Violence In Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte

Creating a path for a strong, independent female generation, Charlotte Bronte constructs a fictional gothic novel, Jane Eyre, in order to model how self-respect results in desired change and positive outcomes. Persevering through hard times, Jane Eyre proves society’s perceptions of women and outcasts to be inaccurate by exuding self respect and boldness. In the Victorian time period and even sometimes still today, young girls are rendered to conform to the constricting gender roles set by society. Unrightfully scolded for standing up for herself, Jane experiences heaping amounts of mistreatment under the roof of Gateshead Hall. After being beaten by her cousin, Jane receives censures from the maids as they are appalled at her“shocking conduct”

Jane experiences this violence from a young age, as her male cousin, John Reed, uses violence in an attempt to instill fear into Jane by utilizing unaccountable freedom and dominance of the male gender. The fabrics of John’s terrible actions weaved their way into Jane’s head as she began to “fear him” and “every morsel of flesh on my bones shrank as he came near” (12). This fear led to the built up of Jane’s self defensive character. After eventually standing up to her cousins bullying, Jane was shipped off to a school where the violence continued. At Lowood Jane is now quite outspoken when violence occurs, and is harshly reprimanded as are all of the other orphans at the place of education. Violence is used ungraciously to correct the girls when misconduct occurs and when innocent mistakes are made to “cure” the girls of their “faults” (67). This violence conditions the young ladies through fear to morph into passive, silent women not questioning God, men, or society. Jane witnesses how violence is lashed out onto even the purest souls, such as her friend Helen. Viewing from a distance Jane painfully “wonders at her in silence” as her friend is harshly whipped for not providing an answer pleasing to the teacher’s unreasonable standards (65). This scene criticizes society's unfortunate misplacement of violence. Jane experienced

Orphans like Jane are considered a burden to those socially and economically blessed. Jane was shipped off by her distant family for being a liability. At the place of her shipment Jane along with many others try to survive off of “fifteen pounds… for boarding and teaching” (60). This small shilling contrasted with the headmaster’s “large hall” further reveals society’s cold heart towards the less fortunate (60). Rochester treats the young girl under his roof coldly, claiming he is not her true father. Adele is therefore also somewhat of an orphan. Jane relates to this feeling of isolation and being ostracized. Those who have lost the core support systems in their life, receive poor to no help and support from their surrounding communities. When devastating losses occur the human reactions is to reach out and help, unfortunately Bronte shines a light on the fact that society is too busy and self centered to slow down and help those in need. Even when those completely incapable of rightfully caring for themselves can not, society either lends out a harsh, violent hand or no hand at all. The mentally insane in the hands of society at large are locked away from the outside world, tortured, and treated as a harmful beast. The cruelty shown to those of mental instability portray “the devolution of humanity; the rejection of the trope and displacing of Bertha Mason is translated into an acceptance--and