JANE EYRE Jane Eyre A Victorian novel a

JANE EYRE

Jane Eyre • A Victorian novel: a woman’s quest for love and her search for identity • Established a platform for feminist writing in the nineteenth century. • Deals with topics of: • Heroism • Dreams • Women’s studies • Social standing

Jane Eyre • Though written during the Victorian Age, Jane Eyre exemplifies many qualities of Romantic literature. • Supernatural elements, emotional connections, individual journeys, idealistic attitudes • Gothic elements also: • Dreary settings • Brooding male protagonist

Jane Eyre • A challenging read • Rich narrative and vocabulary • Universal themes include: • Suffering through social class prejudice • Exhibiting loyalty to those we love • Longing for family • Appreciating gender issues • Surviving a difficult childhood

Jane Eyre • Victorian Age – 1833 -1901 • Named in connection with the reign of Queen Victoria • Social, political, and historical influences permeated the literature of the time period • At the forefront: the ever-changing role of women • 1840 s: petitions began for the advocation of women’s suffrage • 1882: The Married Women’s Property Act – secured women’s rights to maintain property after marriage

Jane Eyre • Victorian Age – 1833 -1901 • The Industrial Revolution opened doors for lower class women to take jobs in factories • Paid low wages • Offered terrible working conditions

Jane Eyre • The Victorian Age brought an increase in literacy, and reading novels became a popular pastime • The typical Victorian novel was directly connected to issues and concerns of contemporary society. • Authors strove to create realistic views of nineteenth century living • Stories were often published in serial form; readers anxiously awaited the monthly installments of single chapters • Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, William Mackepeace Thackery, Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy were popular authors

Jane Eyre UEQ • How does Jane Eyre reflect the tenets of both Gothic Literature and the Victorian Era; its society and its literature? LEQ – Chapter 1 • The violent fight between John and Jane in the opening chapter sets up one of the novel’s main themes: gender relations. What does Jane’s reaction to John tell us about her? Does her reaction contrast with what would be expected of females at the time?