Topic > A feminist approach to Jane Eyre: the struggle for self-realization

The story of Jane Eyre tells us that in a male-dominated society, a woman should fight for decency and dignity. Faced with such difficulties in life, a courageous woman should be courageous enough to fight them, and self-esteem is the primary element to be protected. And feminism taught us to defend ourselves. Whenever we are helpless in bad conditions, we should try to survive life. A certain amount of luck is necessary for a happy marriage. While as for the lover, independence and equality as a human being is the first task. A marriage without love is lifeless, so a perfect marriage is based on love, equality of status and good luck. Jane goes against expected type by refusing submission, disagreeing with her superiors, standing up for her rights, and venturing thoughts. He is not only successful in terms of wealth and position, but more importantly in terms of family and love. Charlotte Bronte depicts the image of Jane Eyre in three steps. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The first step is that her feminist thinking begins to sprout from her struggles with her poor life as a child and the second step is that her feminist thinking is shaped by the miserable experiences she had in boarding school. The impressive part is the third step of her search for true love, independence and equality, where feminist thinking grows and matures. Jane's main goal is not to get married, but to preserve her identity and freedom in a society ruled by men. This is why Jane is courageous in taking a stand, challenging the rules of her society and speaking out whenever she feels she is being treated unfairly, she doesn't care if it's her aunt, her bullying. cousin, the cruel headmaster of the school, or even the man she is in love with. Jane faces a great discordance with the social environment at that time. Even if it dares to fight against conventional marriage ideas, which well reflect the voice of all feminists and the desire for true love. During this time Jane covered up her name, wanting to make a new life for herself. While he was a teacher in a small village he befriended John and his sisters. Although John seems like a nice guy and has proposed to Jane, she cannot accept him, this is a reflection of her steely determination to pursue love. He doesn't want a love without affection. A handsome and respectable man like John, Jane Eyre, cannot accept him because his love would be "one of duty, not of passion". He knows very well that humiliated marriage is not true love. He makes an offer of marriage to Jane because he thinks Jane is a good choice for a missionary's wife. He finds her docile, firm and tenacious. Because John really needs this kind of assistant. Jane says that if she joins St. John she will abandon half of herself, and if she goes to India she will die prematurely. He insists that true love should be based on equality, mutual understanding and respect. So she rejects John's proposal. In Jane's life, her search for true love is an important representation of her struggle for self-realization. Because his love is pure and divine, it cannot be measured by status, power, or possessions. After experiencing a helpless childhood and a miserable adolescence, he expects more than a true, consolable love. He suffers a lot in the search for true love. However, he achieves it through his long and difficult search. As a feminist woman, she represents rebellious women yearning for esteem and without esteem women like Jane cannot achieve true emancipation. In the eyes ofMost people, no one would want to marry a man who loses his sight and almost all his wealth. But as for Jane, she's different. In his mind, pure love is thought to be a meeting of the hearts and minds of two people. Jane doesn't think about making a sacrifice. He says: “Do I love people if love is to make a sacrifice? If so, then I certainly delight in sacrifice.” By the end of the novel, Jane returns to Ferndean Manor and marries Rochester. At that point Mr. Rochester loses the sight in both eyes and is disabled. In this circumstance, Jane returns to Mr. Rochester caring only about this man. He says: “I will find you alone, I will be your companion, I will read to you, I will walk with you, I will sit with you, I will serve you, I will be eyes and hands for you. Stop looking so melancholy, my dear master; you will not remain desolate, as long as I live.” (Bronte 618) He wants recognition that both sexes are equal in heart and spirit. Jane Eyre defines herself as a spiritual human being, the proof of her free spirit and feminist ideals is her relationship with Rochester. Although she is a governess, she does not consider herself inferior to him. Do you think that because I am poor, dark, insignificant and small, I am soulless and heartless? You think badly! I have as much soul as you and just as much heart! And if God had given me a little beauty and a lot of wealth, I would have made it as difficult for you to leave me as it is for me to leave you. I do not speak to you now through custom, through convention, or even through mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if we had both passed through the grave and were at the feet of God, equal as we are! (Bronte 356) Jane's relationship with Mr. Rochester is a constant struggle for her to maintain her individual identity; she plays the role of servant but makes him understand perfectly that she does not consider herself inferior to him in terms of spiritual qualities. She insists that it is more than her social status, saying: Jane's departure from Mr. Rochester proves her courage. With this act, she defies the Victorian expectation of submitting to the will of man and demonstrates that she can free herself from the emotional power that Mr. Rochester holds over her. Jane's refusal to become a mistress shows that she has retained some dignity. Although she had a deep affection for Rochester, she could not tolerate any compromise in her marriage. She is intact and cannot be mocked or discussed by others in this aspect, she would not give up her independence and self-respect. So he decided to leave his beloved Rochester and wanted to start a new life. I take care of myself. The more lonely, friendless, less supported I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God, sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received from men when I was sane, and not mad as I am now, laws and principles are not for times when there is no temptation, they are for times like this when body and soul rebel against their rigor, severe they are, inviolate they will be. (Bronte 447) The time Jane spends in Thornfield's hall is the most splendid part of the entire book. Meeting Rochester and falling in love with him reflected Jane's feminism and her new thoughts. He loves Rochester with all his heart, but Rochester's wealth and status make him so far above him for Jane to get close, even though she never feels inferior to Rochester. She is a humble homeroom teacher. He believes that they are fair and should respect each other. It is his rectitude, loftiness, and sincerity that touch Rochester. He feels from the bottom of his heart that Jane is the spiritual partner he desires. When the heroine is moved by his sincerity, the two fall deeply in love. But at the time of the wedding, he discovers that Rochester hashad a legal wife. Jane feels heartbroken by this news and leaves her trapped in the dilemma of whether to stay or leave. She tells Rochester: Jane Eyre's rebellion against Mrs. Reed and John represents her feminist awareness of gaining esteem from other people as a decent and respectable person. Little Jane was sent to Lowood boarding school where she learned a lot and became much stronger and more independent. During her stay at Lowood orphanage, Jane Eyre learns that even in the face of powerful and authoritative people such as the chief inspector of the Brocklehurst Charity School, as long as her esteem and dignity are ruthlessly wounded, she will not will never submit but resolutely rebel. How dare I, Mrs. Reed? How dare I? Because it's the truth. You think I have no feelings and can do without a little love and kindness, but I can't live like this and you have no mercy. I will remember how you rudely and violently pushed me back into the red room and locked me there until the day I died. Even if I was in pain, even if I cried out, have mercy! Have mercy, Aunt Reed! (Bronte44) Jane should be grateful to her Aunt Reed rather than be rude. When Jane was about to leave Gateshead to go to charity school. Mrs. Reed thinks she can scare Jane about her status and decides to give a sanctimonious and self-righteous speech to guide Jane into expressing gratitude in front of Mr. Lloyd. But Jane Eyre refuses to be the doll of this rich lady who is treated as emotionless and shameless. She retorts directly and powerfully: Jane was very young when she lost her parents, unfortunately her uncle Mr. Reed also dies after a few years, Jane could live a good life if her uncle were alive. Her aunt, Mrs. Reed, considered Jane unfortunate and let her children John, Eliza, and Georgina neglect and abuse Jane. They don't like Jane's plain appearance. These only relatives of Jane show no sympathy or care towards this pitiful girl, they always criticize her and mistreat her. Aunt Reed always treats Jane like less of a burden than a maid. Finally one day little Jane argued with her cousin and was beaten. Locked in a room for a night, Jane was ill at the time and her early feminism came out into the open. In front of Mrs. Reed, Jane refuses to be treated as an inferior being and speaks to her against discrimination with a cold and cutting exposition. When Mrs. Reed chastises Jane for telling an unreasonable lie, Jane defends herself: “I'm not false. If I were, I would say that I love you, but I declare that I don't love you. I hate you more than anyone in the world except John Reed, and you could give this book about the liar to your girlfriend, Georgina, because she's the one telling the lies, not me. (Bronte43) Jane Eyre did not take to the streets with her feminist ideals, but expressed her vision of women's equality unconsciously, through words and deeds. Jane, however, is an orphan without fortune and is repeatedly described by her author as unattractive, but is nevertheless able to break the conventions of her age. Face difficulties with great determination. Initially raised by Mrs Reed, a cruel aunt, she is then sent to Lowood, a squalid charity school run by the tyrannical Mr Brocklehurst, where she lives a lonely and sad life. Jane faces the prospects of a young woman without the social advantages of family, money and beauty. He endures so much suffering throughout the novel. She suffers from Lowood's cruel treatment because her aunt, Mrs. Reed, wants to punish her for her rebellion, suffers heartbreak from her attempt to marry her beloved Rochester, and suffers estrangement from St. John when he chooses to support her..