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The Reed Family

Jane Eyre

"You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen's children like us."

“And you ought not to think yourself on an equality with the Misses Reed and Master Reed, because Missis kindly allows you to be brought up with them. They will have a great deal of money, and you will have none: it is your place to be humble, and to try to make yourself agreeable to them.”

"Do you think because I am poor, obscure, plain, that I am soulless and heartless?" - Jane Eyre

Social Class

The struggles and the reality of social status is one of the most evident themes in Jane Eyre. Bronte captures the Victorian era's perspective on poverty and their strict social hierarchy. She argues that social class affects how one perceives and defines another person's value, characteristics, beauty, and ultimately decides fates as well.

  • Jane throughout the book is constantly experiencing hardships caused by her social position.
  • Jane soon realizes the harsh truth and gains a clear perspective on the reality that her social class is holding her back from what she really wants in life; Mr Rochester.
  • The Jane's conclusion when Rochester's decides to marry Blanche Ingram for her fortune but requests Jane to remain as his governess in Thornfield.
  • Expresses her insecurity of her social standing.
  • Evinces her ideas of the impoverished and how others see poverty as well. She associates heartlessness and lack of emotion to her low social class which discloses the fact that people often saw the working class as merely pawns they used to achieve glory.
  • Jane is inferior to the Reeds because of her keepsake as an orphan, and she was treated by them as if she was lower than their servants as a result.
  • The Reed family was a patriarchal household who treated the 14 year old John Reed as the master. From a young age Jane is constantly reminded about her disposition in life.
  • This shows how low the Reeds saw Jane. Because of the errors in their judgement, Jane develops severe insecurities regarding her social status.
  • This also discloses the fact that most families during the Victorian era looked down upon people who suffered under poverty.

Blanche Ingram

"according to the description given by Ms.Fairfax of Blanche Ingram 'Blanche and accomplished lady of rank'"

"portrait of a governess, disconnected, poor, and plain."

"a lovely face enough, and when compared with the real head in chalk, the contrast was great as self control could desire"

Jane Eyre

  • Blanche Ingram is a wealthy socialite who was intended to marry Rochester in the name of money.
  • Blanche represents the bad in the upper class and how Bronte perceives upper class women: dull, hypocritical, and materialistic.
  • Jane compares herself to Blanche and makes the mistake of painting with her finest tints and names her "an accomplished lady of the ranks," despite her rotten attitude to emphasize her own idea of the high class: perfection.
  • She remarks that Jane "looks too stupid for any game," which reflects, once again, how people of her class perceived the working class.

"Poverty looks grim to grown people; still more so to children: they have not much idea of industrious, working, respectable poverty; they think of the world only as connected with ragged clothes, scanty food, fireless grates, rude manners, and debasing vices: poverty for me was synonymous with degradation."

  • This is Jane's point of view on poverty when she is young.
  • She says that this is a down grade for her even though she had a horrible place to live.
  • This shows how much poverty was looked down on by the upper class.

Edward Rochester

"Surely, colonel, you would not encourage such a low impostor? Dismiss her, by all means, at once!"

  • When Rochester disguises himself as a gypsy he also strips himself away of all his privileges that come with his high class lifestyle.
  • He is even almost kicked out of his own house reveals how poorly his guests value his presence as a gypsy.

Conclusion

Social Class In Jane Eyre

During the Victorian era, social class was a big factor that people considered before associating themselves with others. Social status often shrouded people's judgement and was the main cause of misleading assumptions regarding one's identity. Jane Eyre is not simply a love story; it is about individuality as well. Bronte writes this novel with the purpose of breaking social class stereotypes, and to convey that there is more value in an individual than their place in society.

by: Isabella Liuterio, Kayo Kizaki, James Nguyen, & Steven Geminiano

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