JANE
EYRE, A PORTRAYAL OF BRITISH MIDDLE CLASS
WOMEN
IN THE 19th CENTURY AS REFLECTED
IN
CHARLOTTE BRONTE’S NOVEL “JANE EYRE”
CHAPTER
I
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
There was a great change in social and economic organization, which resulted
from the replacement of hand tools by the machine and powered tools in Great
Britain between 1750– 1830. It was known as Industrial Revolution. Although the
Industrial Revolution brought obvious advantages to mankind, it also brought
harm to many people who lived through it, especially women and children.
In Britain, three structure classes generally called as the urban social hierarchy
were formed when Industrial Revolution was occurring. First is the Aristocracy.
It is the upper stratum of the society. The second class is the middle class.
The third class is the working class. They consisted of high- skilled,
semiskilled and unskilled people. According to Perkin in Origins of Modern
English Society (1969: 176), Middle classes constituted a new class society in
the era of Industrial Revolution. Great Britain may have had predominantly
open- class type in the nineteenth century. Open class permit people to change
status with relative ease all during that century, and continuing up to the
present.
Middle class was formed by the people from the lower rank which had enough
education and better profession, therefore they could rise their life into a better
condition. As the industrial revolution grew larger, middle classes succeeded
in industry, trade and commerce and also technology (Perkin, 1969: 176).
In the early 19th century, middle class women were required to become obedienct,
secret and bend. Married women they were absolutely subordinate to their
husbands. The men considered their wives their properties and unfortunately, so
did the law.
Women had double values. They considered themselves best as householders
and workers. Women in the 19th century started to enter the men’s dominated
world of “working”, the world that was used to be prohibited for female.
Working was the means to release them from the old and conventional thought
that woman for centuries were subordinate to men and could do nothing outside
their house.
The novel which is analyzed here more or less shows a portrayal of a British
Middle class women. From the earliest time until a modern technology era with
its modern way of thinking, women have always become an interesting topic. Women
can become workers. They work for a living. For married women, they work for
their family. They do all any household chores, get pregnant and nurse their
children without any complaints.
Furthermore, literature is a part of my major. And as a student of
English Department who take study to get bachelor degree, I attempt to conduct
a library research focusing on British middle class women in the 19th century
found in Charlotte Bronte’s novel “Jane Eyre” by using sociological approach.
1.2
Reasons for Choosing the Topic
In this study the writer chooses Charlotte Bronte’s novel “Jane Eyre” because
of three reasons namely, the novel contains many kinds of values which we can
learn, the novel still uses unfamiliar and difficult words, and it also reveals
women emancipation especially in education and profession field. Firstly,
Charlotte Bronte’s novel which was published in 1847 contains many kinds of
values which we learn. Values of human nature in that era also still relevant
to be discussed, since human nature does not change from time to time.
In line with this Barrows, et al. (1959: 10) say that “But we also want
to be offered something new when we read, not absolutely new, perhaps, because human
nature doesn’t change very much, but at least a new combination of human traits,
a new illustration at least of how human behave …”. Besides, Benton in Encyclopaedia
Britannica (1969: 78) states that it maintains its particular powerful spell
despite its melodramatic sentimental.
Next, since the novel belongs to one of the great classics and still uses
many unfamiliar and difficult words, the writer is challenged to analyze it in
order that she is able to understand it and finally she is able to contribute
her work to all readers. Hopefully, it will be useful for all.
Finally, Charlotte Bronte’s novel “Jane Eyre” reveals women emancipation
especially in education and profession, which is showed through the hard
working life of Jane Eyre. She tried hard to study by reading many books which
she found in the library of her aunt, eventhough she has not been sent to school
yet. It finally became very useful when she was sent to school. She could be
the leader of her friends, because she was smart enough. We can also learn and understand
how important education is for us, especially women.
1.3
Statements of the Problem
In this final project I liked to analyze the portrayal of British middle
class women by presenting and focusing the discussion on the following
problems:
a.
How
is the characterization of the main character?
b.
How
is the education of British middle class women in the 19th century portrayed in
the novel through the main character?
c.
How
is the profession of British middle class women in the 19th century
portrayed in the novel through the main character?
1.4
The Objectives of the Study
The objectives
of the Study are stated as follows:
a.
To
explain the characterization of the main character.
b.
To
analyze the education of British middle class women in the 19th century
through the main character in the novel.
c.
To
discuss the profession of British middle class women in the 19th century
trough the main character in the novel.
1.5
Significance of the Study
By studying the novel, it is hoped that besides the readers will be able
to deepen their understanding in the content of the story and could determine
the problem represent in the story, the readers also can get many
interpretations of literary works where they can get more knowledge about
values caught from the reading. This final project helps the readers realize
that education can change someones liveinto a better condition.
1.6
Outline of the Study
The writer divides her study into five chapters. Each chapter explains different
to the topics, which is going to be discussed.
The first chapter is the introduction. This chapter consists of
background of the study, reasons for choosing the topic, statements of the
problems, objectives of the study, significance of the study and outline of the
study.
Chapter two presents the review of related literature. This chapter discusses
about the intrinsic and extrinsic element of the novel, the education and profession
of British middle class women condition in the 19th century.
Chapter three deals with the research methodology. This chapter presents the
object of the study, type of data, procedures of collecting data, and
procedures of analyzing data.
Chapter four presents the data and the analysis of the novel. This
chapter discusses about the character and characterization of Jane Eyre, and
explain the education and profession of British middle class women condition in
the 19th century through the main character.
And the last one is chapter five. This chapter presents some conclusions
and suggest
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