Gender Construction in Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre : A Comparison

Abstract: This essay analyses and compares gender construction in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. The focus is on the construction of the female and male gender of selected female and male characters. Using the knowledge that gender is highly dependent on the social and cultural environment and that family relations often impact gender, the aim of the essay is to examine if the two authors use similar methods to construct gender. Additionally, the aim is to analyse if the novels are critical towards Victorian gender norms. As feminist criticism specializes in gender analysis, this literary critical approach is used. Furthermore, additional information about the historical context was used to analyse and compare the novels. The comparison demonstrates that Emily Brontë and Charlotte Brontë mainly use the same methods to construct the female and male gender in their novels. It also illustrates that both novels are critical towards Victorian gender norms.