To Jane, equality has nothing to do with the social class that you were born into. In her eyes, equality comes from who you are as a person and what you have to offer. Jane knows that she's an intelligent individual and that she treats others fairly. Mr. Rochester and St. John are not above her just because of their gender. Jane believes that women can play an important role in society, just like that of men. Jane isn't always content to do "women's work" and to be treated like less of a person. Equality is especially important to Jane because she grew up without much love and support from other people, and without money. But despite her struggles, she learned to become confident in her abilities and to not accept other people's condescension or unfair criticism. Only you can decide what type of person you want to be, it's not decided by money or social class. Gender and money don't decide a person's merit.
To Jane equality is measured in terms of intellectual merit rather than social status. As she is an educated individual, she considers herself to be on the same level as Mr. Rochester and St. John despite the fact that they are men. As education and intelligence are both traits that are incredibly important to Jane, she continues to assert that she is equal to the males that she interacts with.
Jane is constantly asserting herself towards the male and upwardly social female characters in the book. Equality to her is just as much a gender struggle as one of castes. These two stigmas are things that hold Jane back from being viewed as an equal to those such as Mr. Rochester and St. John -- something she desperately wants. To Jane intellect and education are the most important and determining factors in "who you are" and she views it as wholly unjust that she should be left out simply for being a poor woman when she has so much to contribute intellectually, rightly so.
Jane wants to stop being judged and punished for her actions just because she is a woman. This goes back to when she was ten and was punished and put into the red room for fighting with her cousin. To Jane equality is important because then people can focus on other things that make up a person like their education or religion.
Jane is determined that she be defined by her intellect and her spirit, not by common society. She asserts to both Rochester and St. John that people are defined by their soul and their spirit and that, societal constraints (wealth, status, and gender) aside, they stand as they are, as equals. Jane declares a very forward thinking idea that we are defined not by what we are, but rather by who we are. For her, this is an especially important ideal because all her life she has been considered inferior because of being a poor orphan and a woman, all distinctions that were beyond her control, but she wants to be known by who she has chosen to be. She has become a very intelligent individual able to converse with Rochester and St. John on matters moral, societal, and academic complexity, and it is these accomplishments she wants to be known for, not being a woman.
Jane was never treated with equality while living with her Aunt. She was always told that she did not belong in the same social class as her cousins, and that she didn’t deserve the same things as them. This helped her fight harder for equality. She does not believe that equality should be defined by social class or gender, these are unfair generalizations. The people in these categories should have to prove their equality, just like her. Jane will often remind people that they are no better than her; when Hannah calls her a beggar, she retorts that Hannah doesn’t know her situation and can’t possibly assume that she’s a beggar because of the situation she happened to be in. She especially asserts her equality to males who believe that she is not capable of much because she is a woman, and she proves them wrong; she shows them that she’s capable of many things.
To Jane, equality is based on intellecutaul merit and how a person uses it, rather then gender or social status. Because she believes this she is constantly struggling to show that she is an equal of Mr.Rochester and St.John because she believes that she is their equal. SHe proves to them that just because she is a poor wpmen, does not mean that she has no intellect. A good example of this is on page 284 when she is arguing with Mr. Rochester.
Jane sees herself as equal to Mr. Rochester and St. John on an intellectual level. To Jane equality is based more on a persons intellect rather than gender or social class. All her life Jane was never treated equally. Her aunt told her many times that she didn't belong with her cousins because she was of a lower social class. At Lowood she was told she was dumb because she was female and because of her social class. Jane spends the rest of the book proving these people wrong. She asserts her equality by showing what she is capable of. She over comes adversity and shows her intellect and ability. Jane came from very humble beginnings. As a poor orphan she had very limited options. Jane shows the desire to be judged on her words and her actions rather than her social class. She shows that it is not who you are in society that makes you important but who you choose to become as a person. -Cydney McFarland
Jane Eyre desires equality in the sense that she wants to be treated as someone with opinions, thoughts, and ideas that are worthy of being valued. For her, being someone’s equal doesn’t depend on wealth, gender, or social class, but it means being respected as an individual. Equality is important to Jane Eyre because despite the fact that she has little money, she’s a governess, and she isn’t considered beautiful, she knows that she is intelligent and well-educated. Jane’s desire to be treated as an equal by Rochester and St. John is most likely a result of being poorly treated at the beginning of her stay at Lowood and by her cousins who she lived with before going to Lowood.
Tia Keene Jane believes people should be equal and have equal rights. She belives her and Rochester are equal, neither one above the other. They hold the same rights to things even though Rochester is a man. This is so important to Jane because she is so independent and assertive, she believes it is wrong to determine the rights of people based on their gender and social class. Jane also stands up for what she believes in, making the fact that she tells Rochester off all the more powerful. I believe Jane really wants to make a difference in the world and she wants to see things fair to everyone. The same, equal rights.
To Jane, equality has nothing to do with gender. Her equality with Mr. Rochester is about intelligence not social class and where she came from. Jane is a well educated woman which she wants to make clear to both Rochester and St. John. Despite the social class that she was merely put into, her intelligence reflects the opposite of what her social class is defined as.
I think on page 284 was a great example of how Jane really asserts herself as equal. She isn't afraid to speak her mind to Rochester and let him know that he is basically wrong. Jane really lets Rochester know that even though she is a poor women, that doesn't make her dumb and unintelligent.
Jane believes that equality isn't based on gender, wealth or social status. To her intelligence and education are far more meaningful when it comes to a person's true character. Jane sees what actually matters and not just what is considered exterior. It seems to be important to Jane because as a child she was not treated as she should have been and longs for equality regardless of social status, wealth or gender.
Equality, to Jane, pertains to cognitive equality. She asserts continually that she possesses the same power as a male in that she shares this sex's ability to speak her mind freely and improve her intellect through expression and conversation. Female subordinance is not logical to her, or at least does not apply to her, as she is anything but a vain individual, concerned with domestic, daily trivia, concerning the ideal female of this time to society. Equality is important to her because she refuses to be viewed as this sort of woman, solely because she is a woman. Jane Eyre does not accept the restraints, and demands the same intellectual and vocal freedoms of man; the privilege of verbalizing and sharing one's own thoughts and ideas.
I completely agree with your statement. Jane does show the desire to be treated upon her actions and words rather than her status in society. She treats others equally and proves the people that told her she had to conform, that they were wrong and that she could be herself without giving into society's pressure to accomdate the said expectations of women in that time.
From the beginning of the book Jane has made it a point to see herself as equal to all surrounding her, including individuals who would often be seen as superiors to her. When we are first introduced to Jane she voices her negative opinion of Mrs. Reed, and proceeds to verbally stand up for herself to Mrs. Reed later. During this time period, this would generally be seen as extremely disrespectful, but Jane makes a point throughout the novel to push the boundaries of social class, and often times makes it a point to stand up for what she sees as fair. This could be due to the difficulties she had as a child, in that she had no adults to stand up for her, and was forced to do it herself, or simply because she is a strong willed woman in a time period where women were viewed as inferior to men.
Jane has never believed in the societal restraints that are constantly around her. She has always been repressed for being a woman who grew up as a poor orphan and was constantly tormented by her cousins and Mrs. Reed for not being on the same level as them. Jane believes in holding intellectual merit rather than being perceived as equal due to her gender, class, or wealth. She has no problem in asserting herself to Rochester and St. John and desperately wants for them to view her as she deserves to be seen. There is no reason for a person's respect to be based on such monetary things and Jane knows that she should be respected for her intellect and beliefs.
The equality that Jane talks about is related to feminism. She's trying to find the equality shared betweens humans and their love for each other versus the notion that class must be the most important determinative factor, especially in her exchange with Mr. Rochester. She sees that person-to-person connections are powerful and meaningful despite social rank. I think she finds this equality to be so important because of the nature of her childhood--injustice has practically been the bane of her existence. She was unjustly treated as child and an orphan at the Reed's, then as a student of Lowood, and finally (so she thought) with Mr. Rochester. Of course equality is important to her--she has been the victim of her culture's inequality.
I completely agree that education and intellect are Jane's primary focus when it comes to equality. She never puts herself on the same level as Mr. Rochester socially or economically. She simply sees herself as an educated individual and she seems to hold education and intellect over social and economic standing. This is a new idea from a time period where social classes were everything. Jane is judging people on who they are as a person
In response to McKenzie... I agree that Jane doesn't want to be viewed as this sort of woman, and that she wants the same freedom that the male gender has. I do however think that female subordinance applies to her, she just refuses to go along with it. as you said, it is not logical for her. She is her own woman and wants to be viewed that way, with freedom and the chance to live a fair life. -Tia Keene
Throughout her entire life, Jane has been put in situations where she was treated very unequally. As a child she lived with her aunt, who really didn’t care much about her and saw her only for her low social class. After she moved to Lowood, the different social classes’ equality continued to not be equal. There was a clear gap between Mr. Brocklehurst and his family, and the living conditions of the Lowood students. This inequality continues throughout her life with others such as Rochester and St. John. However it seems to shape her into the confident person she is. Jane never ceases to assert herself in unfair situations. Jane goes against the common view of women during this time period, refusing to believe that gender or social class should have any say in the equality between people. Rather, she thinks that people should value intellect and education.
Jane knows that she deserves respect and she is careful to be respectful at the same time. She recognizes good attributes that people have, but does not necessarily hold them in a higher regard because of them. Jane often remarks on beauty, or the lack of it, in the book - to her this is not something to be rewarded for, similar to Rochester's quote, beauty is purely a result of nature. Equality has been important to Jane since she was very young. She grew up humbly and was often wronged and unfairly judged. For example, her arrival at Lowood was stressful because she knew if portrayed badly at first, she would have a difficult time from then on.
I agree that Jane uses intelligence as a measure of equality rather than social status or gender. She sees through and defies the way society favors certain individuals and is not fearful of doing so. However, at the same time, it seems to me that she does not fully understand why the way she speaks to people is surprising.
To Jane, equality has nothing to do with the social class that you were born into. In her eyes, equality comes from who you are as a person and what you have to offer. Jane knows that she's an intelligent individual and that she treats others fairly. Mr. Rochester and St. John are not above her just because of their gender. Jane believes that women can play an important role in society, just like that of men. Jane isn't always content to do "women's work" and to be treated like less of a person. Equality is especially important to Jane because she grew up without much love and support from other people, and without money. But despite her struggles, she learned to become confident in her abilities and to not accept other people's condescension or unfair criticism. Only you can decide what type of person you want to be, it's not decided by money or social class. Gender and money don't decide a person's merit.
ReplyDeleteTo Jane equality is measured in terms of intellectual merit rather than social status. As she is an educated individual, she considers herself to be on the same level as Mr. Rochester and St. John despite the fact that they are men. As education and intelligence are both traits that are incredibly important to Jane, she continues to assert that she is equal to the males that she interacts with.
ReplyDeleteJane is constantly asserting herself towards the male and upwardly social female characters in the book. Equality to her is just as much a gender struggle as one of castes. These two stigmas are things that hold Jane back from being viewed as an equal to those such as Mr. Rochester and St. John -- something she desperately wants. To Jane intellect and education are the most important and determining factors in "who you are" and she views it as wholly unjust that she should be left out simply for being a poor woman when she has so much to contribute intellectually, rightly so.
ReplyDeleteJane wants to stop being judged and punished for her actions just because she is a woman. This goes back to when she was ten and was punished and put into the red room for fighting with her cousin. To Jane equality is important because then people can focus on other things that make up a person like their education or religion.
ReplyDelete-Heather Lopes
Jane is determined that she be defined by her intellect and her spirit, not by common society. She asserts to both Rochester and St. John that people are defined by their soul and their spirit and that, societal constraints (wealth, status, and gender) aside, they stand as they are, as equals. Jane declares a very forward thinking idea that we are defined not by what we are, but rather by who we are. For her, this is an especially important ideal because all her life she has been considered inferior because of being a poor orphan and a woman, all distinctions that were beyond her control, but she wants to be known by who she has chosen to be. She has become a very intelligent individual able to converse with Rochester and St. John on matters moral, societal, and academic complexity, and it is these accomplishments she wants to be known for, not being a woman.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteJane was never treated with equality while living with her Aunt. She was always told that she did not belong in the same social class as her cousins, and that she didn’t deserve the same things as them. This helped her fight harder for equality. She does not believe that equality should be defined by social class or gender, these are unfair generalizations. The people in these categories should have to prove their equality, just like her. Jane will often remind people that they are no better than her; when Hannah calls her a beggar, she retorts that Hannah doesn’t know her situation and can’t possibly assume that she’s a beggar because of the situation she happened to be in. She especially asserts her equality to males who believe that she is not capable of much because she is a woman, and she proves them wrong; she shows them that she’s capable of many things.
ReplyDelete~Heather Almvig
To Jane, equality is based on intellecutaul merit and how a person uses it, rather then gender or social status. Because she believes this she is constantly struggling to show that she is an equal of Mr.Rochester and St.John because she believes that she is their equal. SHe proves to them that just because she is a poor wpmen, does not mean that she has no intellect. A good example of this is on page 284 when she is arguing with Mr. Rochester.
ReplyDeleteJane sees herself as equal to Mr. Rochester and St. John on an intellectual level. To Jane equality is based more on a persons intellect rather than gender or social class. All her life Jane was never treated equally. Her aunt told her many times that she didn't belong with her cousins because she was of a lower social class. At Lowood she was told she was dumb because she was female and because of her social class. Jane spends the rest of the book proving these people wrong. She asserts her equality by showing what she is capable of. She over comes adversity and shows her intellect and ability.
ReplyDeleteJane came from very humble beginnings. As a poor orphan she had very limited options. Jane shows the desire to be judged on her words and her actions rather than her social class. She shows that it is not who you are in society that makes you important but who you choose to become as a person.
-Cydney McFarland
Jane Eyre desires equality in the sense that she wants to be treated as someone with opinions, thoughts, and ideas that are worthy of being valued. For her, being someone’s equal doesn’t depend on wealth, gender, or social class, but it means being respected as an individual. Equality is important to Jane Eyre because despite the fact that she has little money, she’s a governess, and she isn’t considered beautiful, she knows that she is intelligent and well-educated. Jane’s desire to be treated as an equal by Rochester and St. John is most likely a result of being poorly treated at the beginning of her stay at Lowood and by her cousins who she lived with before going to Lowood.
ReplyDelete-Brooke Hess
Tia Keene
ReplyDeleteJane believes people should be equal and have equal rights. She belives her and Rochester are equal, neither one above the other. They hold the same rights to things even though Rochester is a man. This is so important to Jane because she is so independent and assertive, she believes it is wrong to determine the rights of people based on their gender and social class. Jane also stands up for what she believes in, making the fact that she tells Rochester off all the more powerful. I believe Jane really wants to make a difference in the world and she wants to see things fair to everyone. The same, equal rights.
Kelli Said...
ReplyDeleteTo Jane, equality has nothing to do with gender. Her equality with Mr. Rochester is about intelligence not social class and where she came from. Jane is a well educated woman which she wants to make clear to both Rochester and St. John. Despite the social class that she was merely put into, her intelligence reflects the opposite of what her social class is defined as.
Kelli Smith
In response to Victoria
ReplyDeleteI think on page 284 was a great example of how Jane really asserts herself as equal. She isn't afraid to speak her mind to Rochester and let him know that he is basically wrong. Jane really lets Rochester know that even though she is a poor women, that doesn't make her dumb and unintelligent.
Kelli Smith
Jane believes that equality isn't based on gender, wealth or social status. To her intelligence and education are far more meaningful when it comes to a person's true character. Jane sees what actually matters and not just what is considered exterior. It seems to be important to Jane because as a child she was not treated as she should have been and longs for equality regardless of social status, wealth or gender.
ReplyDelete-Sierra Peterson
Equality, to Jane, pertains to cognitive equality. She asserts continually that she possesses the same power as a male in that she shares this sex's ability to speak her mind freely and improve her intellect through expression and conversation. Female subordinance is not logical to her, or at least does not apply to her, as she is anything but a vain individual, concerned with domestic, daily trivia, concerning the ideal female of this time to society. Equality is important to her because she refuses to be viewed as this sort of woman, solely because she is a woman. Jane Eyre does not accept the restraints, and demands the same intellectual and vocal freedoms of man; the privilege of verbalizing and sharing one's own thoughts and ideas.
ReplyDeleteMcKenzie Templeton
@ Cydney
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement. Jane does show the desire to be treated upon her actions and words rather than her status in society. She treats others equally and proves the people that told her she had to conform, that they were wrong and that she could be herself without giving into society's pressure to accomdate the said expectations of women in that time.
-Sierra Peterson
From the beginning of the book Jane has made it a point to see herself as equal to all surrounding her, including individuals who would often be seen as superiors to her. When we are first introduced to Jane she voices her negative opinion of Mrs. Reed, and proceeds to verbally stand up for herself to Mrs. Reed later. During this time period, this would generally be seen as extremely disrespectful, but Jane makes a point throughout the novel to push the boundaries of social class, and often times makes it a point to stand up for what she sees as fair. This could be due to the difficulties she had as a child, in that she had no adults to stand up for her, and was forced to do it herself, or simply because she is a strong willed woman in a time period where women were viewed as inferior to men.
ReplyDelete-Annette Summers
Jane has never believed in the societal restraints that are constantly around her. She has always been repressed for being a woman who grew up as a poor orphan and was constantly tormented by her cousins and Mrs. Reed for not being on the same level as them. Jane believes in holding intellectual merit rather than being perceived as equal due to her gender, class, or wealth. She has no problem in asserting herself to Rochester and St. John and desperately wants for them to view her as she deserves to be seen. There is no reason for a person's respect to be based on such monetary things and Jane knows that she should be respected for her intellect and beliefs.
ReplyDeleteThe equality that Jane talks about is related to feminism. She's trying to find the equality shared betweens humans and their love for each other versus the notion that class must be the most important determinative factor, especially in her exchange with Mr. Rochester. She sees that person-to-person connections are powerful and meaningful despite social rank. I think she finds this equality to be so important because of the nature of her childhood--injustice has practically been the bane of her existence. She was unjustly treated as child and an orphan at the Reed's, then as a student of Lowood, and finally (so she thought) with Mr. Rochester. Of course equality is important to her--she has been the victim of her culture's inequality.
ReplyDelete@ Olivia
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that education and intellect are Jane's primary focus when it comes to equality. She never puts herself on the same level as Mr. Rochester socially or economically. She simply sees herself as an educated individual and she seems to hold education and intellect over social and economic standing. This is a new idea from a time period where social classes were everything. Jane is judging people on who they are as a person
In response to McKenzie...
ReplyDeleteI agree that Jane doesn't want to be viewed as this sort of woman, and that she wants the same freedom that the male gender has. I do however think that female subordinance applies to her, she just refuses to go along with it. as you said, it is not logical for her. She is her own woman and wants to be viewed that way, with freedom and the chance to live a fair life.
-Tia Keene
Throughout her entire life, Jane has been put in situations where she was treated very unequally. As a child she lived with her aunt, who really didn’t care much about her and saw her only for her low social class. After she moved to Lowood, the different social classes’ equality continued to not be equal. There was a clear gap between Mr. Brocklehurst and his family, and the living conditions of the Lowood students. This inequality continues throughout her life with others such as Rochester and St. John. However it seems to shape her into the confident person she is. Jane never ceases to assert herself in unfair situations. Jane goes against the common view of women during this time period, refusing to believe that gender or social class should have any say in the equality between people. Rather, she thinks that people should value intellect and education.
ReplyDeleteJane knows that she deserves respect and she is careful to be respectful at the same time. She recognizes good attributes that people have, but does not necessarily hold them in a higher regard because of them. Jane often remarks on beauty, or the lack of it, in the book - to her this is not something to be rewarded for, similar to Rochester's quote, beauty is purely a result of nature. Equality has been important to Jane since she was very young. She grew up humbly and was often wronged and unfairly judged. For example, her arrival at Lowood was stressful because she knew if portrayed badly at first, she would have a difficult time from then on.
ReplyDelete-Kelsey Young
To Olivia -
ReplyDeleteI agree that Jane uses intelligence as a measure of equality rather than social status or gender. She sees through and defies the way society favors certain individuals and is not fearful of doing so. However, at the same time, it seems to me that she does not fully understand why the way she speaks to people is surprising.
-Kelsey Young