The Caregiver of Children, Essay Example

Throughout history, it is apparent that women have been assigned clear gender roles. Women are perceived as the caregiver of children and are typically expected to maintain the home, while men are considered to be the breadwinners of the family. Despite the equal importance that each of these roles have, men are seen are more important because their work more directly contributes to the ability of their families to remain clothed and well-fed. Therefore, men are given power, while women are forced to subdue to their will. Even though most historical literature reflects this normality, there are occasions in which women refuse to follow the roles that are imposed upon them. An excellent example of this occurs in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Jane is unable to accept her traditional role and constantly defies the odds that society imposes upon her. She tries hard to be an independent woman despite the challenges that are associated with this goal. Throughout the novel, Jane makes it clear that she is unconcerned with her gender or social class. She works hard to pursue an education in addition to the friendship of a nobleman, which ultimately, allows her to achieve happiness. If Jane had not been brave enough to pursue her desires, she would have lived the rest of her life miserable and dissatisfied with her choices. Being a woman in the world means that it is essential to take risks in order to achieve true happiness; men are able to accomplish their goals with significantly less effort.

Jane demonstrates her strong drive in the beginning of the story when she tells the reader of her childhood. She is orphaned as a young girl and later forced to attend a school far away from her home because there is no one left in the world who cares to tend to her needs. At the school, Jane does not feel that she fit in with everyone else. However, she is able to cope with this due to her love for learning. Unfortunately, Jane learns from a young age that she is not able to depend upon those around her for survival. Her parents cared for her, but they were unable to see her through her life. Her remaining family members abandoned her and brought her to a charity school. Her classmates were unwilling to connect with her because her personality appeared bizarre. Jane summarizes her school experience by explaining, “Already I had made visible progress: that very morning I had reached the head of my class; Miss Miller had praised me warmly; Miss Temple had smiled approbation; she had promised to teach me drawing, and to let me learn French…” (Brontë 1.8.1). This demonstrates that despite the troubles Jane has experienced in her past, she is able to find comfort in her books and in the counsel of some of her teachers, who appreciate her love for learning. She looks towards her female teachers as role models and is very happy for the support they give her.

It is important to consider the relevance of education to women. When Brontë published her novel in the 1850s, she was providing a social commentary on the status of women through the lens of her own experiences. Brontë, like Jane Eyre, viewed education as an escape from societal norms. Educated women were not required to marry because they were able to make their own living. Instead of being trapped in the confines of a house with children, education meant that one would be able to go on to get a job as a teacher or a governess. Furthermore, this type of position allowed women to travel to new locations to start life anew. Instead of being restrained by their families, they were able to remain single and make their own choices. This is an interesting notion because it appears that the decision to not tie oneself to a man was indicative of freedom during this time. For some women, this freedom is equated with happiness.

Jane Eyre’s decision to become a governess after graduating from her charity school program is indicative of this drive for freedom. Before this moment in time, she was never able to truly make her own choices. When her parents died, she was forced into the care of her uncle and aunt. When her uncle died, she was mistreated until a kind family friend was able to convince her aunt to send her away to the charity school. Jane didn’t have the ability to leave the school even though she was mistreated; she was still fed and given shelter although she didn’t believe that this was provided in adequate amounts. Instead, she made the best of her situation and used it to ensure that she would be able to learn as much as possible. Equipped with the power of knowledge, she was then ready to make the decision to leave her school and embark on a journey into the real world.

Jane found herself in a fortunate position; she was able to find a job as a governess almost immediately. Since doing so was contingent upon her ability to survive, she was fortunate for having accomplished this necessity. At this point in time, most women who were unable to find work were forced to succumb to a low level of life in order to survive. Many of these individuals worked in brothels or other equally demeaning jobs in order to ensure that they would eat. Therefore, Jane’s drive to pursue an education benefitted her greatly because she did not need to resort to such positions to assert her independence. During this period of time, a man, with or without an education, would have been easily able to find a job. Men were considered to be able to work more positions. Women, on the other hand, were eligible to become wives or members of a house staff. Therefore, it is apparent that being a woman was more challenging than being a man at this point in time. A man would not have been so easily disowned by his family, but a woman wasn’t seen to be much. Because Jane was considered to be expendable by a countless number of people, she was forced to work harder than most to ensure that she would be able to survive. In spite of the odds against her, Jane was constantly able to find herself in positions that would make her happy.

During her time in employment, Jane meets Mr. Rochester. After a series of strange events, the two become attracted to one another. When Mr. Rochester asks Jane for her hand in marriage, Jane thinks that it is a joke and says no. She is also somewhat offended by his mannerisms in doing so, and decides to seek employment elsewhere. This event is highly exemplary of European feminism. To an extent, it could be applied to American feminism today. Both movements are often concerned with supporting one’s own lifestyle independently of dependence on a man for support. Even though Jane was attracted to Mr. Rochester, she believed the move to be arrogant because a man of his class assumed that he would be able to win over a plain looking woman from her low social class quite easily. Jane is an individual that puts a high priority on her pride, so she needed to refuse the proposal. Furthermore, she was satisfied with her decision and was able to live a good portion of her life without thinking about Mr. Rochester again. Feminists understand that they are able to make their own choices in order to achieve happiness. Jane is exemplary of this because many women in her position would have agreed to the marriage to Mr. Rochester. However, she was afraid that this would hinder her further rights to choose, and she needed to deny this offer as a result.

Overall, Charlotte Brontë uses the character Jane Eyre to bring the plight of women to the reader’s attention. Even though this book was published in the 1850s, it is important to consider that Jane Eyre’s societal problems and need to fight against masculinity is indicative of many feminist movements that still exist today. Ultimately, women need to strive harder to achieve true happiness, while success simply befalls most men. Despite the fact that this novel discusses European normalities, it is important to consider that the presence of feminism has the potential to overturn male-centered ideas. Jane Eyre is shown to be a strong women and her journey allows us to understand that strength is necessary to help assert equal rights.

Works Cited

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London, England: Smith, 1847.