Jane_Eyre_-_Essay

Love Conquers Class Victorian England was a time where class played an extremely important role in one’s life and future. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, the protagonist, Jane, must overcome the social justice of classism. In Jane’s early days of childhood, she faces classism which stems from her aunt and her inability to please her. As Jane grows, she gains an understanding of society’s dependency on classism through her experiences at boarding school, as a governess, a beggar and a school teacher. However, she learns to appreciate herself and stay true to her own beliefs and morals despite it all and finally through hard work, determination and love, Jane is able to gain independence, and happiness. Charlotte Bronte shows that despite society’s tendency to judge one unfairly based on class in the Victorian era, love allows individuals to see beyond class to discover one’s true character. She proves this by showing that class determines the opinions of others, regardless of their behavior. Society believes certain classes have certain characteristics and automatically stereotype people based on this rather than understanding the person as an individual. However, love allowed people to overcome the obstacle of class and appreciate someone for their personality rather than their class. Innocence and obedience is often overlooked and one deemed misbehaving solely because of one’s class. While staying in the Reed household, Jane is often subject to injustice due to her class. Jane was always questions her unfair treatment and wonders: “All John Reed’s violent tyrannies, all his sisters’ proud indifference, all his mother’s aversion, all the servant’s partiality, turned up in my disturbed mind like a dark deposit in a turbid well. Why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always accused, forever condemned'” (8). Jane’s misbehaving cousins act with disrespect, yet, they are not reprimanded for their actions. However, Jane, who is usually the victim rather than the perpetrator, is always accused. She is constantly blamed for actions in which she did not perform and always as a result, is unreasonably punished. Charlotte Bronte uses balance in this text by repeating the words “all” before each character and their flaws. This emphasizes the idea that Jane is alone and it feels like everyone is against her and adds to her emotions. Jane notices that not only do her cousins’ faults go unnoticed but her hard work does as well. She declares: “I dared commit no fault; I strove to fulfill every duty; and I was termed naughty and tiresome, sullen and sneaking, from morning to noon, and from noon to night.” (9). Jane’s best behavior and obedience is never acknowledged. Her aunt sees faults in Jane that do not even exist. Jane’s aunt creates a negative opinion of Jane because of her class, which leads her to believe that Jane is an evil, naughty child. Being of a lower class than her adopted family, Jane faces discrimination and mistreatment; however, as she grows up, her class continues to affect people’s first impressions of her. Society allows stereotypes of one’s class to create opinions on people without understanding their true personality. During her employment at Thornfield, Jane encounters many of society’s aristocratic ladies and gentlemen, many of which held very classist views. On the topic of governesses, one lady, Mrs. Ingrams, declares: “‘My dearest, don’t mention governesses; the word makes me nervous. I have suffered a martyrdom from their incompetency and caprice. I thank Heaven I have now done with them!’” (166). Mrs. Ingrams, a lady of high class, is talking about governesses but speaks as if they are all the same. She is stereotyping governesses and believes that since they are all beneath her in class, they must also all be incompetent. Due to these stereotypes that Mrs. Ingrams has created, she is unable and unwilling to get to know her governesses and understand them as individuals with individual qualities. Even when Jane leaves Thornfield to lead a life of her own, she comes to realize that every part of society uses stereotypes to judge others. Jane has just left Mr. Rochester, and runs out of money. Being at a tough part in her life Jane finds herself on the doorstep of her indentified cousins begging for shelter and food she states: “‘I want a night’s shelter in an outhouse or anywhere, and a morsel of bread to eat.’” Distrust, the very feeling I dreaded, appeared in Hannah’s face. ‘I’ll give you a piece of bread’, she said, after a pause: ‘but we can’t take in a vagrant to lodge. It isn’t likely.’” (319). Starving, out of desperation, Jane turns to a lodging called the Moor house and begs the servant, Hannah to let her stay the night. Charlotte Bronte describes Hannah’s reaction to Jane as distrust because of Jane’s appearance and situation. Hannah, seeing Jane’s desperate state and dirty attire, mistakes Jane for a beggar and consequently calls her a vagrant. After seeing Jane’s current situation, she does not bother asking questions. She believes Jane to be a beggar and associates all the negative stereotypes of beggars with Jane. Hannah’s tendency to rely on stereotypes leads her away from giving Jane a chance to explain herself. As a result Jane is turned away from the Moor house to die. Society judges individuals based on stereotypes of certain classes without truly getting to know the individual. However, those who find someone special may find love and will be able to overcome class differences. Love allows individuals to see past class and appreciate a person for their true character. During her employment, Jane finds love with the land owner, Mr. Rochester. His love for Jane grows which allows him to understand her despite their class differences. He exclaims, “‘You – you strange, you almost unearthly thing! – I love you as my own flesh. You – poor and obscure, and small and plain as you are – I entreat to accept me as a husband” (242). Mr. Rochester’s love for Jane has overcome his views on class. He acknowledges that she is poor, obscure and plain looking, yet, he has gotten to know her true character and personality and because of that he wishes to marry Jane, despite their class differences. Even before the marriage proposal, Mr. Rochester’s feelings already allow him to understand Jane’s personality. While talking to Jane, he describes how he felt meeting her and the hope that she gave his life: “You find in this stranger much of the good and bright qualities which you have sought for twenty years, and never before encountered; and they are all fresh, healthy, without soil and without taint.”(206). While describing Jane’s qualities, Mr. Rochester does not mention anything about her class or how she is beneath him socially. Rather, he talks about her character and personality which he finds refreshing and hasn’t found in anyone, including high class aristocrats in twenty years. This shows how his love has allowed him to see past the fact that she is merely his governess and understand her as an equal individual. Mr. Rochester and Jane show that love allows people to overcome boundaries that class creates. In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte shows that in a time where classism was prevalent, and individuals were often judged solely and unfairly based on their class. However, love still allowed people to overcome class differences and appreciate individuals for their personality and character. Individuals of a lower class were often mistreated despite good intentions and good behavior because of their low class. Stereotyping of classes prevented society from truly understanding people of lower classes as individuals. However, love enabled people to discover one’s true character by seeing beyond class differences. Truly, love does conquer all. Works Cited Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre . New York: Random House, 1943. Print.