When sing the problematic relevance/irrelevance of the survey of 19th century literature to pupils today, plants of the Victorian epoch, such as Charlotte Bronte s classical chef-d’oeuvre, Jane Eyre, can be used as an illustration. Jane Eyre contains such issues as faith, the function of adult females and morality during the Victorian Era. It is through the relevancy of these issues that one can judge the appropriate/inappropriate survey of 19th century literature in today s society.
Through the usage of her characters, Charlotte Bronte s fresh Jane Eyre, clearly demonstrates the 19th century s peoples sense of Christian responsibility. Such blind devotedness and religion in God is clearly apparent in about all of the characters in Jane Eyre. When comparing the importance of Christianity in the Victorian Era to that of today, it is obvious that faith in general has, non go less of import, but has become less a portion of a individuals daily routine. This is shown clearly in the undermentioned transition from the novel; The repast over, supplications were read by Miss Miller, and the categories filed off ( Bronte: Jane Eyre. Page: 36 ) .
This quotation mark from the fresh suggests that in the Victorian Era Christianity was non unlike a day-to-day job, observed every forenoon after breakfast and before the beginning of the twenty-four hours. In Jane Eyre it besides becomes obvious that Christianity is widely used in reproof of a individual or as penalty. God has gracefully given her the form that He has given to all of us; Who would believe that the Evil One had already found a retainer and agent in her? ( Bronte: P 56 ) . This address was addressed to Jane at Lowood where she experienced great shame and heartache. If something similar to this were to go on to person today it would about surely non do any drawn-out choler or agony and decidedly non exclusion from any societal circles, ( as was intended to be the instance with Jane ) . Therefore it is clear that faith doesn T play a major function in today s society as it did during the 19th century and the survey of it may look unsuitable.
In Jane Eyre it becomes obvious from the really start that adult females during the Victorian Era are anything but equal with their male opposite numbers. In 1966, R.B. Martin stated that Jane Eyre was the first major women’s rightist novel, although there is non a intimation in the book of any desire for political, legal, educational or even rational equality between the sexes ( R.B. Martin ) . Rather it expresses that the female characters in the novel merely want acknowledgment that both sexes are similar in bosom and spirit. This sentiment is rather obvious on page 223 when Jane explains what she thinks is equality; Do you think I am an zombi? A machine without feelings? Do you believe, because I am hapless, vague, field, and small, I am soulless and heartless? You think incorrect! it is my spirit that addresses your spirit and we stood at Gods pess, equal, – as we are! ( Bronte: P 223 ) . The fact that this statement was
a despairing supplication for equality suggests that in the 19th century equality between the sexes was far from being achieved. However this is decidedly non the instance in today s universe. The novels mention to the function of adult females surely is non applicable to society today, merely because equality between male and female has existed for some clip.
Another major issue nowadays in Jane Eyre is that of simple human morality. The characters in Jane Eyre face and run into assorted challenges throughout their functions in the novel. The manner these characters react and conduct themselves to these challenges gives the reader some penetration into the morality possessed by the mean individual during the 19th century. The clearest illustration of morality in the novel is in Janes find that Rochester has been lying to her, and that he already had a married woman and hence can non marry Jane. It was Jane s reaction to this, which shows the reader the deep presence of moral values in Jane; My hopes were all dead-struck with a elusive day of reckoning, such as, in one dark, fell on all the first-born in the land of Egypt. I looked on my precious wants, yesterday so blossoming and glowing, they lay stark, iciness, ashen cadavers that could ne’er resuscitate. I looked at my love: that experiencing which was my maestro s which he had created; it shivered in my bosom, like a agony kid in a cold cradle ( Bronte: P 261 ) .
It was this transition, showing perfectly no hope of her of all time get marrieding Rochester which clearly exemplifies Janes highly strong ethical motives. The moral issue involved was that Jane could ne’er wed Rochester when he was married to another. And for that ground Jane was prepared to waive adversity on herself in order to protect her moral values. Today, as was the instance in the 19th century many, if non all, of our Torahs are based on moral belief. For illustration, if the same scenario were to go on today, it would be dubbed criminal conversation, and shock many people that Rochester would even see get marrieding another. Therefore, Charlotte Bronte s novel, Jane Eyre, in conformity with the issue of morality relates to the modern universe and may be used for survey mention in that country.
When analyzing the relevance/irrelevance of the issues in Jane Eyre it seems that the survey of the novel in a high school course of study seems a waste of clip and on a big portion irrelevant. However when seeking deeper and believing more loosely one begins to gain that nevertheless different the issues are in the novel in relation to modern society, it is in fact the survey of such issues which should decidedly be studied. Through Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre, and other Victorian Era writers, pupils can analyze the yesteryear of societal alteration and cognize what they may be witnessing in the old ages of societal alteration to come. Therefore it is non the relation of issues in novels such as Jane Eyre to the issues today, but the survey of the immense alteration which has taken topographic point. Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre, is decidedly worthy of attending and survey in school course of study.
