Jane Eyre: The Feminine Subtext

The Feminine Subtext

Jane Eyre written during 1847
setting era: 1820s?
Charlotte Brontë --> born 1816 --> April 21
nom de plume/pseudonym: "Currer Bell"

• Charlotte Brontë:
• not a very happy childhood
• highly intelligent --> precocious, self-taught
• Tempered, gutsy
• Father Patrick (Changed familiy name from Brunty to Brontë): minister, Anglican --> way North, desolate territory
• writer, didn't do too well
• Wife, Maria Branwell, died after 6 children were born (5 girls, 1 boy)
• Patrick had to raise children in the parsonage (front yard = churchayard)
• 2 daughters died young (Maria, Elizabeth)
• Siblings (Emily, Anne, Branwell) & Charlotte = Brilliant
• Read a lot
• wrote novels as games; plays: child-version of Shakespeare --> acted out for neighborhood children
• Morgan Library = original packets
• Father died = 1861
• Children had no formal education, but were still well-educated
• teachers
• writing professionally --> all took penname "Bell"
• Emily = Wuthering Heights
• Charlotte married very late in life: June 1854
• to Arthur Bell Nichills
• Died March 31, 1855 (w/ unborn child)
• Age 38: short, unhappy life; scarred from disease/skin disorder

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Women write & speak differently than men.
--> more empathetic (quite unconsciously)

Description of the suffering: sublimation
opening scenes:
Brontë's Jane Eyre: sent to room
Dickens's Great Expectations: threatened to be killed

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• Bewick's History of British Birds
• extremely handmade
• book of paintings
• Autobahn's Birds: San Mateo Library
• Gulliver's Travels --> Jane feels trpped (Lilliputians)
• Ancient Roman Emperors --> like John Reed.
• Nero: let Rome be burned
• Caligula: planted people in sand w/ heads up; then played polo
• Jane has a classical education
• Eliza, John, Georgiana --> English queens & kings (Elizabeth, John, George)
• Mother thinks them to be little royalty.