"Angels and Madwomen"

Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, which challenges the rigid gender constructions of femininity and the Victorian societal constraints designed to keep women enclosed, ultimately re-inscribes some of those very conventions that the author defies. Brontë's novel examines the pervasive, repressive, and controlling ideology of the "angel in the house" through female characters who embody the construct as they subvert it. At Thornfield, Jane, along with a "range of fallen women," searches for the key to release them from the containment of their "metaphorical attics" (Logan 23). And yet, despite the novel's subversive nature, Brontë's narrative ultimately functions as a warning against female rage which the author communicates through the racially inscribed character of Bertha Mason. In the end, Brontë demonstrates that women's anger is very political and to be an angry woman in nineteenth-century England is next-door to insanity.

Appropriately, Brontë utilizes the metaphor of houses, rooms, and enclosures throughout the novel to symbolize the patriarchal structures within society that inhibit or negate the possibility of female liberty. For Jane "the fresh air and open countryside remain . . . symbols of personal freedom and independence" (Meyer 85). In the red room Jane learns that she is without a place in society--"No, you are less than a servant" (Brontë 6). The interior of the red room reflects coldness, despite the fiery colour. Not an angel but a "revolted slave" (Brontë 9) presides over this hearth; a hearth which has not warmed the room for quite some time. Jane quickly assesses that "no jail was ever more secure" (9). The author evokes a pervasive atmosphere of suffocation, the inability to breathe, or to only breathe dead air--for in this chamber where Mr. Reed "breathed his last" (8). Although much has been made of Jane Eyre's name, it bears repeating that both her ire (Gilbert and Gubar 349 ) and the need to breathe fresh air drive this young girl and prevent her from embodying the construct of the "angel in the house."

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Come Back to Accept the Reality----Get Together

Since Jane Eyre left Thornfield Hall, she goes to another place by herself. In that place, Jane found a teaching job with a kind man's help. Within caring by this kind man, Jane fits the environment of this small town. One day, this kind man shows his love to Jane and he hopes that she could stay with him. However, Jane couldn't forget Rochester, she still loved him. So she decided to go back to Thornfield Hall. Unfortunately, when Jane comes back to the gate of Thornfield Hall, Rochester’s servant saw her and told Jane that Rochester was blinded, and explain that in order to save his wife from the burning house, he was maimed for life. At this time, Jane found Rochester and went to him. She caught Rochester’s hands and said she would look after him forever. It is true love that makes Jane Eyre and Mr.Rochester get together.

A Madwoman in the Attics

A night before the wedding day, Jane and Mr. Rochester share a heart-to-heart. Suddenly, Jane Eyre finds that Mr. Rochester had a wife before 15 years and she still stays in his house. But, his wife has already been mad and it was Mr. Rochester who looked after her and arranged her for living with him. At this time, Mr. Rochester trys to calm Jane down and makes her believe him anyway. However, JaneEyre can not accept it and she thinks that Mr.Rochester's love can not be trusted and relied. Anyway, Jane understands Mr.Rochester's mood, she aslo wants to give Rochester a hand, but she has no ideas to deal with it expect leave him. Jane even complains and shouts to Mr.Rochester for vent her sorrows, but she still decides to leave him. Before the sun comes, Jane left the Thornfield Hall alone.

Falling in love----Vindicating
Within staying with Mr. Rochester, Jane found that she had already fallen in love with him. Although Mr. Rochester is a man with a warm heart despite a cold face outside, he has justness and he loves Jane Eyre as well. At first, both of them didn’t express their true heart to each other. In order to feel out Jane’s heart, Rochester asked a beautiful woman from his guests for acting his girlfriend in the party which was made in Mr. Rochester’s house. Jane Eyre saw the scene which a beauty and Mr. Rochester were affectionate by looking at each other. However, she still kept her noble quality while facing her rival in love. After the party, she couldn’t stand it any more and cried outside the house. Rochester followed her and found her. By this time, Mr. Rochester expressed his love, and then Jane Eyre understood why he did it that way, and finally they got together. Then they maintain their love very well, and in Jane Eyre’s eyes, her love need honest and equal treatment.

In the process

The next evening, Mr. Rochester sends for Jane to speak with him in the library, and she undergoes an odd sort of interview at his hands. His manner is still abrupt and rather harsh. He is about thirty-eight, dark haired and dark eyed, square of brow and strong of feature, and ruggedly athletic; however, he is not a handsome man, as Jane bluntly points out on one occasion. Although not handsome, Bronte's Rochester is in many points a classic Byronic hero: brooding and fiery, but also at times humorous and sardonic. Mr. Rochester's quirks of temper surprise Jane at first, although they do not discompose her; she is more comfortable with honesty and poor manners than she is among the hypocrisies and smoothnesses of polite society. As Mr. Rochester seeks out her company more frequently, she comes to understand and respect him, and the two become friends. Mr. Rochester eventually takes Jane into his confidence, and reveals that Adèle may be his daughter, although he disbelieves this to be the case; she is, however, the illegitimate daughter of a French opera dancer with whom Mr. Rochester once had a liaison.

Jane's New Life

At first, her life at Thornfield is quiet. Jane's only companions are her pupil, Adèle, the young French ward of the absent Mr. Rochester, and Mrs. Fairfax, a genteel elderly widow who is Mr. Rochester's housekeeper. But everything changes when Edward Rochester, the owner of the manor, arrives. The manner of their meeting is unusual: on a dark winter's afternoon, Jane takes a walk to the nearest village to post a letter. On the way, she is startled by a large hound appearing eerily out of the mist; at first Jane takes the dog for the spirit Gytrash, but soon realises no supernatural forces are at work when a horse and rider follow after. Spooked by Jane's sudden appearance, the horse slips on some ice, and the rider is thrown to the ground. Jane comes to his aid, and assists him to mount his horse again, since he has twisted his ankle. His manner is abrupt and curt; he inquires of her where she lives, and what her position at Thornfield is, then rides away. Returning from her walk, she sees the same hound, and is informed by the servants that Mr. Rochester has returned - the mysterious traveller.

Victorian Women

The degradation of the married woman in the Victorian era existed not only in that she was stripped of all her legal rights but also that no obligations were placed in her realm. Upon marriage, Victorian brides relinquished all rights to property and personal wealth to their husbands. The sexual conventions of the Victorian era left a legacy that haunts women to this day. While we have spousal rape laws in all states, obstacles remain for women who charge their husbands with forced sex. Some states place time constraints on the complainant. For example, in Illinois, "prosecution of a spouse . . . is barred unless the victim report[s] such offense . . . within 30 days.?Other states impose exceptions to their spousal rape provisions. In Tennessee rape or sexual battery of a spouse can be claimed only in cases where the offender is armed with a deadly weapon. In some states the prosecution of sexual acts, other than penetration, are precluded for spouses. For example, in Kansas, sexual battery is defined as "the intentional touching of the person of another . . . who is not the spouse of the offender?(National Center).The most common approach to implementing spousal rape laws was to simply eliminate the spousal exemption clause in states?existing rape laws. Legislators?greatest error was in failing to add language that would allow the prosecution of sexual battery in marriage.

Life's Remarks of the Orphanage

Remarks of the orphanage: a typhus epidemic sweeps through the school, worsened by the semi-starvation the pupils have been enduring. Many of the girls die, although Jane is unaffected. At the same time, Helen is dying of consumption, the fate that she accepts with an utterly calm and saintly attitude. After Helen's death and the Typhus epidemic, conditions at Lowood improve. This is due to an inquiry of why typhus fever struck Lowood that revealed Mr. Brocklehurst's uncaring ways. Jane slowly finds her place at the institution, eventually becoming a teacher, but when her mentor, Miss Temple, marries and moves away, Jane decides to leave. She is desperate to see the world beyond Lowood and, at the age of eighteen, places an advertisement in the newspaper. She soon secures a position as governess in Thornfield Hall.

Life in the Orphanage

For little Jane, she had no choice but stayed there. In the orphanage, Jane was always bullied by the teachers. She has never got the thing that she was alwaysexpecting for–being regard as a common person, just treated as the same as other girls around her. Not only did her behaviors were always limited by the teachers, but theyalso despised her, bullied her, disregarded her and insulted her. She lost freedom in the orphanage. However, she was not afraid about that, she cheered herself up and gave herself confidence to face her life. Within suffering the difficulties made from the teachers, Jane kept her studying and living.
Six years had gone, Jane became a strong and holy woman who has knowledge, inner quality and temperament. And then she spent the last two years on teaching as a teacher in there. At this time, she wanted to have her own life, so she left the orphanage and to find jobs by herself.

A Poor Girl

Jane Eyre's life is full of serious aspects which are presented into some important subjects, such as the relationships between men and women, women's equality, the treatment of children and of women, religious faith and religious hypocrisy, the realization of selfhood, and the true love. However, the most significant thought of Charlotte Bronte is the relationship between male and female is equal, which is not only the purpose of main character named Jane Eyre, but also the target of Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre is an ideal, indomitable, independent and brave woman. She has unbearable experience and extremely vehement self-esteem. When Jane Eyre was very young, her parents went off. As a result, she was sent to live with her aunt who is the only relative she has and she is also a selfish and cruel woman who treats Jane as badly as a ragtag. At the same time, Jane's cousins always play a trick on her or laugh at her. After a few time, the ruthless aunt sends Jane to an orphanage and to accept her education.

Introduction

Jane Eyre is a classic romance novel by Charlotte Bronte which was published in1847 in London. It is one of the most famous novel in the academic circles which also brings almost instant fame to its obscure author, and various invitations from all literary circles.
Charlotte Bronte is the daughter of Patrick Bronte, an Irishman and curate in Yorkshire. She was born in a poor family. Although she lived in a secluded town, she has a quick mind. The god gave her knowledge and encouraged her to have a positive attitude to face his life. In 1854, against much hesitation, Charlotte marries her father's curate, at his desire. A few months later, she is dead from complications and an illness, during pregnancy.Charlotte Bronte is both greatly admired, and harshly criticized by literary critics from her day to nowadays. Many critics accuses her of being overly emotional, rebellious, rage, blasphemousness, and passionate. Jane Eyre is a story about a special and unreserved woman who has been exposed to a despicable environment but continuously and fearlessly struggling for her ideal life. The story can be interpreted as a symbol of the independent spirit.