Wherever you let your eye travel these days you come across sexuality and nakedness. Three beautiful women are nakedly smiling at you from a huge advertising poster for a solarium, in the advert break on TV a woman tears an attractive man’s clothes because she is mesmerized by his new scent, and in the phone book you can even find a voucher which guarantees you a bottle of champagne for free if you book a one hour-service in a certain brothel . Sexuality, and along with it desire and lust are accepted that much that they indeed build the base for a huge manufacturing branch.
Of course, this has not always been the case. Sensuality and passion have been fought and punished in earlier times. During the Victorian era for example they have even been seen as dangerous and attacking the mental as well as the physical health. When in 1847 Charlotte Brontë’s successful novel Jane Eyre was published, it caused riot and rage because of how the topic “sexuality” was dealt with.
In this paper I am going to explain the Victorian beliefs and notions regarding this topic. Furthermore I am going to reveal the attitude of the characters Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester and Bertha Mason towards sexuality. Before though, I will give a short biography of Charlotte Brontë, to depict how her own attitude differed from the social conventions and expectations of her time.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Sexuality in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre
2.1 Charlotte Brontë – A Short Biography
2.2 Bertha Mason – “The Madwoman in the Attic”
2.3 Jane Eyre – “A Heterogeneous Thing”
2.4 Edward Rochester – “A Spiritual Transformation”
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the depiction and perception of sexuality in Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre against the backdrop of Victorian social norms. It analyzes how the author challenges these conventions and explores the attitudes of the primary characters—Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester, and Bertha Mason—toward desire, passion, and societal expectations.
- Victorian beliefs regarding sexuality and morality
- The characterization of Bertha Mason as a manifestation of uncontrolled desire
- Jane Eyre's internal struggle between rational self-control and passionate longing
- Edward Rochester’s transformation and his evolving view of human connection
- The intersection of female autonomy, social identity, and sexual suppression
Excerpt from the Book
2.2 Bertha Mason – “The Madwoman In The Attic”
Bertha Mason is Edward Rochester’s wife, whom he married fifteen years ago and who has turned out to be mentally ill, a “maniac”11, as Rochester calls her. When her sickness was detected she was shut up on the third storey of Thornfield Hall and has lived there for many years now, under the care of Grace Pool. Rochester did not tell anybody except Grace Poole about Bertha, but kept her hidden. Sometimes, when Mrs. Poole has drunk too much, Bertha manages to get out of her prison-like accommodation. She then attacks the people in her environment, including Jane and Rochester.
Bertha embodies female desire, which was seen as barbarian and dangerous in Victorian times. “[Women] as […] sexualised creature[s] [were seen as] liable to outbreaks of insanity”12. This point of view is depicted in Bertha becoming insane as soon as she gives in lust and passion. In being the daughter of a Creole and a colonial planter from Jamaica, and thus being neither English nor middle-class, Bertha also automatically lacks “civilized qualities”13. “Her mother […] was already an imprisoned lunatic”14, and this negative genetic predisposition as well as Bertha’s untameable, “at once coarse and trite, perverse and imbecile, […] violent and unreasonable temper”15 inevitably led to her depravity and madness16. “[She] is merely the full flowering of the flagrant, depraved sexuality which the upper-class male fears exists not only in the females of exotic races but also amongst the ranks of respectable English ladies”17.
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical contrast between modern views on sexuality and the strict Victorian perspective, setting the stage for an analysis of how Jane Eyre addresses these themes.
2. Sexuality in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre: Explores the main characters' relationships with sexuality, highlighting the tension between personal desire and the rigid social expectations of the 19th century.
2.1 Charlotte Brontë – A Short Biography: Details the life of the author, focusing on her experiences in education and private service to contextualize her departure from social conventions.
2.2 Bertha Mason – “The Madwoman in the Attic”: Analyzes Bertha as the embodiment of "uncivilized" and dangerous female desire, whose confinement reflects Victorian fears of female passion.
2.3 Jane Eyre – “A Heterogeneous Thing”: Examines Jane's personal development, focusing on her struggle to maintain independence and moral integrity while suppressing her innate passionate nature.
2.4 Edward Rochester – “A Spiritual Transformation”: Tracks the evolution of Rochester from a demanding master to a humbled partner who learns to value the spiritual connection over physical possession.
3. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis, arguing that the novel was a ground-breaking critique of the denial of women’s sexuality in literature and society.
Keywords
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë, Victorian era, Sexuality, Female desire, Bertha Mason, Edward Rochester, Social conventions, Morality, Feminism, Passion, Rationality, Autonomy, Identity, Literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the complex relationship between sexuality and social morality in the Victorian era as depicted in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.
Which thematic areas does the author emphasize?
Key areas include the role of the "madwoman" archetype, the conflict between individual desire and social duty, and the evolution of sexual politics through the characters' journeys.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to reveal how the characters Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester, and Bertha Mason exemplify different responses to the strict social expectations regarding sexuality in the 19th century.
Which scientific method is utilized in this analysis?
The paper employs a literary-analytical approach, incorporating biographical context of the author and secondary feminist-critical discourse on Victorian psychology and social structures.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the life of Charlotte Brontë, the symbolism of Bertha Mason as a manifestation of "depraved" passion, Jane’s internal conflict regarding her own sexual nature, and the spiritual evolution of Edward Rochester.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Significant keywords include Victorian literature, sexuality, female autonomy, moral integrity, and social rebellion.
How does the author interpret Bertha Mason's role in the novel?
The author views Bertha not merely as a villain, but as a symbolic projection of the "dangerous" female desire that Victorian society sought to suppress and hide from view.
What impact did Rochester’s maiming have on his relationship with Jane?
According to the text, his physical injury serves as a punishment for his past life and fundamentally shifts his relationship with Jane from one of physical mastery to a "spiritual realm of desire."
- Citar trabajo
- Julia Balogh (Autor), 2005, Sexuality in Charlotte Brontë’s "Jane Eyre", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/178399
