In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester tells Jane that she must “give up [her] governess slavery at once,” but why would she trade her governess slavery for a man who seems to approve of the slavery present in seraglios? One of the main problems Jane struggles with while being in love with Rochester is their power dynamic. This dynamic comes from the fact that Mr. Rochester has a higher position in society due to his money and his gender. When Mr. Rochester takes Jane shopping, Jane feels degraded. To fully understand the impact of Jane’s statements, it is necessary to know the meaning of the words she uses. She retaliates against the way Rochester treats her by referencing sultans and seraglios, as well as an event that can be drawn
…show more content…
Jane tells Rochester, that were he to have a seraglio, she would “go out as a missionary to preach liberty to them that are enslaved—[his] harem inmates amongst the rest. [She’ll] get admitted there, and [she’ll] stir up mutiny; and [he] . . . shall in a trice find [himself] fettered amongst [their] hands; nor will [she], for one, consent to cut [his] bonds till [he has] signed a charter” (242). In her essay, Thomas she brings up the correlation between this act of stirring up mutiny among slaves and what happened with William Knibb about two decades before Jane Eyre was published (58). Knibb was an English missionary in Jamaica “who had been for a brief time charged with inciting mutiny among slaves” and when he went back to England, he campaigned for an end to slavery (Thomas 58). His campaign led to the renewal of the Indian Charter Act, which stated that the British parliament would not interfere with domestic slavery in the harems of India (58). By referencing a Christian missionary who wanted an end to slavery, Bronte is able to show that liberating women from their “slavery” is also supported by Christianity. When Bronte has Jane hint at repeating what Knibb accomplished, Bronte also “shows an awareness that any reform of ‘domestic slavery’ in the seraglio would have to take place on a household by household basis” (58). Even though Bronte expresses strong feelings about how she thinks women should be treated, she still realizes that no one can force another person to change their opinion. Referencing a Christian missionary allows Bronte to persuade parts of her audience that weren’t swayed by the East and West
Jane tells Rochester, that were he to have a seraglio, she would “go out as a missionary to preach liberty to them that are enslaved—[his] harem inmates amongst the rest. [She’ll] get admitted there, and [she’ll] stir up mutiny; and [he] . . . shall in a trice find [himself] fettered amongst [their] hands; nor will [she], for one, consent to cut [his] bonds till [he has] signed a charter” (242). In her essay, Thomas she brings up the correlation between this act of stirring up mutiny among slaves and what happened with William Knibb about two decades before Jane Eyre was published (58). Knibb was an English missionary in Jamaica “who had been for a brief time charged with inciting mutiny among slaves” and when he went back to England, he campaigned for an end to slavery (Thomas 58). His campaign led to the renewal of the Indian Charter Act, which stated that the British parliament would not interfere with domestic slavery in the harems of India (58). By referencing a Christian missionary who wanted an end to slavery, Bronte is able to show that liberating women from their “slavery” is also supported by Christianity. When Bronte has Jane hint at repeating what Knibb accomplished, Bronte also “shows an awareness that any reform of ‘domestic slavery’ in the seraglio would have to take place on a household by household basis” (58). Even though Bronte expresses strong feelings about how she thinks women should be treated, she still realizes that no one can force another person to change their opinion. Referencing a Christian missionary allows Bronte to persuade parts of her audience that weren’t swayed by the East and West