Characteristics of Success in Jane Eyre
Characteristics of Success in Jane Eyre
Can certain characteristics mold an event to help a character mature and furthermore succeed? In Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, difficult events in Jane Eyre’s life promote, rather than hinder, her success. Through her unique personality traits, which are far more advanced than the typical Marxist view of women in the Victorian era, Jane molds these fateful events to help her achieve success in her oppressive world. Marxism states that all societies contain economic bases and everything else around these bases is the social structure. Thus, the social structure, represented through artwork such as Jane Eyre, is dependent on the economic base and changes along with changes in the base. The hardships of the Victorian era are brought about by the divisions between the extremely poor and the extremely rich aristocracy, who represent the economic base of the society. Along with these economic hardships, the limitations placed upon women of the time create the social structure and furthermore the character Jane Eyre. Jane’s courage, boldness, and curiosity all help her succeed in the Victorian era.
First, Jane overcomes her hardship, as a poor orphaned female, through her uncommon courage, which helps her succeed over other women of her time. Jane talks to Georgiana, when Mrs. Reed comes to scold her for talking. “What would uncle Reed say to you, if he were alive?…My uncle Reed is in heaven, and can see all you do and think; and so can papa and mama: they know how you shut me up all day, and how you wish me dead” (27). Jane’s courage finally overcomes her fear of Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed is a god fearing woman, and when Jane informs her that God is watching, Mrs. Reed is fearful of her jealousy taking over, and more of these atrocious activities taking place, such as locking Jane in the Red Room. Mrs. Reed has no other choice than to rid herself of Jane. When Jane chastises Mrs. Reed it seals her fate of going to Lowood. Jane’s stay at Gateshead is imprisoning, and unhealthy. The shock of the red room almost killed Jane. Surely Jane would have never achieved emotional and physical success in such an environment. A women of the Victorian Era would have never disrespected a person of higher class. This went against the Marxist philosophy that the social structure of the time was created...