Literature is often a vehicle for social change; nowhere is this more evident than the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Demonstrating the issues of Victorian Era England, Jane’s journey inspired the masses in Britain and began to further the growth of feminism. In the same vein, Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man is an expansion on the topic of equal rights among those with different skin color. The purposeful recreation of many similar themes, as well as similar results, cements Ellison’s novel Invisible Man a place among Jane Eyre as one of the novels that will stand the test of time. Jane Eyre is a timeless journey not only due to the superficial message of feminism. One of the most important aspects of Bronte’s writing is her use
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Absurdly literal in a sense, the narrator is no more than an object for others for their gain. This narrator realizes this—as well as its faults—at the end of his journey. His first conclusion is to withdraw from society into the space yielded to him. This coincides directly with Jane’s most famous line, “Reader, I married him” (Bronte 457). At the end of both their respective paths, they happily accept their fates and resign to them. Jane gives away her autonomy to become the house-wife that serves her husband. The narrator gives up his chance to be a member of society to fulfill his assigned role of being absent from white society. The narrator is inspirational because he rejects the stereotypes and self-sacrifice that is offered to him (Morton-Mollo 470). In the same vein, Jane’s assertion of her emotions and opinions is inspirational such as when Rochester declares “’Who in the world care for you? or who will be injured by what you do’? Still indomitable was the reply—‘I care for myself”’ (Bronte 332). The declaration of self-sufficiency is revolutionary, not just throughout the novel but throughout all of Victorian culture. Although the pragmatic end of the novel and her bliss in marriage is a stark contrast to the standards of feminism today, that doesn’t diminish the effect this novel had on England at the time (Bloom
Absurdly literal in a sense, the narrator is no more than an object for others for their gain. This narrator realizes this—as well as its faults—at the end of his journey. His first conclusion is to withdraw from society into the space yielded to him. This coincides directly with Jane’s most famous line, “Reader, I married him” (Bronte 457). At the end of both their respective paths, they happily accept their fates and resign to them. Jane gives away her autonomy to become the house-wife that serves her husband. The narrator gives up his chance to be a member of society to fulfill his assigned role of being absent from white society. The narrator is inspirational because he rejects the stereotypes and self-sacrifice that is offered to him (Morton-Mollo 470). In the same vein, Jane’s assertion of her emotions and opinions is inspirational such as when Rochester declares “’Who in the world care for you? or who will be injured by what you do’? Still indomitable was the reply—‘I care for myself”’ (Bronte 332). The declaration of self-sufficiency is revolutionary, not just throughout the novel but throughout all of Victorian culture. Although the pragmatic end of the novel and her bliss in marriage is a stark contrast to the standards of feminism today, that doesn’t diminish the effect this novel had on England at the time (Bloom