In 1837 critic Robert Southey wrote to Charlotte Bronte,
'Literature cannot be the business of a woman's life, and it
ought not to be. The more she is engaged in her proper duties,
the less leisure will she have for it, even as an accomplishment
and a recreation,' (Gaskell 102). This opinion was not held by
only one person, but by many. Indeed, it is this attitude, one
that debases women and their abilities, to which Charlotte Bronte
responds with Jane Eyre. The purpose of Jane Eyre, not only the
novel, but also the character herself as a cultural heroine, is
to transform a primeval society, one which devalues women and
their contributions, into a nobler order of civilization (Craig
57). The effectiveness of Bronte's argument is due to both her
motivation and approach. Bronte found her motivation from the
experiences she had undergone while living in the Victorian era.
English: Title page, first edition, en:Jane Eyre.
English: North Lees Hall, Hathersage. Charlotte Br...
English: North Lees Hall and out buildings Otherwi...Her approach in advocating social reform is to establish Jane as
a model for readers. Readers are meant to examine Jane's life,
especially the manner in which she handles problems or
confrontations in her relationships, and to follow her example in
their own lives. Just as we see Jane as a model of a woman
successful in asserting her self-worth, we are also given a
warning about the possible outcome of failure to realize self-
worth in Bertha Rochester. This facet will also be discussed
briefly. Bronte uses the motivation of personal experiences to
create the life of Jane Eyre in which we see the quest for social
betterment through her relationships.
Bronte herself experienced the social limitations of the
nineteenth century. At this time 'respectable women had few
options in life beyond marriage, education of children, and
domestic service,' (Magill 747). She ventured to explore her own
literary abilities...