How Does Bronte Present Gender Issues In Jane Eyre

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In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, many different themes shape the fictional society in the novel. In the world that Jane Eyre live in, she has to not only face religion obligations, social status, but also gender issues. The fictional society’s standards confine Jane in all faces. First, for religion obligations, Charlotte Bronte introduces the different religious figures such as Mr. Brocklehurst, Helen Burns, and St. John. In the fictional society that Jane lives in, she has to find the right balance between mortal integrity and her own feelings. At Logwood institution, she faces hypocrisy of Mr. Brocklehurst who acts as though his orders will bring the students their salvation but in reality, it was purely humiliations and punishments. It gives the image that is how school was manage in the 18th century where the school directors lecture on being a good God’s…show more content…
Brocklehurst humiliates Jane as “a liar” and must be “shun...if necessary, avoid her company, exclude her from your sports, and shut her out of your converse” even though Mr. Brocklehurst doesn’t know Jane personally and only second-hand heard it. Helen Burns on the other hand, represents the picture of the New Testament where people should “return good for evil” and “love your enemies” which Jane feel was overbearing. The third example represents by St. John is the ambition and self-importance of Christianity. He urges Jane to give up herself and her feelings to serve as a missionary. His strong inserts of ownership views Jane as a submissive companion rather than an independent woman. His belief of religion is that people are formed for “labour, not love” and that feelings have no meaning in marriage or mortal life. Jane Eyre rejects all these models and finds her own balance to incorporate both religious duties and feelings into her life. An example is that Jane absolutely refused to marry Mr. Rochester while he is still technically married to Bertha Mason. She turns
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