On the level of characters, Lacan’s theory about feminine sexuality and the symbolic order has been deployed demonstrating that the phallus maintains a firm hold over Jane Eyre but lapses into a state of subversion in Rebecca due to Jane’s relinquishing of her subjectivity and sexuality whereas the narrator keeps them . Female sexuality embodied in Bertha Mason is depicted as deviant and cast out of the symbolic order since Bertha is deprived of speech. Building on Lacan’s psychosexual model, Bertha has been analyzed as the mirror image of Jane. Indeed, in Jane’s encounters with Bertha the mirror has been a crucial factor especially in the night before Jane’s wedding. In addition, it is in the imaginary stage that this subject is handed …show more content…
Bronte’s novel develops a connection between Jane and Bertha where the latter acts as the imaginary ego with the knowledge to pass to the speaking subject. However, this knowledge is given a repulsive form when depicting Bertha as an animalistic figure denied language in itself which in turn leaves her out of the symbolic order. Male figures of the novel, namely Rochester and St. John, powerfully exercise the disruption that brings Jane to a state of submission and objectivity. She accepts the life of isolation in Rochester’s service as well as allows St. John words to close her narrative.
The third section of this research has employed the queer theory to prove that Jane Eyre has concealed the allusions to the female-female desire underwriting it to adhere to the conventional heterosexual female Gothic plot. On the contrary, Rebecca is shown to have subverted the traditional molds of female and male Gothic as the character of Rebecca grants more space to explore the queer homoerotic subtext.
The queerness has been analyzed considering two points. The first has been the marriage plot which ends Jane Eyre ensuring the dominance of heterosexuality, but opens Rebecca giving rise to suspicions and doubts about the heterosexuality of du Maurier’s novel. The second point has been the interplay between the characters in each
Jane Eyre is presented as a fiction, encompassing the romance and gothic genre. Jacob’s text, on the other hand, is a narrative non-fiction and an autobiography of Harriet Jacobs herself as Linda Brent. At first glance, everything opposes Harriet Jacob’s Incidents in the life of a slave girl and Brontë’s Jane Eyre. However, if we dig a little further, we see that the two texts share some similarities. Both texts are based on the Bildungsroman genre, whereby we follow the lives of the main characters as they progress through their life.
It is common for people in everyday society to conform to society’s expectations while also questioning their true desires. In the novel, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, the main protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess, "That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions." In other words, Edna outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Kate Chopin, uses this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning to build the meaning of the novel by examining Edna’s role as a wife, mother, and as nontraditional woman in the traditional Victorian period. Edna outwardly conforms to society’s expectations by marriage.
In the following essay I will discuss and form a clear analysis about Elizabeth Bishop’s poem ‘Exchanging Hats’ that was published in 1979. Elizabeth Bishop is an American short-story writer that was born in 1911 and loved writing poems to describe the dominating side between male and female. It addresses many things such as crossing dressing, gender roles and it brings out a deeper meaning of fashion. It refers to the world famous story of Alice in Wonderland. It is done in such a way where everything that is being describe is not being said directly but rather describing actions that symbolizes different principals of theories.
Examine how either text represents either class or gender. Are these representations problematic or contradictory? How do they relate to the plot and structure of the novel? Jane Eyre is a female Bildungsroman written by Charlotte Brontë in 1848.
The end of the eighteenth - beginning of the nineteenth century England was characterized by the downfall of the revolutionary “Jacobin” movement which advocated for freedom and equality, and symbolizes a return to, as well as an empowerment of the conservative British patriarchal system. This was the context in which Amelia Anderson Opie wrote “her most political novel”(King and Pierce, viii) Adeline Mowbray, a tale which provides a case study about, as Roxane Eberle notes, “progressive ideas that heterosexual relationships can and should exist outside of marriage”(1994: 127). As a result the clash between these innovational type of relationships and the English legal and social norms collide in their representation of models of proper conduct
In Victorian society, women had the choice between two roles: the pure woman or the fallen woman. Bram Stoker plays with these anxieties revolving around female sexuality – he follows the gothic tradition of innocent damsel in distress against looming evil. The narrative structure Stoker imploys to the text through intertextuality reveals multiple point of view distinguishing a duality in Lucy - her true self and 'thing'. In order to cope with Lucy’s worsening condition, the male authoritative figures of the text assign a duality present in Lucy to make sense of her shifting from “pure woman” to “fallen woman”. Stoker exhibits in the structure of the multi-faceted narrative how certain characters are unable to cope with the duality present
The governess’s first thoughts after seeing Peter Quint are to compare her situation to the plots of two popular gothic novels with romantic heroines, Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre—the latter about a governess who marries her employer, which we know to be this governess’s fantasy. However, the effect of these references is not to make the governess’s story seem more like those novels, but just the opposite. The fact that she is inclined to see herself in terms of these gothic romances reminds us that this is not a romance; that those are fantasies rather than reality; and that even though we know that what we are reading is a work of fiction, it’s a work of realistic fiction.
Sentence Assessment Task Rhetorical Analysis: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (Austen) Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Austen’s famous statement on marriage and equality continues to resonate in modern society. In comparison to today, the Victorian era significantly suppressed women’s rights (Hughes). However, Austen juxtaposes that idea by stating that it is the man, no matter how wealthy, who ‘must be in want of a wife.’
Rochester was a major influence on Jane as this was a critical time she was maturing, yet she did not let him get in the way of her work. The work that was expected of her what always her top priority, Rochester was her second. “I believe he is of mine;—I am sure he is,—I feel akin to him,—I understand the language of his countenance and movements: though rank and wealth sever us widely, I have something in my brain and heart, in my blood and nerves, that assimilates me mentally to him” (Bronte 266). The relationship between Rochester and Jane was undeniable.
Bronte 's Jane Eyre transcends the genres of literature to depict the emotional and character development of its protagonist. Although no overall genre dominates the novel exclusively, the vivid use of setting contributes towards the portrayal of Bronte’s bildungsroman (Realisms, 92) and defines the protagonist’s struggles as she grapples with her inner-self, and the social expectations of her gender. The novel incorporates Jane’s frequent conflicts, oppression, isolation and self-examination as she defends her identity and independence. Set amongst five separate locations, Bronte’s skilful use of literal and metaphorical landscapes, nature, and imagery, skilfully intertwines with the plot and denotes each phrase of her maturity.
In Charlotte Bronte’s novel “Jane Eyre” Edward Fairfax Rochester plays a contributing role in Janes development and growth as a character and human being in the Victorian time period. Not only does he play a large role in her independency, but in her emotional and spiritual growth as well. She grows around him whether she likes it or not. Due to Edwards manipulative and seductive nature, jane has to grow and develop in a way that has her frequently questioning her own ideals, whether that be spiritually or morally, and strengthening her independence by constantly refusing her feelings for him and adapting to punishing situations. Edward also opens Janes eyes to a world that is bigger than she realized due to his company at the house, wealth, and opportunities at the favorable Thornfeild manor at which she was employed by him.
Unraveling the acclaimed novel definitely showcased how in the end “Love conquers all”. Truly, Jane Eyre will forever remain as a masterpiece of art due to its dynamic characters, insightful themes and exquisitely crafted sense of style and writing. Vibrant characters such as Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester and Mr. Brocklehurst definitely contributed to the relatability of the novel to its readers. Furthermore, it’s as if these characters were able to come to life due to the fact that they continue to embody certain individuals in our society today. With this, it further established excitement and appeal to its audience.
While the similarities in both plot and structure are obvious, the criticism that du Maurier moved “progressive social agenda of the original novel backwards rather than forward with the substitution of the fiery, passionate Jane for the meek and mild unnamed heroine” (Williams 51) is problematic when considering the differences du Maurier made even when she chose certain aspects and settings of Brontë’s work to incorporate in her own. The narrative of a young, unnamed female heroine, who in
We can claim that Rhys’s main aim was to remove Bertha from the character of the non-identified wife locked away in Thornfield, give her the proper soul and identity, inform about her childhood and youth, thus the reader will understand her state of mind in Jane Eyre and will not consider her only the insane Rochester’s wife, but as Antoinette Cosway. Obviously, Jean Rhys removed the cover of the mystery from the eerie, unhuman laugh and screams of the unknown character in Jane Eyre and showed their new, more rational and surprising origin. Moreover, Rhys enabled the reader to understand the reasons of Bertha’s madness and her hopeless condition and hoped her character will no more arouse the aversion, but sympathy and mercy. Evidently, the novel is narrated from
Topic: Marriage in “Jane Eyre” In “Jane Eyre” Charlotte Brontë rejects the traditional role of women subdued by social conceptions and masculine authority by generating an identity to her female character. Thesis: Jane´s personality will bring into being a new kind of marriage based on equality, meanwhile her choice for romantic fulfilment will depend solely on her autonomy and self-government. Introduction Charlotte Brontë´s “Jane Eyre” stands as a model of genuine literature due to the fact that it breaks all conventions and stereotypes and goes beyond the boundaries of common romance in order to obtain love, identity and equality. 1.