Feminism in Jane Eyre

Abstract: Charlotte Bront masterpiece Jane Eyre symbolized a new era in the history of literature. It awakened womens awareness to be independent. It brought about a completely new concept of marriage and of the value of life to a woman. That is marriage should base on true love, e uality and respect rather than social ranks, materials or appearance. !arriage should be the combination of souls as well as bodies. The heroine of the novel "ane #yre has successfully demonstrated the image of a woman who is intelligent, independent, kind$hearted and most importantly, brave enough to say %no& to the social conventions and live up to her principle in life. The author Charlotte Bront is acclaimed to be a pioneer in the campaign of feminism. This essay is to e'plore and appreciate the spirits of feminism reflected in this novel and also reveal the limitations in demonstrating the concept of feminism. Key Words: "ane #yre, feminism, limitations .Introduction: In the ()th century, women were considered to be appendages to men. !arriage and family life were the whole world to women. *omen depended upon men physically, financially and spiritually. This essay is to e'plore and appreciate the spirits of feminism reflected in this novel "ane #yre, whose author took the lead in the campaign of feminism. There are three parts in the process of demonstration. The first part is about the oppression laid by the four main men characters on "ane. The second part is about three main women characters and their images in this novel. The last part is to point out some limitations of the author when illustrating feminism. . Body (. !ens oppression upon women The novel was written in the early () th century when men played a dominant role in society. *omen were considered to be inferior to men. +ll that women were supposed to do was follow the instructions of men and be the subsidiary addition to mens life. ,our men in "anes life had laid oppression on her in different degrees. "ane survives the oppression and led herself constantly to her own desirable life. 1. The oppression from "ohn -eed The first male character to oppress "ane was her cousin "ohn -eed, who in part made little "ane live in shadow and fears when she was only a young girl. The boy hit "ane whenever he felt like only because "ane was an orphan. .oor little "ane could do nothing but bear the hurts both physically and spiritually. +t last, "anes feelings of hatred and indignity went out of control. ,or the first time, "ane stood up and fought back when "ohn hit her again. /er cry of % *icked boy& at "ohn declares her determination to fight against this unfair world. This uarrel and fight led to her life in 0owood in which she felt much happier. 2. The oppression from !r. Brocklehurst !r. Brocklehurst represents those who had firm belief in women$inferiority theory. /e demanded the girls in 0owood to wear ugly or even broken clothes, eat far$from$enough harsh food and led a hard life. In his opinion, girls should lead a simple life in order to cultivate the virtue of subordination and dependence. /e once insulted "ane in front of "anes teachers and classmates. /e claimed "ane to be a wicked girl only because !rs. -eed, "anes +unt, told him so. Though depressed and heart$broken, "ane finally showed

with her own deeds to her teachers and classmates that she was not a wicked girl as !r. Brocklehurst claimed. 3. The oppression from #dward -ochester #ven #dward -ochester, "anes lover, wanted to lay some oppression or control upon "ane. Before their marriage, he wanted to use the necklace to circle up the thoughts and feelings of "ane. /e wanted the ring to restrict "anes actions. ,urther, he wanted the beautiful wedding dress to change "anes appearance a little bit. Though at first, out of the love for !r. -ochester, "ane intended to give in, but in the end she refused all of them. 1he 2ust wanted to act what "ane was like and preserve her own uni ue characteristics. 4. The oppression from 1t. "ohn 1t. "ohn hold absolute faith in the social convention that a womans value was realized only when she devoted her life to a man. /e took it for granted that it was the privilege and honor of "ane to go to India with him and help his work as his wife. /e thought "ane would agree with him at last because it was what a good woman should be like. "ane firmly declined this idea because she wanted a marriage based on true love and mutual understandings. 3. The image of women characters The heroine of the novel Jane Eyre has undoubtedly succeeded in building up the image of a woman who has the courage to fight against the unfair reality and pursue the e uality in life. 1he calls for women to struggle for and be the mastery of their own lives. 4uring the whole story, "ane serves as a positive character. By the development of "anes thoughts and feelings, the author conveys the spirits of feminism. !iss Blanch Ingram serves as a contract character against "ane. 1he represents the typical girls from noble families in that time. +ll she wanted was to find a rich man to depend on and get married with him. In her opinion, a womans duty was to make her appearance attractive and beautiful in order to win the heart of a rich man. !arriage should base on social ranks and money only and husbands and children are the whole world for a woman. /er rude behaviors and contempt upon %ordinary& people have fully illustrated her lack of cultivation and education. The image of !iss Blanch Ingram also symbolized the women victims of the social conventions. They lost their soul or even lost control of their bodies and they didnt have the slightest idea of the value of a womans life. they lived and were uite willing to live as the belongs of men. The mad women living on the 5rd floor arouses readers suspicion and speed up the development of the plot. In addition, she helped to turn on a new page of "anes life 6-osemarie .utnam Tong, ())78. Because of the terrible set by the mad woman, the Thornfield was reduced to ashes and !r. -ochester became blind and lost one arm. #verything in the past had become history and a new chapter in "anes life had opened. In ,erndean !anor, a uiet and peaceful place, "ane and her beloved !r. -ochester began to lead a new life in which "ane was no longer inferior to him and "anes stature has changed because she was rich thanks to the heritage from her dead uncle. 5. The limitations in demonstrating ,eminism Its beyond any doubt that Charlotte Bront has brought about the idea of feminism in this novel but she failed to demonstrate the concept perfectly. The spirits of feminism are supposed to advocate e uality between men and women 6-osemarie .utnam Tong, ())78.

The reason why the author failed is she demonstrated the concept of %e uality& partially. In the relationship between "ane and !r. -ochester, "ane was a relatively stronger character. +t the first time they met, "ane helped the in2ured !r. -ochester and at the end of the novel, "ane helped !r. -ochester to deal with his daily life because of his blindness and disability. ,urthermore, "ane was rich while !r. -ochester turned poor, old and ugly. The author seems to arrange their marriage in this kind of condition on purpose. In "anes preparation for her marriage when she was still a governess in Thornfield, she refused all the 2ewelry or beautiful dresses !r. -ochester had prepared for her. 1he didnt want to be changed into another woman. The very reason for this kind of feelings and was /er refusal of the offer is due to her strong sense of inferiority. 1he was poor and her social status was low at that time. The author didnt arrange "anes marriage in the condition. Instead, "ane got married with !r. -ochester when she was rich and !r. -ochester was poor due to the big fire. 9nly in this circumstance, "ane was willing enough to marry !r. -ochester because %I love you better now, when I can really be useful to you, than I did in your state of proud independence, when you disdained every part but that of the giver and protector& 6Charlotte Bront , ():;<=;(8. "anes marriage was in fact based on a kind of incompleteness and ine uality at least in terms of the couples physical conditions and social status. Charlotte subtly conveys the idea that feminism can be realized only in an incomplete marriage. The readers would be a little distressed when intelligent, kind$hearted and independent "ane gained her happiness in this way. The concept of feminism the author conveys to some e'tent goes to e'tremes. Conclusion The novel Jane Eyre successfully constituted an intelligent, kind$hearted and independent woman image. It arouses peoples awareness of feminism. The four men characters oppression upon the heroine "ane reveals the low social status of women in that period of time. The three women images in the novel represent different thoughts or ideas among women in that age. The novel serves as a pioneer in the cause of womens liberation though it fails to convey the concept of % feminism& to the fullest e'tent because it fails due to its failure to balance the e uality between men and women. ,eminist literary criticism is probably the single easiest and most common contemporary approach to reading Charlotte Bronte>s "ane #yre, often at the e'pense of understanding religious and other thematic aspects of the novel. ,eminist critics can look at feminine oppression as manifested especially in the charity school with its rich male supervisors and poor women. !rs. -eed can be seen as an e'ample of complicity with patriarchy. The character of Bertha !ason can be seen as a way in which patriarchy has been combined with colonialism, to remove all possible support structures and freedoms from a woman. Blanche is a character who shows how traditional upper class #nglish women relied elusively on marriage for economic opportunity. "ane, in her refusal to marry -ochester until she can do so from a position of strength, is often read by feminists as a subversive character. Rochester's Mistresses: Marria e! "e#! and Economic E#chan e in Jane Eyre Kate Washington [1] ,or one ?prostitute@ who . . . sells herself to a lover, ten sell themselves to a husband . . . The barter is as naked and as cold in the one case as in the otherA the thing bartered is the sameA the difference between the two transactions lies in the price that is paid down.

*.-. Breg *.-. Breg>s article C.rostitution,C published in the Westminster Review in (7;D, draws an e'plicit parallel between prostitutes and women who marry for money. Breg, who uses the terminology of economics to describe prostitution and marriage as CtransactionsC undertaken in Ca cold spirit of bargain,C knows that the parallel will shock many of his Eictorian readers. /e writes, C0et not the world cry shame upon us for the 2u'tapositionC 6=;7$=;)8. +lthough Breg only touches on the C2u'tapositionC of marriage and prostitution in an essay that otherwise focuses on prostitution, his article is among the first in the British periodical press to discuss the economic similarity between the two. .ublished three years before Breg>s article appeared, Charlotte BrontF>s novel Jane Eyre offers a similar and more sustained criti ue of the e'change of male financial support for female se'ual availability that often characterized Eictorian marriages and has always characterized prostitution. BrontF>s novel does not simply criticize marriage as a system of se'ualGeconomic e'change, but also suggests an alternative model of marriage based solely on love. BrontF e'plores this comple' intersection of money, se'uality, economics, and power by comparing marriage to a form of prostitution< kept mistresshood. *hile "ane>s initial self$reliance and independence stand in contrast to the degradation and dependence of Clara, Biacinta, and CHline, -ochester>s continental e'$mistresses, "ane nearly slides into a dependent position herself. !istresshood, which was associated with both marriage and prostitution, was a particularly fruitful vehicle for BrontF>s criticism. The word CmistressC could mean a female superior or head of household, a wife 6who was considered inferior to her husband8, or a kept mistress. The first meaning is seldom used in Jane Eyre. + crucial e'ceptionIand, I will argue, a dramatic turning point in the novel>s gender relationsIis "ane>s ultimate declaration of financial independence< CI am my own mistressC 6=;78. *ithin the te't of Jane Eyre, CmistressC most often denotes a Ckept woman.C +lthough bourgeois Eictorians considered kept mistresshood a form of prostitution while they sanctified marriage, BrontF>s te't e'poses the ways in which the two resemble one another< the relationship of mistresses to their CmastersC is similar to that of wives to husbands. ?3@ !istresses, like wives, were monogamous, se'ually available at all times, and dependent on men>s financial support. The difference between a married woman and CHline, -ochester>s ,rench mistress, lay in the marriage ceremony, a legal formalization of what Carole .ateman calls Cthe se'ual contract.C ?5@.ateman also argues that prostitution is one of the ways in which Cmen can uphold the terms of the se'ual contract,C e'plaining that prostitution has been a manifestation of Cpatriarchal capitalismC 6(7)8. !any Eictorian writers, however, saw prostitution as a threat to patriarchal capitalism, and conse uently Cthe great social evilC emerged as a ma2or concern for mid$nineteenth$century Eictorian society. *hile the controversial Contagious 4iseases +cts were not instated until a decade later, rescue work to CreclaimC fallen women was on the rise, as was the production of anti$prostitution lectures and sermons. ?=@ Eictorian definitions of prostitution assumed that mistresses, who accepted money in e'change for long$term se'ual availability, were as much prostitutes as street walkers, who had a large number of short$term clients. In Lectures on Magdalenism6(7=58, -alph *ardlaw makes this connection e'plicit< + harlot is generally understood as one who makes her livelihood by whoredom . . . +mong the

varieties there are, first of all, your kept mistressesAIand these are of very various grades, from the first$rate style of keeping down to the lowestA but, though varying in the scale ofI 6since I must use the word for want of another to convey the idea, though I dislike the association of it with so vile a theme8Iin the scale of gentility, all alike in that of moral turpitude. 655$5=8 4espite *ardlaw>s Cscale of gentility,C he implies a strong censure of all women engaged in prostitution through his use of the words Cwhoredom,C Charlot,C and Cmoral turpitude.C In Prostitution Considered in ts Moral! "ocial! and "anitary #s$ects 6(7;:8, *illiam +cton also emphasizes the importance of the economic transaction in his definition of prostitution. C?I@ shall assume . . . that the fact of >hiring,> whether openly or secretly, whether by an individual or a plurality in succession, constitutes prostitutionC 638. +ccording to +cton>s definition, a mistress who accepted money in a long$term liaison with a single man was une uivocally a prostitute. BrontF connects Eictorian discourses on prostitution and the tropes of fallenness with mistresshood throughout Jane Eyre, even when she is using the word CmistressC in its most common sense, to mean a wife or a female superior. 1he in turn uses the concept of the mistress to show how deeply Eictorian marriage was charged with the economics of se'ual e'change. The economic elements of marriage that BrontF>s te't deplores were crucial to both the legal and social character of the institution as it had developed in Britain up to the nineteenth century. !arried women could not own propertyA the legal principle of coverture provided that married couples were legally one person and that the husband was the legal representative of that person. ?;@ +s many early$Eictorian te'ts attest, marriages of convenienceIof finance rather than romanceIwere common and relatively uncensured. ?J@ +lthough legal reforms and changes in public attitude would transform marriage by the end of the century, no significant legal reforms had taken place when Jane Eyre was written. *hether social attitudes toward marriage as an economic contract were changing before feminist reform began to challenge the nature of that economic contract is another uestion. *e might regard BrontF>s attitude in Jane Eyre as evidence that these attitudes were slowly shifting from a conception of marriage as a socioeconomic contract to a primarily romantic union. Ket BrontF>s novel is unusual in its conviction that marriage and economics should not be mi'ed. ?:@ "ane>s and -ochester>s reunification at the novel>s end functions not as an acceptance of the status uo, but rather as a portrait of marriage as a romantic and companionate union. BrontF>s opposition to economic dependency for women has too often been assumed rather than demonstrated by critics. ,or e'ample, !aurianne +dams>s article, %Jane Eyre< *oman>s #state,C discusses the problematic nature of woman>s economic dependence, but focuses on "ane>s economic status as one of many social and personal obstacles she must face on the road to self$realization. 1imilarly, Beth Lalikoff describes "ane as a potential Cfallen womanC who is tempted to enter an illicit liaison as -ochester>s mistressA however, she does not discuss the economic dependence that BrontF stigmatizes. Mo critical discussions of "ane>s life have focused on her similarities to -ochester>s mistresses or, therefore, to the ma2or se'ual economy of the te't. Certain critics of the novel>s socioeconomic relationships have made only glancing investigations of "ane>s se'ual relationships. !ary .oovey>s chapter on the novel in the influential

book, &neven 'evelo$ments 6()778, discusses "ane as an economic and social agent in the conte't of the controversy in the (7=Ds over the liminality of governesses. ?7@ +lthough she glosses over the degree to which "ane>s salaried position as a governess represents female independence in the novel, .oovey does provide a compelling picture of the economic constraints that often governed women>s lives. 1he is less concerned than I am, though, with e'ploring how those social constraints affect "ane>s psyche. "ina .oliti>s mar'ist feminist criti ue, %Jane Eyre Class$ifiedC 6()738, argues that BrontF>s novel reinforces structures of class and, correspondingly, patriarchal oppression. ,or .oliti, "ane>s refusals to be subordinate to -ochester are hollow because of "ane>s complicity in a patriarchal system. .oliti is perhaps over$eager to blame the te't rather than to e'plore its genuine political comple'ity. ?)@ +ny reading of the class politics of Jane Eyre must be tempered by a detailed look at its political and emotional heart< the relationship and eventual marriage between "ane and -ochester. I attempt to clarify the novel>s often contradictory ideological positions by looking specifically at the love plot in the conte't of the gender and class structures of Eictorian #ngland and, in the process, evaluate Charlotte BrontF>s ve'ed attitude6s8 toward those structures. By reading the marriage plot of Jane Eyre against the recurrent theme of mistresshood in the novel, I show how the novel criticizes the intersection of women>s se'uality with their economic dependency. The novel first hints at the interrelation of women>s se'ual and economic lives when "ane assumes a position as +dNle>s governess. +s CHline>s daughter, +dNle embodies the physical conse uences of her mother>s e'change of se'ual availability for financial support, and thus serves as a constant reminder of the conse uences of mistresshood. CHline was clearly what -alph *ardlaw might have called one of the Cbetter classC of harlots. -ochester e'plicitly details the cash basis of his affair with CHline< C!iss #yre, so much was I flattered by this preference of the Ballic sylph for her British gnome, that I installed her in an hotelA gave her a complete establishment of servants, a carriage, cashmeres, diamonds, dentelles, Oc.C 6(=:8. +lthough "ane is aware of -ochester>s Cformer faults of morality,C she does not blame him, assuming that they Chad their source in some cruel cross of fateC 6(;=8. /owever, she and -ochester 2udge CHline>s conduct as CtreacheryC 6(;38. *hile they are speaking specifically of CHline>s involvement with other men while she was -ochester>s mistress, "ane and -ochester also suggest their sense of CHline>s larger betrayal of love for financial support. 1hortly after -ochester e'plains his relationship with CHline, "ane admits to herself her own interest in him. But, possibly because she knows of his Cformer faults of morality,C she admonishes herself< CIt does good to no woman to be flattered by her superior, who cannot possibly intend to marry herA and it is madness in all women to let a secret love kindle within them, which, if unreturned and unknown, must devour the life that feeds itA and, if discovered and responded to, must lead, ignis (atuus$like, into miry wilds whence there is no e'tricationC 6(J)8. +t this point, "ane recognizes that -ochester is her superior not only because he is her employer, but because of his financial status and se'ual e'perience as well. This recognition reminds "ane that any Csecret loveC between them will not result in marriage, but in mistresshoodIthe metaphorical Cmiry wildsC that she imagines here. "ane, who is already engaged in a non$se'ual e'change with -ochester as the governess of his ward, realizes that others suspect -ochester will seduce her. #ven the kind !rs. ,airfa' is afraid that the employer$employee relationship between -ochester and "ane may turn into an

illicit se'ual and economic e'change. !rs. ,airfa' says to "ane, C>0ast night I cannot tell you what I suffered when I sought all over the house, and could find you nowhere, nor the master eitherA and then, at twelve o>clock, saw you come in with him>C 63:78. +t first, !rs. ,airfa'>s anguish at the pair>s relatively brief absence looks melodramatic, but her phrase, CI cannot tell you what I suffered,C serves as a useful reminder that for middle$class Eictorian women, the thought of premarital se'ual activity was effectively unspeakable. !rs. ,airfa' does not have the vocabulary to warn "ane e'plicitly. -ather, she must deal in hints and innuendos< >Is it really for love he is going to marry youP> she asked. I was so hurt by her coldness and scepticism, that the tears rose to my eyes. >I am sorry to grieve you,> pursued the widowA >but you are so young, and so little ac uainted with men, I wished to put you on your guard. It is an old saying that Call is not gold that glittersAC and in this case I do fear there will be something found to be different to what either you or I e'pect.> 63:78 It is impossible to tell here whether !rs. ,airfa' is trying to frame a guarded warning that -ochester is already married, or simply hinting that he may not marry "ane at all. In any case, !rs. ,airfa' shocks the reader, and "ane, into realizing that the romantic marriage -ochester and "ane plan is an e'ception rather than the rule, and that it is particularly fraught with danger when the woman is an employee of the man. BrontF thus e'poses the sordid assumptions of even the kind !rs. ,airfa', and shows that if "ane were to marry -ochester, she would be suspected of trying to marry him for his money. "ane e'hibits a great deal of an'iety about her impending change of status before the first, failed wedding of the novel. +lthough the outcome of that weddingIthe revelation that -ochester is already married to Bertha !asonI2ustifies her fears, it is important to remember that "ane has not had premonitions of -ochester>s planned bigamy $er se. -ather, "ane>s fears stem from her an'iety about her potential economic and social dependency on -ochester, which !rs. ,airfa'>s suspicions e'acerbate. *hile "ane considers her work as a governess legitimate labor in e'change for -ochester>s money, there are e'changes in which she will not participate. ?(D@ 1he asserts her independence not only by refusing -ochester>s e'travagant gifts, but also by securing her uncle>s inheritance so that she will be -ochester>s financial e ual in marriage. "ane implies that there are two potential ways for a woman to gain independence< she may either bring her inheritance to a marriage or she may earn a ClegitimateC living once married by working, for e'ample, as a governess. The conviction that financial independence is an important marker of women>s personal and sub2ective autonomy is evident when -ochester takes "ane shopping. "ane is disturbed by both -ochester>s selection of gaudy clothing and his proprietary attitude toward her< *ith an'iety I watched his eye rove over the gay stores< he fi'ed on a rich silk of the most brilliant amethyst dye, and a superb pink satin. I told him in a new series of whispers, that he might as well buy me a gold gown and a silver bonnet at once< I should certainly never venture to wear his choice. 637(8 "ane>s refusal of fine new clothes is particularly significant in that Cfancy dressC was one of the primary social markers of the Eictorian prostitute. +s !ariana Ealverde observes, Cmedical and political discourses . . . constructed the love of finery as a chief cause of women>s descent into prostitutionC 6(:D8. *hat constituted finery was class$specific, in that finery meant clothing that was inappropriate to a woman>s class or station in life< C,inery in ?the@

pe2orative sense meant clothes that were too showy . . . what was or was not finery depended on the socioeconomic and moral status of the wearerC 6(:D$(:(8. "ane>s fear of being brightly dressed, then, stems from the contrast between the significance of these new clothes and that of the accustomed and e'pected plainness of her dress as a governess. 9n "ane, the bright silks and satins would be inappropriate because of her class position 6though not, as Ealverde>s argument makes clear, to her new station after her marriage8 and would therefore indicate a lack of economic and se'ual integrity. BrontF suggests this an'iety still further by choosing the ad2ective CgayC for "ane>s half$censure of the shops, since Cgay womanC was a common nineteenth$century term for a prostitute. ?((@ *hile "ane does not ob2ect to the cloth -ochester selects $er se, even calling the satin Csuperb,C she insists that she will not CventureC to wear it. If she were to wear the clothes that he purchased for her, "ane realizes, she would look more like -ochester>s mistress than his ward>s governess. It is the association between -ochester>s purchase of these elaborate clothes, which are tokens of mistresshood, and "ane>s body that she finds upsetting< CBlad was I to get him out of the silk warehouse, and then out of a 2eweller>s shop< the more he bought me, the more my cheek burned with a sense of annoyance and degradationC 637(8. This feeling of degradation, linked as it is to the increase in buying, stems from both her economic position and from -ochester>s glee in keeping her increasingly in his debt. "ane immediately reads his pleasure as the smug satisfaction of CbuyingC her. Qsing the metaphor of the seraglio that -ochester later employs to describe his relationship with his Continental mistresses, BrontF links CbuyingC to a specifically se'ual form of slavery. "ane narrates< C/e smiledA and I thought his smile was such as a sultan might, in a blissful and fond moment, bestow on a slave his gold and gems had enriched< I crushed his hand, which was ever hunting mine, vigorously, and thrust it back to him red with the passionate pressureC 63738. Mot only does his look appear to take possession of her, like a CsultanC with his Cslave,C but he also constantly attempts to take physical possession of her, with his hand Cever huntingC "ane>s. *e might read the seeking hand as a synecdoche for -ochester>s whole body, seeking "ane se'ually both before and after the wedding. It is clear, however, that "ane sees a large part of her CdegradationC as the combination between -ochester>s se'ual and material ownership of her. ?(3@ This 9rientalist metaphor of "ane>s se'ual thrall is reinforced when -ochester picks up the thread of what "ane calls his Ceastern allusion.C +s -ochester declares, C>I would not e'change this one little #nglish girl for the grand Turk>s whole seraglioA gazelle$eyes, houri forms and allR>C 63738. ?(5@ +lthough -ochester is actually contrasting "ane to the Chouri formsC of the Turk>s mistresses, his Chand$rubbing,C and his concentration on women>s se'ual bodies strikes "ane as ominously possessive. 1he seizes on the metaphor he uses and seems purposefully to misconstrue it, responding as if he had asked her to behave like the Cwhole seraglioC< C>I>ll not stand you an inch in the stead of a seraglio . . . so don>t consider me an e uivalent for one>C 63738. This non se)uitur makes clear the e'tent to which "ane is obsessed with asserting her own independence as she anticipates her dependence on -ochester. In another effort to assert her independence, "ane insists on retaining her salary and work schedule even after her marriage. 1he declares that she will earn her keep even within marriage, thus refusing to become one of -ochester>s mistresses< C>4o you remember what you said of CHline EarensPIthe diamonds, the cashmeres you gave herP I will not be your #nglish

CHline Earens. I shall continue to act as +dNle>s governess< by that I shall earn my board and lodging, and thirty pounds a year besides. I>ll furnish my own wardrobe out of that money>C 63758. /ere, "ane tries to negotiate two separate relationships to -ochester< as his employee and his wife. In other words, she is trying to do what was legally impossible for early Eictorian women< maintain a separation between the financial and emotional dimensions of marriage in order to avoid a dependent position. "ane is very clear that what she is re2ecting is not -ochester>s love, but the e'change of his money for her loss of autonomy. "ane>s suggestion is deeply ironic, for she could not be paid by -ochester if she were his wife because he would, by law of coverture, be paying himself. 1till, she seems to think that the symbolic act of working for her keep would protect her from dependency and mistresshood in marriage. +t the end of the discussion, she returns to the uestion of her wardrobe< !r. -ochester will not dress her, not even for her wedding. 1he will buy her own clothes, plain as they are, and thus demonstrate that she is neither a mistress nor a prostitute, but a loving fiancHe who is in no way motivated by financial desires. "ane not only declares her independence to -ochester, but also seeks to establish financial autonomy by writing to her wealthy uncle, in the hope that he may leave her an inheritance. C>It would, indeed, be a relief,> I thought, >if I had ever so small an independencyA . . . if I had but a prospect of one day bringing !r. -ochester an accession of fortune, I could better endure to be *e$t by him now>C 637($373A my italics8. +gain, "ane ignores the fact that any property she were to bring to the marriage would become -ochester>s. But this desire for independence, read within the larger plot$structure of the novel, helps her to avoid total dependence on -ochester. "oyce Sonana points out that it is in fact this desire that saves "ane from the bigamous marriage, for C"ane>s letter to "ohn #yre alerts -ochester>s brother$in$law, -ichard !ason, to -ochester>s plans . . . and "ane is freed from a marriage that would, in her own terms, have thoroughly enslaved herC 6;):8. BrontF thus uses "ane>s lack of confidence in her independence and her simultaneous feeling of degradation to illustrate how debasing the entanglement of marriage and economics is. Because of her love for -ochester, "ane faces a dangerous parado' when he asks her to come away with him after their wedding is pre$empted. "ane is caught between her love for -ochester and her e ually strong desire to maintain her independence. *hen she refuses to 2oin him, -ochester accuses "ane of having tried to marry him for his wealth and social position< Cyou don>t love me, thenP It was only my station, and the rank of my wife, that you valuedP Mow that you think me dis ualified to become your husband, you recoil from my touchC 65()8. -ochester thus speaks "ane>s own worst fearsIthat the attempted marriage to -ochester could be construed as her surrender to dependency and mistresshood. "ane hardly needs the reminderA as !aurianne +dams notes, Cthe sudden emergence of Bertha !ason -ochester from her attic hideaway confirms and verifies what "ane had already feared, that as -ochester>s wife she would be but his mistress, a kept woman, without any independent social statusC 6(578. ?(=@ -ochester attempts to counter "ane>s uneasiness by asserting that there will be no impurity in their setting up house together< C>Mever fear that I wish to lure you into errorIto make you my mistress. *hy do you shake your headP>C 653D8. -emembering CHline, -ochester uses an e'tremely narrow definition of mistresshood, asserting that if there is love rather than a purely financial arrangement, "ane will not be his mistress. But "ane understands differently< C>If I lived with you as you desire,>C she informs

him, C>I should then be your mistressIto say otherwise is sophisticalIis false>C 653D8. The repetition of the word Cmistress,C and -ochester>s destination in ,rance, must remind "ane of -ochester>s corrupt cash$based liaison with CHline Earens. "ane contends that if she were to accompany -ochester, their relationship would be marked by economic dependency and se'ual e'change. /er self$definition as a governess or as an economic agent would then be subsumed under a definition that is purely relative to -ochester< she would be his mistress. BrontF thus shows how concepts of sub2ectivity and selfhood are tied up with the economic and se'ual choices of middle$class Eictorian women. "ane has learned her lesson from -ochester>s disdain about his former mistresses. +s -ochester remarks, C>/iring a mistress is the ne't worst thing to buying a slave< both are often by nature, and always by position, inferiorA and to live familiarly with inferiors is degrading>C 6537$53)8. This comparison of a mistress to a slave recurs in the te't, generally through the references to seraglios or harems. -ochester is uite right in asserting that this relationship is degrading, though it is surprising that he does not recognize the e'tent to which it dehumanizes the hired party. ?(;@ "ane regards -ochester>s confessions as a lesson in what her own conduct should be, a lesson that is presumably the e'act opposite of the conclusion that -ochester wishes her to draw< I felt the truth of these wordsA and I drew from them the certain inference, that if I were so far to forget myself and all the teaching that had ever been instilled into me, asIunder any prete't Iwith any 2ustificationIthrough any temptation Ito become the successor of these poor girls, he would one day regard me with the same feeling which now in his mind desecrated their memory. I did not give utterance to this conviction< it was enough to feel it. I impressed it on my heart, that it might remain there to serve me as aid in the time of trial. 653)8 Thus BrontF shows that "ane>s resistance to becoming -ochester>s mistress is at least partly economic and practical< the only thing worse than being -ochester>s mistress would be to be his discarded mistress. *hile "ane>s position as a virtuous outcast from Thornfield would prove difficult, such re2ection would be nothing compared to the marginal position of one known to be the former mistress of a married middle$aged rouH. *hile "ane is determined to maintain her independence, she e'presses a certain ambivalence about her decision to leave Thornfield. 1he ultimately congratulates herself for choosing not to be -ochester>s mistress< *hich is betterPITo have surrendered to temptationA listened to passionA made no painful effort Ino struggleAIbut to have sunk down in the silken snareA fallen asleep on the flowers covering itA wakened in a southern clime, amongst the lu'uries of a pleasure$villaA to have been now living in ,rance, !r. -ochester>s mistress . . . . *hether is it better, I ask, to be a slave in a fool>s paradise at !arseillesIfevered with delusive bliss one hourIsuffocating with the bitterest tears of remorse and shame the ne'tIor to be a village$schoolmistress, free and honest . . . P 65:7$5:)8 "ane contrasts her two options in abstract terms< she could be either Ca slave in a fool>s paradiseC or a Cvillage$school mistress, free and honest.C 1he could be a slave or free, an inferior or a superior mistress, beguiled or living honestly. If self$delusion and slavery are characteristic of mistresses, BrontF e'tends the definition to include wives who are involved in tainting economic e'change as well. +fter all, what could be more self$delusive than the appearance of respectability that marriage confersP In this sense, a Blanche Ingram, whose interest in

-ochester is motivated simply by his wealth, is as shameful as a CHline Earens. "ane feels that her own marriage with -ochesterIwhich she assumed would be legitimateIwould be on the same level as the CseraglioC if she were to accept -ochester>s unearned financial support. "ane>s choice, then, is not 2ust between marriage and whoredom, but between love and monetary e'change, autonomy and ab2ect dependency. "ane>s flight from Thornfield illuminates the choice that she faces between independence and mistresshood. The difficulty of her position is demonstrated when she, a lone woman on the public roads, encounters several people who 2udge her harshly. 1ince Cwoman on the streetsC was a common euphemism for a prostitute, this episode in "ane>s life reminds us of how tenuous "ane>s avoidance of se'ual and economic e'change really is. *hen a woman whom "ane asks for employment rebuffs her, "ane realizes, Cin her eyes, how doubtful must have appeared my character, position, taleC 65=;8. "ane is denied access to respectable labor because she appears to have participated in illicit se'ual e'change. BrontF>s te't depicts the general suspicion of even the most respectable of women< as "ane notes, Can ordinary beggar is fre uently an ob2ect of suspicionA a well$dressed beggar inevitably soC 65=J8. /er comment shows how deeply the whole of Eictorian society was imbued with suspicion about the corrupt market of se'uality that permeated Eictorian #ngland. ?(J@ "ane>s 2ourney on the roads of Morth #ngland leads her to !arsh #nd, where she finds, in addition to her long$lost cousins, independence as the village schoolmistress. In this section of the novel, marriage as economic e'change is de$emphasized, while BrontF highlights the importance of love in marriage. "ane>s cousin, 1t. "ohn -ivers, demands that she marry him and accompany him to India. +lthough 1t. "ohn does not say he wants a mistress, he seeks a wife who will be superior to those around her but sub2ect to him. The novel>s criti ue of this sort of marriage of spiritual convenience is 2ust as harsh as its denunciation of the e'change$economy of illicit mistresshood. Indeed, 1t. "ohn fares much worse when he suggests marriage without love than -ochester does when he advocates love without marriage. +s "ane asks herself, CCan I receive from him the bridal ring, endure all the forms of love 6which I doubt not he would scrupulously observe8 and know that the spirit was uite absentP Can I bear the consciousness that every endearment he bestows is a sacrifice made on principleP Mo< such a martyrdom would be monstrousC 6=3:8. BrontF demonstrates the importance of romantic love in marriage through "ane>s reaction to 1t. "ohn -ivers>s insistence that she marry him without it< C>?1t. "ohn@ has told me I am formed for labourInot for love< which is true, no doubt. But, in my opinion, if I am not formed for love, it follows that I am not formed for marriage>C 6=578. "ane escapes a marriage that either mi'es economic and se'ual e'change or entails se' without love by holding fiercely to her own conception of e uality and independence. In the end, she marries -ochester not only because she loves him, but also because she has received a large inheritance from her uncle in !adeira, which enables her to live wherever and however she desires. +s !aurianne +dams maintains, C"ane reaches the threshold of marriage three times in the novel. 1he cannot cross it until she can meet her >master> as his partner and e ual, his e ual by virtue of her inheritance and family solidarity, his partner by virtue of their interdependenceC 6(;38. In a time in which women were accustomed to a lifetime of dependency, the financial autonomy that she insists on before the marriage is both unusual and e'tremely important.

"ane>s conception of independence, however, does not transcend Eictorian paradigms about the role of women. "ane is still caught up in making sure her motives appear pure to herself and to the broader society, and she wants to be certain that she has not been bought. 1he can never step wholly outside of the idea that marriage is necessarily about financial status and appearance, which is why she must make her declaration to -ochester so firmly< C>I told you I am independent, sir, as well as rich< I am my own mistress>C 6=;78. /er choice of words signals to -ochester 6after his long search for a good mistress, in either sense of the word8 that she is not his inferior. "ane thus redefines the word CmistressC at the novel>s end. If she is her Cown mistress,C then she must be economically dependent on herself alone. The word, then, ceases to mean the surrender of economic and se'ual power over oneself, and comes to signifyIwithin Jane Eyre if not within Eictorian cultureIthe independence and power of the novel>s heroine. By depicting a heroine who is able to claim a measure of autonomy, BrontF offers a solution to the seemingly insoluble problem of female economic dependence, and the resultant parallel between prostitution and marriage. "ane>s legacy from her uncle assures her and the reader that her marriage to -ochester is a wholly romantic union, with no hint of prostitution and dependency. If "ane is her own mistress, she will not be -ochester>s. But BrontF>s solution, which depends on the deus e+ machina of a sudden inheritance, is hardly revolutionary. ?(:@ ,urther, her solution addresses the symptom of female economic dependence, rather than its cause< a patriarchal system of government and property law. 4espite the relatively conservative implications of the inheritance plot that catapults "ane to economic and social power, the novel retains a progressive stance toward se'ual economics, given the conte't in which it was written. Because it is so e'plicitly concerned with the problem of women>s financial dependency and ends by proposing a solution through love$ based marriage and female independence, Jane Eyre marks an important moment in the development of Eictorian ideologies of marriage and the economic position of women.

Re$erences: -osemarie .utnam Tong.())7. ,eminist -hought. # More Com$rehensive ntroduction . *estview .ress Charlotte Bront.():;. Jane Eyre/ 9'ford Qniversity .ress It is a wonderful 2ob if this essay is the result of your reflection on the careful reading with the help of the theory of feminism, a branch of literary criticism.