Jane Eyre Background Handout
Biography: Charlotte Bronte (18161855)
In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
draws on several elements present in
her own life, which is almost a Gothic,
tragic story in and of itself. Throughout
her life, she struggled with grim realities
which surrounded her — abandonment,
brutalization, emotional deprivation,
the death of her family, and the search
for reality and her own identity.
Charlotte Bronte survived her
mother and her four siblings before
passing away at the age of 39. The
Bronte sisters –Charlotte, Emily, and
Anne- were all very close, all writers, and all influenced by the romantic writers of
the period. They shared ideas and edited each others work, adding another
dimension to their already close relationship. As children, they and their brother,
Branwell, began writing a saga of an imaginary kingdom called Angria, which grew
to be extremely elaborate and convoluted, and helped to develop their skills and
prepare them for their future careers in writing. The girls assumed the pseudonyms
of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, under which they would publish a collection of
poems. Branwell Bronte, was himself a Byronic figure, intelligent and sincere, yet he
still succumbed to his vices of alcohol and opium.
Patrick Bronte (also the name of her father) was first a curator at Thornton, a
setting of Jane Eyre, before the family relocated to the village of Haworth where he
was appointed minister of a parsonage. Soon after, his wife, Maria, died, her sister
Elizabeth moved in to help raise the children, and Maria (the eldest daughter),
Elizabeth (the second eldest daughter), Emily, and Charlotte were sent to a boarding
school. However, after the two eldest girls fell ill of consumption (tuberculosis) and
died, Anne and Charlotte were pulled out of school and relocated back to her
father’s home.
Charlotte returned to school in 1831 to Miss Wooler’s School in Roe Head, in
order to help fund Emily’s education there, only to quickly return home and tutor
her sisters. Her novella “The Green Dwarf” is considered a product of this period. In
1835, Charlotte once again returns to the school for three more years as a teacher,
and after that worked briefly as a governess, a job that she also abandoned after she
realized she wasn’t too fond of it. However, she did draw on these influences to
write Jane Eyre. For women of this era, the Bronte sisters were relatively
independent. They moved to Germany to study for a few years, and tried to start
their own school back in England, but the plan never came to full fruition. While
abroad, she fell in love with her teacher, Heger, a married man whom she may or
may not have had a relationship with and who may or may not be the inspiration for
Mr. Rochester. It is suggested that Charlotte wrote her novels, often under the
pseudonym Currer Bell, as an outlet for the realities she couldn’t share with other
people. Composition represented a way of releasing all of the sorrow and mourning
that her life was so burdened with. Other nom de plumes include
In 1838, her brother died, and her sisters Anne and Emily followed soon
after. During this period of mourning, Charlotte Bronte was more successful in
publishing her works than ever before. Though her epic Shirley was received with
mixed reviews, she was still accepted into London’s literary society, even after she
dropped her pseudonym and it was revealed that the author of her controversial
works was a woman. She was criticized for writing in an unfeminine and coarse
manner, but nevertheless she formed friendly connections with other writers of the
era while in London.
A prevalent theme common throughout Bronte’s works was the idea of a
strong, independent woman that was searching for love, which may have closely
paralleled her own experiences. Towards the end of her life, she had a very short but
very happy marriage, which ended after a short nine months when she and the child
she was carrying died of pneumonia, for which she refused treatment.
Sources:
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/61brnt6.html
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/brontbio1.html
http://www.online-literature.com/brontec/#at
Historical:
Bronte’s world and the Romantic era, specifically the gothic era, were fraught
with social upheaval. The ideals of the Enlightenment had pretty much gained
credibility as the philosophical canon that should be adhered to, the American and
French Revolutions took place, and Napoleon had attempted to conquer Europe.
These elements influenced the themes of independence within Romanticism but
also caused a shift in government and society that many writers rebelled against.
Soon after, the Industrial Revolution took place, and the Romantic movement
took off. There was a hearkening back for man’s deeper connection to nature, for a
simpler time. In opposition to the more developed and scientific thinking of the
time, Romantic writers, especially Gothic writers, invoked a strong sense of
mysticism, a subtle argument that not everything in the world could be explained
through science. A love of nature was also emphasized in this era, and nature in
literature often paralleled the plot and served as a symbol within the story.
In England, minorities and marginalized peoples started to gain rights, slowly
and incrementally, but progress was still made. In the 1830s slavery had been
abolished, and in 1848, the year after Jane Eyre was published, the Queen’s College
for Women was founded in London. Women were still patronized in all aspects of
society including literature, especially during the Victorian era, but steps were still
taken in their favor. For example, in the 1860s, a few years after Bronte’s death,
women received the right to vote in Wyoming. A woman’s role in society was still
very limited, but women such as Charlotte Bronte fought to find their place as
independents with some degree of success.
Byronic Hero:
The concept of the Byronic Hero evolved shortly after the American and
French revolutions, as a wide-spread societal paradigm shift led many to
sympathize with rebellions and promote rebelliousness. The poet Lord Byron was
influenced to create a hero of a deeply flawed character type that often had
conflicting behaviors. At the same time, the Byronic Hero would be more morally
aware than most yet still exhibit criminal tendencies, and he could also possess a
high level of sophistication while despising society and its norms. The outcast, who
had usually been cast as a villain or some other unsavory character, was venerated
because of his flaws (and his ultimately good heart), not in spite of them.
The Byronic Hero appears in gothic novels of the Romantic period, and some
elements of the BH appear even in non-gothic novels. He is characterized by a lofty
intellect, a disdain for society, his status as a rebel, a passion for an issue or woman,
arrogance to an extreme, and several other dark qualities. Oftentimes, he will be
contrasted with a foil that is somewhat saintly or angelic, but he will almost always
end up on top, reinforcing the idea that moral superiority comes with complexity of
thought and exposure to and embracement of darker things. Although he will
appear stoic, he will have a great sensibility, and will be driven by great passions.
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/romantic/topic_5/welco
me.htm
Gothic Novel:
The gothic novel is a sub-category of the Romantic Period that acts almost as
a foil to the other forms of Romantic Literature. It incorporates many of the
Romantic elements, but in a way that sets it apart. There is a heavy focus on setting
within gothic literature, and creates an ominous atmosphere through the use of
imagery and symbols that amplify the inherent horror and dread of the world they
author has created. The reader is meant to be left on edge by the atmosphere, and
the feeling is further augmented by the high levels of emotion, and, often, the plight
of a damsel in distress. There are recurring supernatural symbols, settings, and
diction within the gothic genre, including the motifs of mystery and decay. However,
there are also strong elements of love and passion that add yet another dimension
to the genre.
The characters within Gothic Novels are usually isolated, either voluntarily
or involuntarily. The main character can be disillusioned with society, exiled from
society, or both, and has likely experienced a fall from grace. This fall and the
deterioration of society as seen through the protagonist’s eyes is paralleled by the
deterioration of the physical world created by the novel. The Gothic hero is a fallen
hero, yet his traits are idealized within the text at the same time.
http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm