Charlotte Brontë composed her novel Jane Eyre in the Victorian era; a period in history where patriarchy set the expectations of men and women. The effect of this social system has resulted in women experiencing discrimination simply because of their gender. Sigmund Freud, in his essay entitled "The Poet's Relation to Reverie", explained that women were only capable of allowing erotic desires to dominate their "fantasies", and that even their ambitious "fantasies" were rooted in desires erotic (177). ). The predominant idea about women during this time was that due to their nature, they desired to marry and provide for the needs of their household. Those who were not lucky enough to marry (because of their appearance or social status) were expected to become governesses. Ms. Brontë, through her protagonist Jane Eyre, clearly depicts the struggles of a destitute young woman who is forced into near-slavery. This story is well articulated by Adrienne Rich in her essay “Jane Eyre: The Temptations of a Motherless Woman,” when she states that Jane wants to “choose her life with dignity, integrity, and pride” (471). Although Charlotte Brontë portrays a woman who will not submit to the mores of her society, she is not exuberant enough to let her protagonist proclaim "I am a woman, hear me roar." The mitigation of Jane's behavior can be attributed to gratifying critics, but Brontë also expresses that societal expectations, or the patriarchal entitlements of men, have produced a similar negative effect on men. From John Reed and his right-thinking attitude to Rochester's internal battle over the treatment of women, Charlotte Brontë demonstrates that sexism, inherent in a patriarchal society, has a negative effect on both men and women... . middle of paper ......archaic law, he ended up squandering his inheritance then committing suicide. The end result is simple. The effect of a patriarchal society, and the sexism inherent in it, is that there is a negative outcome on both men and women. Patriarchal societies that discriminate against women simply because of their perceived weakness do not empower men more than they disenfranchise women. Works Cited Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre, An Authoritative Text, Contexts, Review. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. WW Norton & Co Inc., 2001. PrintFreud, Sigmund. “The poet’s relationship to reverie.” Collected Papers Vol IV. New York: Basic Books, 1959. 173-183. Print.Rich, Adrienne. “Jane Eyre: The Temptations of a Motherless Woman.” Jane Eyre, An authoritative text, contexts, criticism. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. New York: WW Norton & Co Inc., 2001. 469-83. Print.