Representation of women in Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Representation of women in Jane Eyre, Great Expectations and the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales

In Victorian culture, Women were Idolized, Protected and Oppressed

During the Victorian era from the year, 1837-1901 there was a definite gender role in England. During the period, women and men had very different roles in the society. Women and men perceptions were ideologically different. Men were superior to women during this period. It was a believe during the Victorian era that men had the capacity to reason, had their own self-interest, had the right of choice, as well as independence. This was not the case for women since women did not enjoy such rights (Goldhill, 2011). A woman of this era had to portray her feminine characteristics, which meant that one had to be emotionally dependent on their men, and had to be submissive.

Following such outlook and perception of the society at the time, the view of men by the society was rational compared to women. This meant that they were dominant thus governed sex and all activities of women. Additionally, women's sexual orientations influenced their interactions and were to follow the norms of the society that meant they were second to men. The society at that time regarded women as being sensitive, dutiful, and irrational. From ancient times, women governance was solely based on their reproductive roles. One can clearly have a picture of the ancient times by relating to the Roman, Hebrew, Babylonian, and Christian cultures. These cultures depict women as subordinates to men, which takes the social and legal context. In this age, women's desires are dependent on their men.

Historical Perspectives

Ancient information about the role of women and their position in the society brings a reader to the realization of how women performed their duties to the society, and in a family setting. In Ancient Greece, as well as Britain, women had very little chances to education. Women during these times were property of their men, and they lived in segregation only to leave their houses with the permission of their men. Women legally had fewer rights than men. A woman of these periods had no right to own or sell land. Raped women did not have the right to wear jewelry, and their husbands were forced to either divorce or lose their citizenship (Griffin, 2012).

The English law on women during the Victorian period borrowed from ancient cultures, which includes the Roman and other cultures. Under the Roman law, husbands had a lot of power over their wives to the point that they could kill them. In relation to the Persian culture, a man was supposed to govern his wife by either using threats or giving her a large sum of money thus making her a mistress of her expenses. In the English law of the period, women's legal identity disappeared as soon as they got married. All of her legal rights were under the control of her husband; this meant that she could no longer sue or contract without the authority of her husband. All of her property; whatever she inherited and her dowry belonged to her husband. The only exceptions to these were her jewelry, plates, bed linen, and clothes. From this representation of the life of a woman during the Victorian period, an extension of other cultures provides the oppression women underwent. Women had to remain faithful to their husbands to the point where they were required to wear chastity belts. Women also had no right in determining their marriages (Goldhill, 2011). Their parents arranged most of the marriages during the period. It was a norm for girls of tender ages of up to four years to have their marriages arranged, and it was possible for a girl of as young as seven-year to agree to marriage. However, such marriages were not acceptable until the girls reached twelve years of age.

Roles of Women

The role of a woman during the Victoria era had a striking discrepancy to the role of women in today's era. During this era, women had no rights to sue, to own property as well as suffrage rights. It was also during this that the industrial revolution had an impact on women. Women during the period started working in factories for pay. With their increased participation in the industrial revolution, women got a chance to education and thus an increase in feminist ideas. Feminist ideologies were common with the middle class educated women who made it necessary to change the repressive laws at the time. The role of a woman during the Victorian era, were to provide their husbands with food and other comforts, raise children and clean their homes.

Oppression of Women at this era was extensive since it meant that once a woman got married; she would lose several rights, including property ownership rights, as well as other rights. Once a Victorian woman was married, all her rights moved to her spouse. Under the law of the time, marriages meant a union, which became a single entity, and in this entity, the man became its head. This gave men a right to control all earnings and property thus women lost the rights to ownership of money and other properties to their husbands. During this era, a woman was the property of her husband; these rights bordered on sex and even domestic labor. A woman was supposed to give birth to children and women were sexual objects to men since they had no right to consent sexual intercourse with their bodies. Since their men owned women's bodies, men had the right to intercourse with multiple women and their wives as they desired. It is not wrong to equate marriage to slavery at the period since it was an expectation for women to fulfill the desires of their men without complaint. Both married and single women in the Victorian era faced same challenges. They were both disadvantaged sexually and financially; their status was horrible.

To a Victorian woman, marriage was a contract that robbed them their rights and freedoms. This contract was difficult for any woman escape, in case of disagreements. Over the period, women underwent many challenges, but they endured while making strides in fighting for equality. Women of this era endured sexual abuse, husband control, verbal abuse, cruelty from their husbands. Women were supposed to have sexual relations with only one man, during the Victorian era, while men would have multiple partners (Palmer, 2011). They had to endure such abuses and cruelty since divorce was not an option. Divorce, in this era, was a taboo that any woman would not have wished to break.

Feminism Presented by Jane Eyre

The notable thing brought by this novel is the role played by Jane in transforming the role of a Woman at Victorian era. Jane's independence and freedom was way beyond the era. That is why some critics see the writer of this novel as thinking beyond her era. Jane shows her capacity to make her own free decisions. Despite the challenges this woman undergoes through her life, the men she met, and her low social standing, she is able to push away all male characters in her life wanting to control her freedom (Newton, 2013). In her interactions with Mr. Rochester, one comes to realize that an established man with his own ego, Rochester demands from Jane rather than questioning.

Jane is perhaps a champion for the rights of women, and their position in the Victorian era. With her low social class, she finds out that for a woman in her era, she either works hard for her independence or gets married and becomes dependent on her husband. Even though men in Jane's life try to establish themselves as dominant, she has a way of refusing their advances thus preserves her independence. The only time one sees Jane comfortably attached to a man is when she is emotionally, financially, and mentally independent (Bloom, 2009).

Women Representation in Great Expectations / Idolization

Charles Dickens comes with a novel "Great Expectation." He tries to portray to the reader the cultural practices of his time. However, for a long time critics argue that Dickens through his works did not truly understand women. However, looking closely at her works one comes to the realization that he was somehow a campaigner of women from how he paints some of his female characters in great light. When one takes a keen look at his novel great expectations, one gets to see great and powerful women characters. One needs to see the significance and importance of Miss Havisham. Like other famous and powerful women Havisham equals characters like Hamlet who have a thing or two influencing today's culture (Gates, 2009). The novel starts by describing her as sinister, but as the story progresses she become pitiable.

The narration brings into perspective the moral perspective of the society. It lays her plan where she plans to revenge on a man who exploited her freedom. She is able to frustrate the man by using another woman who seduces the man to the point of no return, but eventually breaking his heart since she cannot love her back. Nevertheless, Havisham is not a bad person as it is shown through the narration; since she has a heart to realize that, her plan will not only hurt the man who she wants to revenge. The realization that Estella has a cold heart on suitors further breaks the heart of Miss Havisham. Dickens in his narration idolizes women by proving their positive contribution in the society. He explains the ideal of motherhood in the Victorian era, masculinity, and feminism.

Dickens gives the story of his characters under strict gender realities of the time. Most of his female characters appear in their Victorian ideals, which are angelic feminist, womanhood while male characters take female roles in the story. As one can see Pip gets confused of his gender identity; he gets between the vulnerability of feminism and the strength of masculinity (Marcus, 2009). Charles Dickens idolizes women characters, which become a change to the Victorian culture. In his interpretation of the feminists of the Victorian era, Dickens shows that Estella was neither fragile nor docile, while Miss Havisham provides the character of a strong woman in her time (Gates, 2009).

Representation of Women in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

In the Victorian age, many things were happening, and the society was undergoing many transformations. It was during this era that the industrial revolution became an important part of the Victorian culture. This revolution changed lives of many British families, as well as their cultures. With all of this madness or development depending on one's point of vision, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde presented a "Strange Case" scenario. In this case, there is a depiction of split personality. In this case, Dr. Jekyll believed he had two split personalities. Through his medical experimentation, he is an upright citizen, loved by friends and family members (Stevenson, 2004). While, on the other hand, Mr. Hyde has a dark side. He believes that he can do wrong without noticing, but he fails to control his other personality and commits suicide.

His case of split personality has an influence on the position of women in the Victorian society. His influence had an impact on the Victorian poetry and stories. It is true that both women and men faced same life scenarios in the era. Since the country was at a difficult period, people faced same challenges with the industrial revolution. Some of these problems were gender specific, as one would accept the shift of women from households to factories. It was an expectation that women would have feminine stand, and men a masculine approach (Stevenson, 2004). The man had his responsibilities in a marriage, in the family and relating to morality. Men with split gender personality such as homosexuality were not acceptable in the Victorian culture.

Homosexual partners were supposed to renounce their marriages. The society expected women to be innocent, beautiful, meek, ignorant, and submissive to men. Men were supposed to be providers for their family while women were supposed to marry, raise children, and perform domestic chores. The performance of women and men in the society had a great impact on the society, and expected to suppress their bad personalities. In the Victorian era, motherhood was more important than marriage. Women were supposed to give birth to children and look after homesteads.

Conclusion

Women's position in the Victorian era had a role to play in society. Their position in the society made it possible for them to bear children, raise families, and satisfy the needs of their husbands. The social setting of the Victorian society provided institutions of marriage; there were conditions to womanhood, at this period. Womanhood was different to sex. In this period, sex was seen as dirty, and it was important only for childbearing. During the Victorian period, women got the second position to men. They had their rights taken away while they were supposed to be submissive to their husbands. The society at this period ensured that women did not have a right to property or even freedom of choice (Davidoff, 2013). Purity of women was so important in the society.

Women were supposed to have sexual intercourse with only one man while men had relations with many women. Therefore, in order for a woman to enjoy the freedom in this era, they had to ignore motherhood and fight rules and notions of the society set by men. Despite one becoming a mother in the period, they were essentially lonely. Women needed to be submissive, respectful to their husbands and kept away from public participation. During the Victorian era, women worked and followed rules laid by men. Women acts were under the discretion of men. Men justified these actions by instilling their supremacy through abuse and extreme suppression measures. One can equate the abuse and exploitation of women during the Victorian era to slavery.