Jane Eyre has been both praised and denounced for its portrayal of gender roles. While some critics argue that Charlotte Brontë fails to shatter the misogynistic idealism that trapped women, others contend that she broke traditional gender stereotypes/biases replacing them with feminism. Through the development of Jane as a passionate, rebellious heroine, the creation of a complex power dynamic between Jane and Rochester, and the representation of Jane’s repressed passion through Bertha, Brontë counters sexist prejudice against women ultimately concluding the novel with a strong argument of feminism. Oppressive relationships in Jane’s early childhood fueled the development of her passionate and rebellious disposition. As an orphan reluctantly …show more content…
“You are like a murdererー you are like a slave-driverー you are like the Roman emperors!” I had read Goldsmith’s History of Rome, and had formed my opinion of Nero, Caligula, etc. Also I had drawn parallels in silence, which I never thought thus to had declared aloud. (Brontë 9)
In this passage, the first sentence establishes a strict power dynamic between Jane and her master, John. John’s declaration that Jane should not rummage his bookshelves creates the image of a savage animal intruding upon his perfect life. This sets a negative tone and creates palpable tension that drives the rest of the piece and later will lead Jane to discover her own-self expression. When John states that all the bookshelves in the house are his, Brontë’s choice to italicize the word are emphasizes the disrespect and incivility with which John talks down to Jane. It’s as if Jane is in need of being reminded where she stands (in social class), and this only further represses Jane, creating a sense of fear inside of her. She is accustomed to obeying every order thrown at her, and the simple declaration that she did so without giving it any second thought reveals the way that her upbringing had trained her to conform to the laws of society and repressed any ounce that was left of her