English Literature of the Victorian Era and Charles Dickens's Works

Victorian Era

Ideological Shifts in the Late Victorian Novel

In the final decades of the Victorian era, there was a significant ideological shift that influenced the aesthetics of the novel. This period witnessed a transformation in several key areas, including:

• Point of View and Representation of Reality: The approach to storytelling evolved, reflecting changes in how reality was represented.
• Character Construction: The stable, consistent character typical of earlier narratives faced challenges both internally and externally, leading to a rethinking of how characters were depicted.
• Relationship with the Audience: The novel's relationship with its readers also changed, shaping their subjectivity according to middle -class Victorian norms.

Realism in Victorian Literature

Realism as a literary mode became prominent during the Victorian period, characterized by the following elements:

• Focus on Central Characters: Realist novels often centered on one or several main characters, emphasizing coherence and consistency in both form and character construction.
• Narrative Movement: When characters faced disruptions or inconsistencies due to desires or external events, the narrative typically reinstated order, often concluding with marriage or death.
• Moral Judgment and Conformity: Realist novels placed readers in a position of moral judgment, often encouraging conformity to middle -class ethics. The complex protagonist was molded into the ideal rational and virtuous individual, embodying the bourgeois values of the time.

The Victorian Family and Social Issues

The Victorian period was marked by significant social tensions and contradictions:

• Victorian Compromise and Double Standards:The era was characterized by a façade of propriety, hiding underlying social issues such as crime and moral hypocrisy.
• Sexual Discrimination and the "Woman Question": Women faced discrimination in various aspects of life, including politics, employment, education, and family life. Despite some progress, such as the establishment of Queen's College for Women (1848) and Bedford College (1849), women continued to struggle for equal rights.
• Prominent Figures and Movements: Notable figures like Florence Nightingale made significant contributions, especially in healthcare, while movements like the Association for the Promotion of the Employment of Women pushed for societal change. The Married Women's Property Acts (1882) and early petitions for women's suffrage in the 1840s laid the groundwork for future advancements.

The Bronte Sisters and the Female Gothic

The Bronte sisters, particularly Emily Bronte, played a crucial role in developing the Female Gothic genre, which became increasingly complex during the Victorian period:

• Themes of Entrapment and Self Definition: Female Gothic literature often explored the fear of entrapment within the domestic sphere and the female body, along with the quest for self definition.
• Juxtaposition of the Domestic and the Fantastic: This genre was characterized by the intersection of the mundane, domestic setting with elements of the fantastic or supernatural, turning the English home into a site of both shelter and threat.

Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights" (1847) is a prime example of Romantic and Gothic elements within this genre:

• Characters: Heathcliff, as a Byronic hero, and Catherine, who famously declares, "I am Heathcliff," represent the intense passions and psychological complexities typical of the Gothic genre.
• Setting: The contrast between the wild moors and the more civilized valleys reflects the novel's themes of conflict between nature and culture.
• Narrative Structure: The novel's dual narration adds layers of perspective, deepening the exploration of its characters' inner lives.

The Evolution of the Gothic Genre

The Female Gothic genre, initially dominated by women writers, evolved over time:

• Domestication and Psychologization: Gothic elements were increasingly set in everyday, domestic settings, focusing on middle -class society. This shift domesticated the Gothic, making it more relatable to contemporary readers.
• Appropriation by Male Writers: By the 1860s, male novelists like Wilkie Collins began to incorporate Gothic themes and devices, further broadening the genre's scope.

Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre (1847) - Overview

"Jane Eyre" is one of the most significant novels written by Charlotte Bronte, published in 1847. The novel is not just a romance; it is a profound exploration of the struggles between determination, self-respect, and the restrictive Victorian female ideal. The protagonist, Jane Eyre, challenges the norms of her time by asserting her own identity and moral beliefs.

Determination and Self-Respect vs. Victorian Female Ideal

Jane Eyre's journey is marked by her determination to maintain her self-respect in the face of societal expectations. Unlike the typical Victorian female ideal, which demanded passivity and submission, Jane is assertive, independent, and morally resolute. This tension is central to the narrative, where Jane continually fights for her own selfhood.

Jane's Point of View

The novel is narrated from Jane's perspective, allowing readers to delve deeply into her thoughts and emotions. Jane's inner life is depicted as a hidden interior space where conflicting energies reside. Her experiences at Gateshead, Lowood, and Thornfield are critical in shaping her character and moral outlook.

Significant Quotes

• Gateshead: "Say your prayers, Miss Eyre, when you are by yourself; for if you don't repent, something bad might be permitted to come down the chimney and fetch you away." This quote reflects the oppressive environment Jane faces as a child, and her struggle to find her own moral compass.
• Thornfield: "Unjust !- unjust!' said my reason, forced by the agonising stimulus into precocious though transitory power: and Resolve, equally wrought up, instigated some strange expedient to achieve escape from insupportable oppression-as running away, or, if that could not be effected, never eating or drinking more, and letting myself die."Here, Jane's internal conflict is laid bare, showcasing her fierce resolve against the injustices she faces.
• Gateshead: "I am not deceitful: if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed; and this book about the liar, you may give to your girl, Georgiana, for it is she who tells lies, and not I." Jane's boldness and honesty are evident in this confrontation, highlighting her refusal to conform to the expectations of others.

Education and Independence

Jane's education and her role as a governess are crucial to her development. She is determined to gain independence through her skills and intellect, rather than relying on the charity of others.

Life at Lowood

• Quote: "My plan in bringing up these girls is, not to accustom them to habits of luxury and indulgence, but to render them hardy, patient, self-denying." This statement reflects the harsh conditions at Lowood, where Jane learns resilience and self-discipline.
• Quote: "I tired of the routine of eight years in one afternoon. I desired liberty." Jane's yearning for freedom and a life beyond the confines of Lowood signifies her desire for self-determination.

Seeking Employment

• Quote: "A young lady accustomed to tuition (had I not been a teacher two years?) is desirous of meeting with a situation in a private family where the children are under fourteen (I thought that as I was barely eighteen, it would not do to undertake the guidance of pupils nearer my own age). She is qualified to teach the usual branches of a good English education, together with French, Drawing, and Music (in those days, reader, this now narrow catalogue of accomplishments, would have been held tolerably comprehensive). 'Address, J.E., Post-office, Lowton,-shire." This personal advertisement emphasizes Jane's qualifications and her proactive approach in seeking a position that would allow her to sustain herself.

Thornfield and Mrs. Fairfax

• Quote: "Mrs. Fairfax, Thornfield, near Millcote,-shire." The introduction of Thornfield marks a significant phase in Jane's life, where she meets Mr. Rochester and faces new moral dilemmas.

Bertha Mason and the Gothic Element

The character of Bertha Mason introduces a Gothic element to the novel, symbolizing the hidden, darker aspects of society and human nature. Bertha's presence at Thornfield is a constant reminder of the constraints and dangers that women like Jane face.

Connection to Jean Rhys' "Wide Sargasso Sea" (1966)

Jean Rhys' novel "Wide Sargasso Sea" serves as a prequel to "Jane Eyre," providing Bertha Mason's backstory. Rhys' work reinterprets the character of Bertha, offering a postcolonial perspective that challenges Brontë's portrayal and adds depth to the understanding of "Jane Eyre."

Panoramic View of Chapters 1, 2, and 7 of "Jane Eyre"

Chapter 1: The Reed Household at Gateshead

The novel begins with young Jane Eyre living at Gateshead, the home of her aunt, Mrs. Reed. Jane is an orphan, and her position in the Reed household is one of neglect and cruelty. She is physically and emotionally mistreated by her cousin John Reed and receives no protection from her aunt. This chapter sets the tone for Jane's early life, filled with feelings of injustice and alienation. The oppressive atmosphere of Gateshead is starkly depicted, emphasizing Jane's status as an outsider in her own family.

• Key Event: Jane is unjustly punished for defending herself against John Reed's bullying. She is sent to the "red-room," a place of fear and isolation, symbolizing her marginalization within the Reed family.

Chapter 2: The Red-Room and Jane's Rebellion

In this chapter, Jane is locked in the red-room as punishment, a traumatic experience that reinforces her sense of injustice. The red-room is a significant symbol in the novel, representing death, punishment, and Jane's emotional suffering. As Jane endures the isolation of the red-room, her thoughts reveal a fierce internal resistance to her unjust treatment. This experience marks the beginning of Jane's journey toward self-assertion and the development of her strong moral consciousness.

• Key Event: Jane's defiance grows as she contemplates the unfairness of her situation, leading to her first act of rebellion against the oppressive authority figures in her life.

Chapter 7: Life at Lowood School

By Chapter 7, Jane has been sent to Lowood School, a charity institution for orphaned girls. The conditions at Lowood are harsh, with severe discipline and inadequate provisions. Jane's time at Lowood is marked by hardship, but it is also where she begins to develop her intellect