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Essay / Jane Eyre Essay on Social Class - 569
Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre is set in Victorian England, where social class is an important factor in life. Brontë is very critical of the strict hierarchy of Victorian England. the main character, Jane, is a governess. Her social position is very complicated in which she is expected to be sophisticated, educated, intelligent and gentle, but then she is belittled because she belongs to a lower class. A governess's job is to teach children, whether it be art, writing or reading English literature. Victorian society is very corrupt, and in the novel Brontë truly captures and illustrates the challenges Jane faces as a governess. The novel also emphasizes the social gap between individuals and its real extent. In Victorian society, the rich get the most out of life and the lives of the poor become more difficult. No individual should judge or belittle another based on the very minor factor of social status, but it seems to be very important in Jane's society. The message Brontë expresses in the novel is that social class is an insignificant catalyst in the progression of relationships, creating giant gaps between individuals. Jane is always criticized and she never gets a break. Bessie, a maid at Gateshead, always gives Jane a hard time, "Bessie did not answer; but soon after, speaking to me, she said: 'You must know, Miss, that you have obligations to Mrs. Reed: she keeps you: if she repels you, you would be obliged to go to the poor house.''I had nothing to say to these words: they were not new to me: my very first memories of existence contained clues of the same kind. This reproach of my dependence had become in my ear a very painful and overwhelming song, but only half intelligible (1.2.14-16). always telling Jane that she is poor, and that doesn't help much, she is also always reminded that she is alone and that her aunt and cousins consider her to be of a lower class, because she will not inherit no money. Jane thinks she is below everyone, even people who live in the same household, all of whom are of a lower social class, even though in reality, she is above everyone in the house . Aunt Reed and others just seem to force these horrible ideas down Jane's throat, even when they aren't true..