Heroine Movie
Stephanie Dejoode
When Charlotte Brontë set out to write the novel Jane Eyre, she was determined to create a main character who challenged the notion of the ideal Victorian woman, or as Brontë was once quoted: "a heroine as plain and as small as myself" (Gaskell, Chapter XV). Brontë's determination to portray a plain yet passionate young woman who defied the stereotype of the docile and domestic Victorian feminine ideal most likely developed from her own dissatisfaction with domestic duties and a Victorian culture that discouraged women from having literary aspirations. Through the following activities, students can learn the expectations and limitations placed on Victorian women. Contemplating Brontë's position and desire for literary achievement in that context, students will compare Jane Eyre to other literary heroines and discuss her social class in relation to other characters.
During an era when etiquette guides circulated freely, empire waists gave way to tiny-waisted corsets, and tea parties grew in popularity, it might seem incongruous that realistic novels would set the Victorian literary trend. Perhaps the socially conscious novel may have been a result of the belief of the rising middle class of Victorian England in the possibility for change, since they had witnessed such economic changes in their lifetimes. With works such as Charles Dickens' Hard Times, George Eliot's Middlemarch and Charlotte's Brontë's own sister Emily's Wuthering Heights featuring female characters that represented trapped and repressed Victorian women marrying for the wrong reasons, disillusioned with family life, and relying on their physical beauty, Jane Eyre serves as a breath of fresh air for women. Jane is a heroine battling the same societal limitations as her literary counterparts, but her raw narrative voice never fails to expose her Romantic sensibilities, psychological depth, and her adamant desire to stay true to herself.
Ask students to keep a reading log throughout their reading of Jane Eyre in which they document examples of how Jane's role as a heroine evolves in the novel. Students can keep Brontë's intentions for the character Jane and Rigby's criticisms of Jane in mind as they read and reflect on her development. Writing log entries will help students clarify their assessment of Jane's character. Encourage students to provide textual support when they agree with Jane's actions and attitudes, or when they agree with Rigby's assessment of Jane. Finally, in what ways does Jane conform to Victorian ideals and in what ways does she not conform?
Such flamboyantly chauvinist phrases were sufficient to launch the legend of Franklin, the wronged heroine. So too was Watson's insistence on judging Franklin by her appearance rather than by her performance as a scientist. (She was, when she came to King's from the French government laboratory where she had worked from 1947 to the end of 1950, a recognized expert on the structure of coals, carbons and disordered crystals, with many publications to her credit.)
Johnson, Supply Chain Manager for the International Trachoma Initiative, is an unsung heroine, because her efforts make a tremendous impact in every corner of the world, even though she and her team work primarily behind the scenes.
But Austen predisposes readers toward Jane and biases them against Fanny. She writes two similar heroines and contextualizes them differently to encourage her readers to judge individuals on the basis of character, instead of being unduly influenced by superficial attractions or the opinions of others. Fanny is less charming than Jane, yet proves more formidable, as she possesses superior judgement. Fanny maintains that habits of action are indicative of a wicked or honorable disposition and determine future behavior, while Jane wants to ignore the existence of evil in the world.
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