Literary Criticism: Feminist Approach

A. How are women's lives portrayed in the work?

Women are under appreciated; they work a lot and get paid little.  They are also limited in what jobs they can perform.  Women are only seen employed as governesses, household servants, or teachers in this novel.

B.  Is the form and content of the work influenced by the writer's gender?

Yes; because Charlotte Bronte is a female, she shows an understanding that although women in the nineteenth century, when this novel takes place, are expected to act proper and be passive, they have the same feelings as men, so they shouldn't be expected to behave any different.

C.  How do male and female characters relate to one another?  Are these relationships sources of conflict?  Are these conflicts resolved?

The male characters in the book are dominant over females in every male-female relationship in this book.  This does cause a conflict because it gives Jane a reason not to marry Mr. Rochester.

D.  Does the work challenge or affirm traditional views of women?

This novel challenges the traditional view of women in the nineteenth century because Jane is expected to be submissive to men and never challenge them in conversations, but she does challenge their opinions anyway, and this is shocking to some men.

E.  How do the images of women in the story reflect patriarchal social forces that have impeded women's efforts to achieve full equality with men?

Jane initially believes that marrying Mr. Rochester would put her in a position of inferiority, which makes her hesitant to immediately accept his proposal.

F.  What marital expectations are imposed on the characters?  What effect do these expectations have?

Jane is expected to be submissive to whoever she marries; this makes her reluctant to accept Mr. Rochester's proposal.  She is also expected to never leave her husband if she does get married, which is why Jane is very careful not to marry the wrong man.  This expectation also affected Mr. Rochester because he could not leave his wife, although she was violent and insane.

G.  What behavioral expectations are imposed on the characters?  What effect do these expectations have?

Jane, like all other women of the nineteenth century, is expected to be docile and obedient without questioning her superiors.  This causes her to suppress her feelings for the majority of the book.

H.  If a female character were male, how would the story be different?

Jane would have probably been treated with more respect and would have been able to stand up for herself when she was a child living at the Reeds'.  This would have caused the story to have an entirely different outcome.

I.  How does the marital status of a character affect her decisions or happiness?

Although Jane is very satisfied with her married life with Mr. Rochester at the end of the novel, she would have been very unhappy if she accepted Mr. Rochester's first proposal because she would have been going against her moral code.  She also would have been unhappy if she decided to become a missionary wife to St. John because it would have been a loveless marriage.

Thesis:  If Jane would have succumbed to the inferior social position of a female of the nineteenth century, her life would have turned out dismal and loveless.