The Nineteenth Century Novel
The English novel in the 19th century became the leading literary genre in English
Literature. The thirties and the forties of the 19th century saw the rise of the social novel,
also known as social problem novel. This was in many ways a reaction to industrialization
and a reaction to the social, political, and economic issues associated with it particularly the
suffering of the poor class who were not by any means profiting from England's prosperity.
A great number of novels were written tackling the struggles of the poor and their
endless sufferings from the corrupted power of the rich who were living in their own world
of richness, luxury, and fashion and not paying the least attention to the conflicts of the poor
class. Such novels were also directed to both the upper class and the middle-class people to
help create sympathy and promote change.
The nineteenth century, moreover, witnessed an increase in the number of women
novelists who have managed to attain tremendous success using at the beginning of their
writing career masculine names.
One of the most significant novelists in the 19th century is Charlotte Bronte, her
novel "Jane Eyre" is regarded as one of the classics of English Literature.
To a big number of critics, "Jane Eyre" is highly looked at as a literary revolution
through which Charlotte Bronte succeeded for the first time in English fiction to touch the
soul of a woman cramped by loneliness, poverty, and social insignificance but supported by
a consciousness of her intelligence, her true gentility, and a dynamic force of a superior
spirit.
Charlotte Bronte
Charlotte Bronte is one of the most famous English novelists in the nineteenth century.
She wrote few novels; among them is ’Jane Eyre' that achieved outstanding success. As a
novelist, she is greatly influenced by the famous romantic poets like William Wordsworth,
Lord Byron, and Scott. In fact, her novels clearly reflect those romantic influences particularly
'Jane Eyre' which is an Intensely romantic novel quite distinguished by its passionate style and
impressive heartfelt dialogues between the characters.
Charlotte Bronte occupies a high rank among her contemporaries. Her novels actually
reflect her genius as a novelist and her excellent detailed depiction of human character. Her
romanticism is characterized by being the writer's animating force and a romanticism of
individual passion. In Bronte's novels, passion is strongly connected with her heroes and
heroine’s firm religious upbringing as well as their social and moral principles.
Charlotte Bronte is regarded as being the pioneer of the novel of emancipation. She is
considered by many critics as a revolutionary novelist who has revolted against a number of
social and moral issues that were very common in the 19th century English society. That is to
say, she has rebelled against her society's shortcomings and drawbacks such as formalism,
poverty, cruelty, harshness, and hypocrisy.
Hence, she is seen by many critics as a revolutionary writer who has accomplished what
could be called a literary revolution In the English novel. It is noteworthy to state that 'Jane
Eyre' is more or less Charlotte Bronte's autobiography in which she has displayed true and
sincere emotions and sentiments of a woman who values and appreciates the name of love.
Indeed, 'Jane Eyre' is not an exercise of the mind but a cry of the heart; a cry of the soul
of a woman who has with so much difficulty sought her self-identity and with great success
has managed to reveal her inner self and to explore the depth of both her character and her
genuine sentiments.
Jane Eyre 1
Jane Eyre, an orphan girl, lives with her aunt Mrs. Reed and her three children. Her
uncle Mr. Reed died leaving Jane under the care and protection of his cruel and malicious wife
Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed hates Jane and mistreats her and allows her three children to make fun
of her and beat her all the time particularly her son John Reed who finds great pleasure in
beating Jane terribly day and night causing her much suffering and pain.
Mrs. Reed never misses a chance to show Jane how cruel and harsh she is by punishing
Jane and locking her up in a dark room for long hours where Jane as a little innocent child
believes that the ghost of her late uncle might come and frighten her.
On one of those nights in the dark room where Jane is kept all night long with nothing
to eat or to drink, she passes out and lies unconscious on the floor for many hours. A doctor is
sent for her who later advises Mrs. Reed that Jane should be sent to school especially after
hearing from Jane that everybody in the house is mercilessly treating her. He thought to himself
that it would be safer for Jane to get away from this miserable condition and go to a boarding
school.
Mrs. Reed thinking that this is the best solution to get rid of Jane for good quickly sends
for Mr. Brocklehurst, a clergyman and a manager of a charity boarding school called "Lowood
Institution." Mr. Brocklehurst receives wrong information about Jane from Mrs. Reed as being
a deceitful child who lies all the time to everyone and deceives all people around her.
Thus, Mr. Brocklehurst has instructed the teachers at Lowood to be very strict with her
and to deal with her in a sharp harsh manner as she is a cunning little devil.
One of the most impressive scenes in this part is the confrontation scene between Jane
and Mrs. Reed when the latter falsely accuses her of being a liar and a deceitful child. Jane
gathers her strength and confronts Mrs. Reed with so much pain and power in her words telling
her that she, Mrs. Reed, is the worst woman on earth and the most deceitful and vicious creature
she has ever met in her life. Jane has also told her that she is so happy that she is leaving her
for good and will never have to see her again in her life.
This confrontation scene is one of the most significant scenes in the novel in which Jane
successfully faces her two worst foes: her anger and her fury. She has also released her negative
feelings for her aunt once and for all. In this scene, Jane turns her back on her miserable
childhood and starts afresh in a far better place away from cruelty and injustice.
Jane shortly afterwards joins the school and is stunned by the severe system of
education there, the strict rules that students have to follow, and the unjust treatment they might
receive from some of the teachers.
Moreover, Jane has with great difficulty managed to cope with some deficiencies at the
school such as the shortage of food and other important provisions that any school might be in
need of. Such massive deficiencies are the outcomes of the manager's own directions who has
made it a rule in the school that students should be trained to lead a life of austerity and not to
develop habits of too much eating.
Helen Burns, Jane's schoolmate has become her best friend at Lowood together with
Miss Temple, the school supervisor, they have both helped, encouraged, and supported Jane
on both the moral and the physical levels. Helen Burns plays a significant role in changing
Jane's perspectives towards certain moral and spiritual issues in life.
In this part, Charlotte succeeds to draw the reader's attention to a number of social
drawbacks found in charity schools whose students are mistreated physically and morally.
Therefore, Bronte has wittily highlighted and satirized the social drawbacks and defects of the
poor system of education at her time.
Jane Eyre 2
At Lowood, Jane managed to win the love of her schoolmates as well as some of her
teachers when, all of a sudden, Mr. Brocklehurst decides to pay the school a short and quick
visit to check if the superintendence of the school and the teachers are complying with his
instructions. On learning that everybody is abiding by his rules, he felt quite satisfied, however,
his eyes fell suddenly on Jane and he abruptly remembered Mrs. Reed, her benefactress, and
he recalled her untrue and unjust accusations when she falsely accused Jane of being a deceitful
child and a liar.
Thus, he calls for Jane and asks her to stand on a stool for half an hour before everybody
in the school, demanding that they should watch her carefully and guard against her and avoid
her company. He ordered Jane to stand for half an hour on that chair putting her under much
stress and humiliation as a sort of punishment for her sinful nature and her so-called ingratitude
for Mrs. Reed, her benefactress.
Few hours later, Jane is approached by Helen Burns who had comforted and helped
Jane by telling her that nobody believes anything from what Mr. Brocklehurst says, as everyone
knows that he is a cheater and a liar and never tells the truth about anything or anyone he
knows.
Helen Burns pushes Jane forward and asks her to proceed with her studies and disregard
Mr. Brocklehurst's comments. Helen Burns makes it clear to Jane that she should never feel
unhappy as long as her own conscience approves of her deeds.
Miss Temple, the school supervisor, a nice, decent and wise young woman, is very
much loved and respected by all the students, she is also Jane's and Helen's good and
trustworthy friend. Jane confides in her and relates to her the tragic story of her childhood and
the ill-treatment she has received from Mrs. Reed.
On hearing that Jane has previously spoken to Mr. Lloyd, the doctor who has advised
her to go to school, Miss Temple writes a letter to him to get some definite information about
Jane Eyre. Few weeks later, she got a letter from him affirming Jane’s innocence from the false
accusations set against her by Mrs. Reed.
Consequently, Miss Temple calls for a students' and a teachers' meeting to clear Jane
of all the charges that have been leveled against her by Mr. Brocklehurst who had relied on
Mrs. Reed's information which have turned to be false and untrue. Therefore, Jane has quickly
regained her schoolmates’ love and care and her teachers' appreciation and respect.
Few months later, the school was attacked by a serious disease due to lack of proper
nutrition and medication. Most of the students fell sick and later a big number of them died. In
this part, the writer is still satirizing and attacking the social deficiencies of the poor system of
education at charitable schools at that time.
Helen Burns was healthwise1 deteriorating as she was suffering from consumption. She
knew that she was dying and gladly welcomed death. With her death, Jane lost a good loving
caring friend who had greatly affected Jane's spiritual life in so many ways.
Jane has now completed eight years in the school, she has been a pupil for six years and
a teacher for two years. She has a strong desire to get out of the school and face the outer world.
In other words, she wants to experience liberty and freedom. She aspires to serve and be made
useful elsewhere.
She decides to advertise for her teaching qualities in a local newspaper. Few weeks
later, she receives a letter from a woman with the name Mrs. Fairfax asking her if she would
accept the job of a governess for a little French girl, and if so, she would be very much obliged
if she would present herself at Thornfield in a matter of few days. Jane is so thrilled and excited
about the job and is quite enthusiastic to begin a new phase in her life.
1 Healthwise: With regard to health
Jane Eyre 3
Jane Eyre, travelled to Thornfield where she met Mrs. Fairfax, the house keeper of
Thornfield. She told Jane that she would be the governess for a little French-speaking girl with
the name Adele who is not Mr. Rochester's daughter but his ward.
Jane liked Thornfield quite a lot, the place and the beautiful scenery surrounding it. She
has learned from Mrs. Fairfax that Mr. Rochester rarely visits Thornfield as he spends most of
his time in London. He is introduced to the reader as a fair-minded and a liberal landlord.
Everything goes perfectly well for Jane at her new place except for the fact that every
now and then she hears a strange hysteric laughter coming from the upstairs attic. She has often
been curious to know the reason behind this odd laughter that has scared her so many times.
Jane meets Mr. Rochester accidentally in the woods, but, is later introduced to him as
the real owner of Thornfield. A strong friendship grew between both Jane and Mr. Rochester
in which the latter felt quite attracted to Jane. He found out that Jane is not like any other
woman he had previously known in his life. In other words, Jane is entirely different from any
other fashionable women of the upper-class English society.
Charlotte Bronte is once again criticizing the social drawbacks of the fashionable upper-
class women of the London society. She has got far better qualities than any other women of
the fashionable world of the English society. That is to say, Jane's simplicity, naivety,
innocence, purity, and decency were the qualities that attracted Mr. Rochester to her.
Jane once heard quiet footsteps by her bedroom door. To her astonishment, she found
a strange woman trying to set fire on Mr. Rochester's bedroom; the fire was extinguished by
Jane who successfully managed to save the life of Mr. Rochester.
Jane Eyre 4
Mr. Rochester leaves Thornfield to join a group of friends of the fashionable upper class
English society. Jane had fallen deeply in love with Mr. Rochester despite the difference of age
between them. She feels very unhappy during his absence from Thornfield. She also feels quite
tortured on hearing that Mr. Rochester is very likely to marry Miss Blanche Ingram, a
fashionable upper-class lady of the London society.
Jane is considering leaving Thornfield and finding another job if Mr. Rochester marries
Miss Ingram, though she could not stop loving him. Jane believes that Mr. Rochester is the
most attractive man she has ever seen and all her thoughts apart from her duties are centered
round him.
A stranger called Mr. Mason arrives at Thornfield to meet Mr. Rochester but Mr.
Rochester is not at home. But when he arrives, he shows some signs of discomfort upon
learning that Mr. Mason is at Thornfield for a short visit.
Mr. Mason is being attacked and badly injured after paying a short visit to a woman
living up in the third storey2 and who is under the care and protection of a servant named Grace
Poole.
Mr. Mason leaves Thornfield with a surgeon who takes him to his own house until he
gets better and is able to go back home. Mr. Rochester ignores Jane's questions regarding what
had happened to Mr. Mason.
Jane receives a letter from her cousins informing her that Mrs. Reed is dying and wishes
to see her. Jane leaves Thornfield and goes to see her dying aunt who cruelly informs Jane that
she never liked her and that she has called her to reveal a secret that she has kept hidden from
her for many years.
Mrs. Reed informs Jane that her uncle John Eyre had once written inquiring about Jane's
whereabouts3 and where he could possibly find her as he wishes that Jane would come and live
with him in Madeira as he is childless and wants to leave Jane all his property after his death.
Nonetheless, Mrs. Reed writes back to him informing him that Jane Eyre has long been
dead. She has died at her school along with other children after the school has been attacked
by a serious disease. Mrs. Reed tells Jane that she has kept this a secret as a sort of getting her
2 Storey (UK) or story (US: any level part of a building with a floor that could be used by people.
3 Whereabouts: the place where a person or thing
revenge on Jane and for the fact that she did not want Jane to inherit a large amount of money
and become a rich woman. Mrs. Reed dies without feeling the least repentant over her cruelty
and injustice to Jane.
Jane returns to Thornfield and Mr. Rochester uncovers his true sincere feelings and
affection to Jane. He proposes to marry her and she, thinking that he is playing with her
emotions and that he is not at all serious, finds it hard to believe him at the very beginning, but
later when he informs her that he is truly serious about his affection and compassion for her,
she warmly accepts his proposal of marriage.
Jane Eyre 5
Jane agrees to marry Mr. Rochester but their marriage is interrupted at church by a
lawyer who accuses Mr. Rochester of bigamy for he has a wife who is living at Thornfield.
However, Mr. Rochester did not deny that accusation and took the lawyer, the clergyman, and
Mr. Mason (who has arrived at the church to stop the wedding as the woman Mr. Rochester is
married to is his sister Bertha) to his house and showed them his lunatic wife.
Mr. Rochester tells Jane the real story of his wife and that he had been betrayed and
lured into marrying a mad woman whom he had later discovered her true character and the fact
that she comes from a lunatic family carrying the disease for 3 generations.
Jane refuses to stay at Thornfield and become Rochester's mistress. Her conscience
does not permit her to remain with him as his mistress. She runs away from Thornfield, on one
night, heading for precisely nowhere experiencing a miserable state of being homeless,
penniless and lonely for few days.
Few days later, Jane arrives at the house of a clergyman whose name is St. John Rivers
and who lives in that house with his two sisters Diana and Mary. Jane was offered to stay at
their house until she gets better. She was physically weak and in a very poor condition for being
hungry and thirsty. Jane was offered food and shelter in their home.
Jane gets well and feels so much better. St. John Rivers discovers Jane's talents for
teaching and drawing. She works as a teacher at a school established by St. John Rivers for the
poor girls of the village.
Jane's uncle John Eyre dies and leaves all his fortune and money to Jane. Another happy
development takes place is the discovery that St. John Rivers, Diana, and Mary are her cousins.
Jane is extremely happy for she finally has a family. Being a loving and a kind hearted woman,
she distributes her inheritance among the four of them.
St. John Rivers is very much attracted to Jane and her unique qualities; her warmth,
self-devotion and her self-sacrificing nature that make her a very special woman with the
qualities needed for a good wife. St. John Rivers proposed to Jane asking her to marry him and
become his lawful wedded wife.
Nonetheless, Jane is deeply in love with Mr. Rochester and so she declines St. John
Rivers' proposal of marriage. He proposed once again but she again turns down his proposal.
She was put under so much stress by her cousin to the degree that she was on the verge of4
saying yes when she suddenly hears a voice calling: 'Jane! Jane! Jane!' It was clearly the voice
of Mr. Rochester and the voice had come to Jane from her own heart.
Jane decides to travel to Thornfield to look for Mr. Rochester whose present
whereabouts were not known to her at all. She travels all the way to Thornfield to find that the
place is completely damaged as it has been set on fire one night by Mr. Rochester's mad wife,
and that Mr. Rochester, in his attempt to rescue his mad wife, had a terrible accident that left
him blind and crippled. In her state of madness, she jumped to the ground from the too storey
killing herself instantly.
Jane is finally reunited with Mr. Rochester and she finds that she is still deeply in love
with him. Mr. Rochester is so delighted to have Jane back again in his life. Thus, the two lovers
are finally reunited and are happily married hereafter.
4 on the verge of: at the point when (something) is about to happen or is very likely to happen.
The Major Techniques used in Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is one of the most famous novels written in the nineteenth century. Its
popularity comes from its unique romantic audacious style through which the novelist reveals
the emotional nature of her heroine and her true sentiments.
Jane Eyre is regarded as a literary revolution; a great number of critics regard the novel
as a cry of the soul of a woman, a woman who possesses a dynamic forceful spirit by which
she has conquered her fears, her spiritual and emotional struggles as well as her two main weak
points: her anger and her fury. For that reason, the novel is seen as a literary revolution for it
was the first time that a writer touches the soul of a woman and the depth of her character in
the 19th century.
Charlotte Bronte has employed three major techniques in writing this novel. The first
technique that she has used is the first person narrative and this is quite obvious from the very
beginning of the novel in which the reader senses the attachment of the writer to the novel
which in its turn makes the novel a subjective one. However, its subjectivity does not belittle
its importance or its uniqueness as one of the most successful classics of English Literature.
On the contrary, it adds much to its beauty and its significance.
The second technique used by the novelist is satire, through which the novelist satirized
almost all the social foibles of the English society at her time. Charlotte Bronte has attacked a
number of social drawbacks shown in the injustice found in the upper-class world, in their
negligence to the needs of the poor and their ill treatment to them.
She has also satirized the cruelty of the upper-class English society revealed in the cruel
and unjust treatment of Mrs. Reed to Jane in her early childhood years as well as the harsh
treatment that Jane has received from Mr. Brocklehurst, the school manager.
Furthermore, the novelist has criticized the poor condition of the system of education
particularly the charitable schools of her time which suffered from a lack of proper nutrition
and good health care; two important factors that have led to more than once to the death of
many students who died of serious diseases at their schools.
The third technique that Charlotte Bronte has employed in her novel is intertextuality,
that is to say, she has used more than once several texts such as letters within the major literary
text. This is quite shown in the letter by John Eyre (Jane's uncle) sent to Mrs. Reed desiring to
know Jane's whereabouts as he sincerely wishes that Jane would inherit all his fortune upon his
death.
To conclude, the novel is first and foremost, an outstanding magnificent literary text in
which the writer has greatly succeeded to unfold her society's shortcomings and to portray a
feminine character with a dynamic forceful spirit, a clear mind, true sentiments, and a self -
determined personality.