Gender Roles In Jane Eyre

Gender Roles In Jane Eyre

Occupations of the Men

Apothecary

Socialite

Businessman

Colonel

Clergyman

Missionary

"Providence has blessed my endeavors to secure a competency"

- John Eyre, Chapter 21, pg. 242

Nurse/Caretaker

Sophie

Grace Pool

Bessie

Physical and Behavioral Expectations of the Women

Heiress/Socialite

Behavioral

Blanche Ingram

Mrs. Reed

Lady Ingram

Miss Oliver

Amy Eshton

Behavioral

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel"

- Jane Eyre, Chapter 12

Georgiana Reed

Lady Lynn

Occupations of the Women

Mrs. Dent

Louisa Eshton

By Mimosa Thomas

Nun

A young Jane Eyre, played by Juliet Waley in the 1973 BBC mini-series, after her fight with John Reed.

"Part 1." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

Physical

Eliza Reed

Belittlement

Dependence and Servitude

"But then you see they are only servants, and one can't converse with them on terms of equality: one must keep them at due distance, for fear of losing one's authority."

-Mrs. Fairfax, Chapter 11, pg. 98

"A new servitude! There must be something in that," I soliloquised (mentally, be it understood; I did not talk aloud). "I know there is, because it does not sound too sweet; it is not like such words as Liberty, Excitement, Enjoyment: delightful sounds truly; but no more than sounds for me; and so hollow and fleeting that it is mere waste of time to listen to them. But Servitude! That must be a matter of fact.

- Jane Eyre, Chapter 10, pg.87

"You should hear mama on the chapter of governesses: Mary and I have had, I should think, a dozen at least in our day; half of them detestable and the rest ridiculous, and all incubi- where they not, mama?"

-Blanche Ingram, Chapter 17, pg.179

Blanche Ingram, played by Christina Cole in the 2006 BBC mini-series.

PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/janeeyre/whoswho/blanche.html>.

Behavioral

Boredom

Governess/Teacher

Miss Temple

Physical

Jane Eyre

"That they [women] ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex."

- Jane Eyre, Chapter 12, pg.111

Mary Rivers

Miss Smith

Miss Scatcherd

Madam Pierrot

Miss Miller

Diana Rivers

Maid/Housekeeper

Bertha Mason, played by Maria Schneider in the 1996 film adaptation.

"Episode #1.9946." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

Hannah

Mrs. Fairfax

Signet Classic cover to Jane Eyre.

"Tulkas Astaldo's Collections." Books Read in 2008. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.tulkastaldo.com/list/2008>.

Leah

Mary

Miss Abbot

Physical and Behavioral Expectations of the Men

Physical

Behavioral

"As if a man had any thing to do with beauty! As if loveliness were not the special prerogative of woman -her legitimate appanage and heritage! I grant an ugly woman is a blot on the fair face of creation; but as to the gentlemen, let them be solicitous to possess only strength and valor: let their motto be: -Hunt, shoot, and fight: the rest is not worth a fillip"

-Blanche Ingram, Chapter 17, pg. 182

Mr. Rochester, played by Tony Stephens in the 2006 BBC mini-series. "Jane Eyre." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780362/>.

Bibliography

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Penguin, 1997. Print.

"Charlotte Bronte: Biography." Biography.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/charlotte-bront%C3%AB-11919959>.

"Episode #1.9946." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331459/>.

"Ideals of Womenhood in Victorian Britain." BBC News. BBC, 10 Sept. 2008. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/victorian_britain/women_home/ideals_womanhood_01.shtml>.

"Jane Eyre." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780362/>.

"Part 1." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331713/>.

PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/janeeyre/whoswho/blanche.html>.

"Tulkas Astaldo's Collections." Books Read in 2008. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.tulkastaldo.com/list/2008>.

"WOMEN'S STATUS IN MID 19TH-CENTURY ENGLANDA BRIEF OVERVIEWby Helena Wojtczak." English Women's History. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/history/19/overview.htm>.