Jane Eyre
• A Victorian novel: a woman’s quest for love and her search for identity
• Established a platform for feminist writing in the nineteenth century.
• Deals with topics of:
• Heroism
• Dreams
• Women’s studies
• Social standing

Jane Eyre
• Though written during the Victorian Age, Jane
Eyre exemplifies many qualities of Romantic literature.
• Supernatural elements, emotional connections, individual journeys, idealistic attitudes
• Gothic elements also:
• Dreary settings
• Brooding male protagonist

Jane Eyre
• A challenging read
• Rich narrative and vocabulary
• Universal themes include:
• Suffering through social class prejudice
• Exhibiting loyalty to those we love
• Longing for family
• Appreciating gender issues
• Surviving a difficult childhood

Jane Eyre
• Victorian Age
– 1833-1901
• Named in connection with the reign of Queen Victoria
• Social, political, and historical influences permeated the literature of the time period
• At the forefront: the ever-changing role of women
• 1840s: petitions began for the advocation of women’s suffrage
• 1882: The Married Women’s Property Act – secured women’s rights to maintain property after marriage

Jane Eyre
– 1833-1901
• The Industrial Revolution opened doors for lower class women to take jobs in factories
• Paid low wages
• Offered terrible working conditions

Jane Eyre
• The Victorian Age brought an increase in literacy, and reading novels became a popular pastime
• The typical Victorian novel was directly connected to issues and concerns of contemporary society.
• Authors strove to create realistic views of nineteenth century living
• Stories were often published in serial form; readers anxiously awaited the monthly installments of single chapters
• Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, William
Mackepeace Thackery, Anthony Trollope, George
Eliot, and Thomas Hardy were popular authors