It may seem questionable to analyze the depiction of women in two novels, both classified as completely different genres from different time spans – “Jane Eyre” as the so-called “Bildungsroman” in England 1847 in contrast to “Christine” published in the USA 1983. Yet there are communalities concerning their writing elements that both utilize.
They have overlaps with the Gothic genre, using Gothic Fiction elements in their novels and in consequence, offer a great
opportunity to become objects of investigations for this term paper. Initially, I will give a brief overview on the subject matter of females being depicted in Gothic fiction. Then “Jane Eyre” will be put into context by shortly elaborating the women’s role in the Victorian Age to consider the historical and socio-economic aspects of the novel. Afterwards, I will conduct the text analysis and in the second main part I will work with the same structure on “Christine”. In the end, I intend to prove in the conclusion
that it is clear as bell how the two authors’ depiction of women differ although they both write Gothic novels.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Women in Gothic Fiction
3. Jane Eyre
3.1 Women in the Victorian Era
3.2 Text Analysis – Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre
4. Christine
4.1 Women in the U.S. during the 1980’s
4.2 Text Analysis – Stephen King’s Christine
5. Conclusion
Objective and Thematic Focus
This paper aims to investigate the depiction of female characters within the Gothic genre by conducting a comparative analysis of Charlotte Brontë’s "Jane Eyre" and Stephen King’s "Christine," focusing on how evolving societal roles and gender norms influence the portrayal of women in these disparate literary periods.
- Comparative analysis of Victorian vs. 1980s societal expectations for women.
- Examination of the Gothic elements used to define female protagonists.
- Critique of gender roles and the representation of women as "monsters" or "heroines."
- Analysis of authorship and literary tropes in classic and modern Gothic fiction.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Text Analysis – Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre
Jane is introduced as an orphaned girl that is constantly suppressed and disowned by her remaining family members but does not allow them to break her will, refusing to fit into the presupposed behavior pattern for example by refusing to call her cousin “master” (cf. Gymnich 2007: 77). Brontë describes Jane as passionate and uncontrolled, resulting in her aunt repeatedly calling her “madwoman” or “beast” (cf. 2007: 70) and eventually locking her up as punishment (cf. 2007: 21). Her aunt Mrs. Reed depicts the classic evil stepmother, loves her son over the top, is full of hatred without reason and later exposed as liar, remorseless of her mean-spirited behavior against Jane even on her deathbed (cf. 2007: 75).
After having finished school Jane remains there until Brontë once again emphasizes her protagonist’s extraordinariness by depicting her as an independent woman that intends not only to work for her living but also to widen her horizon while doing so (cf. Ambrose 2016: 29). Furthermore, Brontë illustrates a highly inappropriate relationship since according to the Victorian class system, Jane as a governess is forbidden to have romantic interests for her housemaster (cf. Gymnich 2007: 45) and even though she is described as an average governess, her master Rochester treats her special from the first meeting on (cf. 2007: 23). Throughout the novel it is obvious that Jane does not fit into the gender role of the Victorian Age since she is tremendously passionate and straight-forward concerning her emotions (cf. Gymnich 2007: 24) and by doing so rebels against both the gender role of women and the class distinction (cf. 2007: 51).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes the scope of the study, noting the unexpected commonalities between Brontë’s "Jane Eyre" and King’s "Christine" regarding their use of Gothic elements to portray women.
2. Women in Gothic Fiction: This chapter outlines the evolution of female representation in Gothic literature, highlighting the shift from the submissive "damsel in distress" to more modern, complex, and independent archetypes.
3. Jane Eyre: This section provides the historical context of the Victorian Era and analyzes Jane as a revolutionary, non-conforming protagonist who defies class and gender expectations.
4. Christine: This chapter examines the societal climate of the 1980s in the U.S. and analyzes how Stephen King uses the metaphor of a sentient car to depict female characters as either monstrous or superficial.
5. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, asserting that while both novels are Gothic, Brontë succeeds in creating a feminist protagonist, whereas King resorts to restrictive, stereotypical portrayals.
Keywords
Gothic Fiction, Charlotte Brontë, Stephen King, Jane Eyre, Christine, Feminism, Victorian Era, Gender Roles, Literary Analysis, Heroine, Femme Fatale, Patriarchy, Representation, Bildungsroman, Metaphor
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on comparing the portrayal of female characters in Charlotte Brontë’s "Jane Eyre" and Stephen King’s "Christine" within the framework of Gothic literature.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Central themes include the evolution of female representation in Gothic fiction, the influence of historical and social contexts (Victorian England vs. 1980s USA) on literature, and the subversion of gender roles.
What is the primary goal of the study?
The primary goal is to determine how both authors, despite their differences in era and genre, utilize Gothic elements to depict women and whether these depictions are stereotypical or progressive.
Which methodology is employed in the paper?
The author uses a qualitative textual analysis of both novels, contextualizing them through historical research on gender roles and previous academic discourse on the Gothic genre.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers the historical backgrounds of the respective authors' eras, a detailed analysis of Jane as an independent protagonist, and an examination of Christine as a metaphorical "monster" representing feminine tropes.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Gothic Fiction, Feminism, Victorian Era, Gender Roles, Literary Analysis, and the specific novel titles, Jane Eyre and Christine.
How does the author view Christine compared to Jane Eyre?
The author contrasts them, arguing that Jane represents a revolutionary and complex feminist figure, while Christine is seen as a stereotypical, objectified "monster" created by King.
Why is the 1980s social context relevant to King's novel?
The 1980s context is crucial because the rise of postfeminism and shifting attitudes toward sexual liberation and objectification directly inform how King portrays the female characters in his novel.
- Citar trabajo
- Talia Baskaya (Autor), 2018, Females Depicted in Gothic Fiction, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/513413
