.

Historical Context of Jane Eyre

Other books related to jane eyre.

• Full Title: Jane Eyre: An Autobiography
• When Written: 1847
• Literary Period: Victorian
• Genre: Victorian novel. Jane Eyre combines Gothic mystery, a romantic marriage plot, and a coming-of-age story.
• Setting: Northern England in the early 1800s.
• Climax: Jane telepathically hears Rochester's voice calling out to her.
• Point of View: First person. Jane recounts her story ten years after its ending.

Extra Credit for Jane Eyre

Bells and Brontës: The Brontës became a literary powerhouse when Charlotte, Emily, and Anne all wrote successful first novels. Each sister published under a masculine-sounding pseudonym based on their initials. Charlotte Brontë became "Currer Bell"; Emily Brontë wrote Wuthering Heights (1845-46) as "Ellis Bell", and Anne Brontë published Agnes Gray (1847) as "Acton Bell." Women could enter the marketplace as writers and novelists, but many writers, including the Brontës and Mary Anne Evans ("George Eliot"), used male pseudonyms to keep from being dismissed as unimportant.

Role of Social Class in Jane Eyre (Essay Sample)

One Italian Proverb writes, “Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.” The significance behind this quote is that social class and status do not matter at the end of the day. Social status has played roles in thousands of countries, for thousands of years, and it continues to do so. Social class even today still exists, though not as severe as it once was. It helped create cities, and destroy them as well as doing the same to relationships. In the Victorian Era, social status dictated one's life and people were taught to accept their fate in their     class. In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, she portrays social class as a restricting and pointless ideal through Jane defying her status and waiting to be equal before marriage, St. John Rivers and how he does not marry his love because she would not make a good wife, and lastly Mr. Rochester, for he married a governess and turned away for Miss Ingram.

Bronte uses Jane Eyre to portray her ideals because she thoroughly breaks social stereotypes and demonstrates them as a useless ideal all throughout the novel. Jane, being an orphan with no more than five shillings to her name, grows confident as the novel continues. Jane declares herself equal to Mr. Rochester when she says, "I tell you I must go!" I retorted, roused to something like passion. "Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton? — a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you, — and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh; — it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal, — as we are!"(Bronte 238) Here, Rochester was telling Jane she was to move to Ireland as he was getting married to Blanch Ingram, to which Jane snapped and declared her love and equality to Rochester. Jane defied the odds of her social class by doing so, as she called herself his equal regardless of the fact she was an orphan with no money. Another example of when Jane breaks the chains that status is holding on her is when she is arguing with St.John Rivers. She thinks,  “Having felt in him the presence of these qualities, I felt his imperfection and took courage. I was with an equal — one with whom I might argue — one whom, if I saw good, I might resist.”(Bronte 379)St.John Rivers is an extremely religious man, and wants to marry Jane just because she would make a good wife, even though he does not love her. Jane proposes that she will only move to India with him if she was his equal, or as she puts it “brother and sister”. Bronte uses Jane to break the stereotype that just because you are poor, you are desperate. Jane defied her odds and learnt to expect equality, as well as holding her ground by demanding equality regardless of gender and social status.

St. John Rivers strongly believes that social status played an important role in society, but because of this Jane was incapable of marrying him, and he was left lonesome. He was also extremely demanding. For example he tells Jane, “God and nature intended you for a missionary’s wife. It is not personal but mental endowments they have given you; you are formed for labor, not love. A missionary’s wife you must—shall be. You shall be mine; I claim you—not for my pleasure, but for my Sovereign’s service.”(375) St. John proposes to Jane, not because he loves her, but because she would make a good wife to him, forgetting she is a human with her own life. He did not take into consideration that Jane was a person as well. He refused to go to India with her as brother and sister as he feared it would bring down his status among the others and because he wanted to have kids. After Jane refuses, he says, “Refuse to be my wife, and you limit yourself forever to a track of selfish ease and barren obscurity.”(Bronte 381) This is basically a threat, trying to force Jane into doing what he wants. St. John illustrates that social class was not important to the author because his actions prove to get him nowhere and leave him lonely. 

The author conveys that social roles and statuses were merely words and titles through Mr Rochester as he becomes lovers with Jane besides the fact she is poor and an orphan. Mr. Rochester tells Jane she is to move to Ireland because he is getting married to Blanche eIngram. After Jane spills out her true feelings towards him he reacts by saying,  “'My bride is here,’ he said, again drawing me to him, ‘ because my equal is here, and my likeness. Jane, will you marry me?”(239) Mr. Rochester considers Jane his equal despite their differences in class, proving how class will and does not affect love. He also proposes to her and does not care that her social status may cause discrepancies in his name. At the altar when they were to be married, Jane finds out about his crazy wife Bertha Mason. Mr. Rochester tells Jane, “To tell me that I had already a wife is empty mockery; you know now that I had but a hideous demon. I was wrong to attempt to deceive you; but I feared a stubbornness that exists in your character…This was cowardly; I should have appealed to your nobleness and magnanimity at first…shown to you, not my resolution (that word is weak), but my resistless bent to love faithfully and well, where I am faithfully and well loved in return.”(295) He admits how he was wrong, despite the fact he is a man with more power, because he truly views Jane as his equal. He does not let social status get in the way of his life. Mr. Rochester demonstrates Brontes feelings perfectly because he does not let social class determine his power, love life, or friendships in general.

In conclusion, in Jane Eyre written Charlotte Bronte used  Jane Eyre, St.John Rivers, and Mr. Rochester uniquely portrays her thoughts on social status as they each demonstrated social class and “defying” it in their own way. The author used Jane to illustrate her thoughts through Jane's feministic attitude. She used St. John Rivers to show how social status was restricting and “harmful” as he lost Jane and Rosamond due to his stubbornness and need for gender roles and to not be equal with women.  Lastly, Bronte used Mr. Edward Rochester to help the reader understand that social status is useless, because he marries Jane despite the fact she is extremely poor and is a governess, and the fact she was below him in social status did not bother him. At the end of the day, people are all equal despite their social rank just like written in the Italian Proverb.

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Themes and Analysis

By charlotte brontë.

‘Jane Eyre’ represents the typical contemporary feminist woman who loves herself and searches for respect from others. Some of the well-thought-out themes she personifies anchor around self-love, romantic love, spirituality, independence, and social class.

Article written by Victor Onuorah

Degree in Journalism from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Among other themes, religion also comes up top as a major influencing factor that goes on to shape the protagonist in Charlotte Brontë’s ‘ Jane Eyre ,’ and the lessons learned to stay with her for the rest of her life – often serving as a curb to her immoderations and moral excesses.

Jane Eyre Themes

Spirituality.

Spirituality makes a major part of Charlotte Brontë’s ‘ Jane Eyre ’ – and goes on to have a massive influence on several of the book’s characters , especially on Jane, the protagonist. Because the book’s time setting is centered around Victorian English society , from the early 1800s, Christianity became the prevalent religion that had the most influence on the people. 

Jane certainly has a few people in her life – like Helen and St. John Rivers- that help sharpen her spirituality and build a moral life. Although, like these characters whose views are extreme, she finds a middle ground that works well with her personality.

Independence and Self Love

Charlotte Brontë succeeded in building Jane into a strong, independent woman who develops a sort of iron-clad mentality on her selfhood and integrity. She discovers the kind of woman she wants to be from early on, and It’s not life, and actions are dictated by men or society. She works towards this goal without compromises, even though she has no close family, home, or social security to make the decision easier. 

Social Class

Social class is another such theme dealt with heavily by Charlotte Brontë in her book, ‘ Jane Eyre ,’ and readers get to see this being called into action throughout the book. As is normal with the class system, the people at the low end of the class tend to suffer the most, and Jane finds herself in this position – having lost her parents at a tender age and left to stay with her mean aunt who, despite her affluent status, is unable to lift Jane the social ladder instead causes more troubles for her by horribly treating her.

Key Moments in Jane Eyre

• At Gateshead, ten years old, Jane endures the most horrible treatment living with Mrs. Reed, a wealthy but cruel widow and mother of three, and also Jane’s aunt. 
• Aside from putting up with her mean aunt, Jane also has to manage her mean cousins – especially John Reed, who often bullies her at the slightest chance. 
• Jane soon gets into trouble with Mrs. Reed for challenging John and is put into a chamber called the ‘red room,’ the same place where Mrs. Reed’s husband and Jane’s uncle had spent his final hours.
• Jane is traumatized by a possible ghostly presence and reacts to it by crying and fainting. 
• After her release, she is tended to by two persons, Bessie – a servant who is the only one in the house that feeds and truly cares for her; and Mr. Lloyd, a pharmacist who has come to treat her. 
• After examining Jane and feeling pity for her, Mr. Lloyd advises Mrs. Reed that allowing Jane to go to a distant school may be the only way to get rid of her troubles. 
• Jane is sent to a highly disciplinary Lowood School where she meets some nice people, but also deplorable ones. One of the latter is her headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst, who is later fired for his hypocrisy, extravagance, and poor management skill. 
• At Lowood, Jane also meets the kind and virtuous Helen Burn – who sadly dies prematurely, and a caring mother figure-like Miss Temple – who replaces Mr. Brocklehurst.
• Jane stays at Lowood for eight years and leaves afterward – seeking new experiences from the outer world. She finds a job as a home tutor at Thornfield, where she attends to the young and vibrant Adéle, an illegitimate stepdaughter of the shrewd and aggressive Mr. Rochester, Jane’s boss and owner of the Thornfield mansion. 
• Shortly after, Jane begins falling for her boss, and one time saves him from a fire set by Mr. Rochester’s mentally sick wife, Bertha Mason, although Jane doesn’t know about this as housekeeper Grace Poole takes the blame instead. 
• Mr. Rochester, who secretly now has feelings for Jane, intends to make her jealous and brings home Blanche Ingram, a beautiful woman, as his mistress. Jane is devastated by this and doesn’t say anything. 
• Suddenly and unexpectedly, Mr. Rochester proposes to Jane. Astonished and dumbfounded, Jane accepts, but the wedding is not about to stand Richard Mason, Mr. Rochester’s in-law, flies into town with a lawyer to disrupt the marriage. 
• Jane learns that Mr. Rochester has a living wife after he takes them to the attic where she’s kept. This is too much for Jane to handle, so she leaves Thornfield. 
• Depressed and without any clear destination, Jane wanders the street for three days – sleeping outside and begging for bread. 
• On the third day, and to Jane’s luck, a clergyman, St. John Rivers, and his two sisters find Jane around their residence, the Moor House, and bring her in. He helps Jane secure a teaching job in Morton and helps Jane claim an inheritance of 20,000 pounds left by her John Eyre, which Jane knows nothing about.
• St. John also tells Jane that John Eyre was also their uncle – this makes Jane and the Rivers siblings cousins. 
• St. John plans a missionary trip to India and asks Jane to marry and accompany him. Jane wants to travel but doesn’t love him enough to marry him. She continues to ponder about it until one, and in what feels like a dream, Mr. Rochester calls out to her to come home to him. 
• She leaves for Thornfield the next morning only to find the house is burnt to ashes by Bertha – who died in the fire, leaving Mr. Rochester with an arm and blind after he managed to rescue the servants. 
• Jane locates Mr. Rochester at his new home in Ferndean and marries him.
• After one decade of marriage, the couple stays very happy with their children. Jane shares that her husband regained half of his sight early enough to see his first son being born.

Style and Tone 

In the story of ‘ Jane Eyre ,’ Charlotte Brontë utilizes a descriptive first-person perspective – allowing her protagonist, Jane, to share her deeply touching story with her readers for a chance to fully understand her plight and the pains she passed through on her way to becoming an independent, well-respected wife and society woman. 

Charlotte’s tone for ‘ Jane Eyre ’ is warm and welcoming , thanks to the personality of the book’s protagonist. However, the book is by designation a gothic romance and so is characteristically imbued with plot mysteriousness, occasional dread, and horror.

Figurative Languages

Charlotte Brontë brings to play a wide range of figurative languages in her masterwork, ‘ Jane Eyre ,’ and except for a good few, quotes therein are typically stretchered using sentence joiners like commas, semicolons et cetera. For the figurative language, readers should expect to find a bulk of metaphors, similes, and personification being used throughout the pages of the book. 

Analysis of Symbols in Jane Eyre  

Fire is portrayed on several occasions in Charlotte Brontë’s ‘ Jane Eyre ,’ and outside of its literal meaning, concerning Jane, it’s a clear motif for her drive, delicateness, and passion towards achieving her goals.

Ice and Chills

These hold a motif of loneliness, personal pains, and suffering Jane faces at different points in her life – from Gateshead, under her cruel aunt and her children – to Lowood school, then to sleeping three days in the streets. Ice and chills are a representation of the harsh conditions Jane faces throughout the book.

The Red-Room 

Restrictive, repressive, and scary, the red room symbolizes how society represses Jane’s shine and ability to become an independent, self-sustaining woman of her time, seeing as that is nearly impossible for any woman to achieve in such a society. 

What is a frontal theme in ‘ Jane Eyre ’?

Search for one’s voice, freedom and independence prove a prevalent theme in Charlotte Brontë’s ‘ Jane Eyre ,’ however, there are also the themes of love, religion and spirituality, and social class. 

What does the red room signify in Charlotte Brontë’s ‘ Jane Eyre ’?

One important sign of the red room is its restrictive and scary nature, and this is similar to the limitations and challenges Jane would later face in the outer society.

In Charlotte Brontë’s ‘ Jane Eyre ,’ how does Jane become the woman she always wanted to be?

Jane becomes the best version of herself because she sets a goal for herself, follows through on it, and in the end, becomes an independent woman with her voice and obtains respect and equality for her gender. 

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About Victor Onuorah

Victor is as much a prolific writer as he is an avid reader. With a degree in Journalism, he goes around scouring literary storehouses and archives; picking up, dusting the dirt off, and leaving clean even the most crooked pieces of literature all with the skill of analysis.

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Class Status in Jane Eyre

Throughout Jane Eyre , the protagonist Jane occupies an ambiguous class position. She travels the entire spectrum of class status from homeless vagabond to upper class married woman. He status does not progressively incline or decline, but rather oscillates between the two ends of the social scale. Even before birth, her class status was somewhat ambiguous. As Susan Fraiman writes, both Jane's mother and father were "socially ambiguous, and this ambiguity is part of their legacy to Jane" (616). Because Jane's father, a poor clergyman, married Jane's mother, a middle-class woman, they were situated somewhere between the two classes as a couple. Her father's education helped him to elevate himself slightly from the masses of poor people and her mother's marrying down lowered her from the class she had been born into. Therefore, when Jane was born she also occupied this socially ambiguous spot. Jane's class status becomes even more indefinable when her parents die and leave her as an orphan to be brought up by her wealthy Aunt Reed. Jane grows up in the Reeds' sizeable estate Gateshead, but not as a fully acknowledged member of the Reed family. She is not one of the working class servants, nor is she one of the spoiled Reed children. Instead, she occupies a social space in between the two. Jane's class status remains low as she travels to study at the boarding school Lowood. She is mixed with a mass of other poor girls and forced to live in a harsh environment. At the time she leaves the school, Jane has experienced nothing but the dreary existence of a working class girl. However, her education is able to propel her up into the lower middle class when she accepts a job as governess at the Thornfield estate. There, she earns her income through by educating another orphan and meets her future husband, Edward Rochester. Complications arising from an engagement to Rochester force Jane to flee Thornfield and live the most destitute portion of her life as a homeless runaway. She is so cold and hungry that she tries to barter her handkerchief and gloves for a roll or cake at one point. "Almost desperate," Jane tells us, "I asked for half a cake" (323) and then she asks, "Would she take my gloves?" (323). She is refused the food by the bakery worker and further humiliated. Her class status in this portion of the novel is very near the bottom of the spectrum. She has become a beggar woman. Again, however, Jane's status changes significantly when she is taken in by St. John River's and given a job as a schoolmistress in a small town. Although she is no longer teaching an aristocratic child, she is still teaching and supporting herself with her education. Finally, in a dramatic turn of events, Jane inherits a large sum of money from a deceased uncle and rockets into the upper middle class. With the money, she goes back to her lover Rochester with a superior class standing, an event that I will discuss in more detail later. As Fraiman describes it, Jane represents, at the same time, "the happy, rich, and conventionally respectable lady and the overworked, always potentially irate nurse" (630). Throughout her entire life, Jane Eyre drifted in and out of different economic classes and remained locked in a state of social ambiguity.

Perhaps because she does not belong to a set class herself, Jane tends not to evaluate other people based on their class status. Instead, she evaluates people's superiority or inferiority based on their behavior and forms either deep friendship or animosity based on it. During her childhood at Gateshead, Jane is more emotionally attached to the servant Bessie than to any of her wealthy family members. She bases her adoration on Bessie's personal characteristics rather than her economic status. Fraiman tells us that during Christmastime, "instead of yearning toward the genteel company, [Jane] would rather spend a quiet evening with Bessie" (617) because of the motherly characteristics that Bessie displays towards Jane. Jane longs for the affection of a motherly woman rather than the glamorous company of her rich family. At Lowood, Jane again attaches herself to a poor, humbly, motherly woman and scorns the wealthy, this time in the form of Mr. Brocklehurst. Jane describes Miss Temple with much adoration. She cherishes the time that she spends with her teacher, although she is not a woman that could be considered wealthy by any means. More important to Jane is the affection that Miss Temple shows towards her. On the other hand, Mr. Brocklehurst, who is described by Miss Temple herself as "not a god; nor is he even a great and admired man: he is little liked here" (78) is described by Jane as a cold-hearted, greedy man. Jane is not impressed by his standing in the school or in society, but bases her opinions of him on his actions. She criticizes him for dressing his wife and daughters in such pomp while explaining that he was teaching the schoolgirls to be more Christ-like by nearly starving them and dressing them poorly. Jane sees through his hypocrisy and refuses to judge him on his economic achievements.

Although Jane is able to look past economics to form deep friendships with members of the other classes, she still is acutely aware of class status. Jane tells Mr. Lloyd that she would rather stay with the wealthy, abusive and neglectful Reed family than go to live with her poorer relatives. She says, "I should not like to belong to poor people" (36) and "I should not like to go a-begging" (36). To Jane, at least as a child, it is better to live in a wealthy household as an unwanted outsider than to be part of a poor family. It is interesting to note that Jane does not associate herself with her poor relations. Instead of saying that she would not like to be a poor person, she says that she would not like to 'belong to poor people.' She would retain her outsider status even in a different economic level. It should also be noted that Jane eventually does 'go a-begging' and shortly thereafter lives with her poor relations and enjoys living with them a great deal. Although she says that she would not like to beg or live with poor family, she eventually ends up doing both. Additionally, Jane's descriptions of nearly every character in the book include their economic status near the first mention of them. Just a few of the many examples are when Jane describes Rochester's wealth before she describes his physical features or personality, she displays St. John River's house and belongings before mentioning him, and then continually reminds him of Miss Oliver's wealth. So, although Jane does not judge people by their economic status, she does notice it and use it as a feature to describe them.

Other characters in the novel tend to judge Jane in much the same way as she judges others; at first they notice her external features such as her economic status and her physical appearance but then, after getting to know her, they often judge her by her personality and behavior. Rochester serves as a prime example of this. When he first meets Jane, he quickly inquires into her employment at Thornfield and says, "You are not a servant at the hall, of course" (121). He recognizes that Jane is not a lady but not a servant either. In order to evaluate her, he needs to know exactly what her job and corresponding class status is. Simultaneously, he evaluates her based on her appearance. He takes mental note of her rather unattractive face that St. John later describes as some that "would always be plain. The grace and harmony of beauty are quite wanting in those features" (333). Jane's lower economic status and her unattractive features at first distance Rochester from Jane. Their relationship at first is strictly professional. However, as time goes on, Rochester learns to enjoy the company and quick intellect of Jane. He becomes more and more fond of her and eventually asks her to marry him. The marriage proposal is a significant move on his part. First, it shows that he has evaluated Jane on characteristics other than her economic status and appearance. Second, it puts him in a position where others may criticize him for marrying outside of his class. However, Rochester's attraction to Jane is stronger than his fear of other people's opinions.

Because of Jane's class ambiguity, she does not possess the discrimination towards other classes that many other characters do. For example, Mrs. Fairfax, a servant of Rochester, speaks harshly about members of the upper class, such as Blanche Ingram, simply because they are of another class and she does not understand them. She says of Blanche, "she did not know the sensations of sympathy and pity; tenderness and truth were not in her" (188). To Mrs. Fairfax, Blanche is just a heartless, rich woman who has no concern for anyone else around her. However, Jane describes Blanche as a beautiful woman who would suit Rochester better than Jane herself. She may not like her as a friend, but she still recognizes her achievements and qualities more than Mrs. Fairfax was able to do. Jane's ability to judge Blanche in a more unbiased fashion probably results from the fact that she is able to relate to her more. Whereas Mrs. Fairfax is just a servant serving Rochester, Jane is on a more equal plane with him and admires him as Blanche does. Because she has more in common with the upper class than the servant Mrs. Fairfax, she is able to evaluate them in a more favorable manner. Conversely, Jane is able to evaluate members of the lower classes more favorably than the upper class characters in the novel do. An example of this comes when Rochester is dressed up as a poor gypsy woman. Blanche and the other ladies are all afraid of speaking to the old, poor woman, but Jane "was glad of the unexpected opportunity to gratify [her] much-excited curiosity" (197). The ladies were all skeptical of the gypsy because they evaluated her based on her external appearances, but Jane was able to look past that because she had at times been poor herself. She evaluated the gypsy based on her actions rather than her appearance and, therefore, realized that she was really just Rochester in disguise while none of the superficial ladies did.

In the end, Jane inherits twenty thousand pounds from her uncle and, as Terry Eagleton writes, "comes to have power over Rochester" (30) because when she agrees to marry him, "she comes to him on her own terms, financially self-sufficient" (30). He claims that the ambiguous nature of class status and relationships that has carried throughout the novel takes a final twist as Jane is suddenly elevated socially above her former master. After reading Brontë's entire novel, we are not surprised to see another blending of the normally distinct class lines. It is understandable, perhaps even expected, that she would change Jane's class status in order to release her from the harsh class confinements. Another reading, which Eagleton provides, sees the ending as Brontë's revenge upon the aristocratic Rochester: "Revenge does not, in fact, seem too strong a word for what happens at the end of Jane Eyre " (31-32). He believes that Brontë intentionally lowered Rochester beneath Jane economically and socially in order to promote the hardworking, proletariat character over the idle bourgeoisie one. By doing so, says Eagleton, "bourgeois initiative and genteel settlement... can be merged into mythical unity" (32). The only way for the unity of marriage to be possible between the working class Jane and the gentleman Rochester is through the extraordinary circumstances that take place, elevating Jane above Rochester.

Jane remains essentially the same character throughout the novel even though her class status changes dramatically. By doing so, Charlotte Brontë shows that economic classes were not as concrete as certain people wanted them to be and that individuals should not be defined solely by their economic class.

Works Cited

Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre . Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1996. Buy a copy. »

Eagleton, Terry. Myths of Power: A Marxist Study of the Brontës . London: Macmillan Press, 1975. Buy a copy. »

Fraiman, Susan. "Jane Eyre's Fall from Grace." Jane Eyre . Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1996. 614-631.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Jane Eyre — A Critique Of The Social Hierarchies Of Victorian England In Jane Eyre

A Critique of The Social Hierarchies of Victorian England in Jane Eyre

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Published: Feb 8, 2022

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