In Conflict with Conformity : The Protagonist’s Struggle against Victorian Institutions and Gendered Behavioral Norms in Jane Eyre

Abstract:

This essay examines the theme of conformity in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre. It highlights in particular theprotagonist’s conflict with conformity as criticism of social inequality in terms of gender. The analysis builds on the patriarchal concept of the angel of the house, as described by Lois Tyson and Alastair Henry and Catharine Walker Bergström, which is a definition of the governing codes of behavior women of the nineteenth century were expected to follow within both the domestic and professional sphere. Specifically, these spheres are organized through significant Victorian institutions such as the household, the education and employment of women and the marriage. The behavior of Jane is discussed in relation to these institutions as a means to support the argument of the protagonist distancing herself from contemporary gender norms. The conclusion of the essay shows that Jane’s circumstances within these institutions leads to her deviation from behavioral norms as a deliberate action.