The Marriage between Equals: Gender Relations in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

Abstract

Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre has been approached from different perspectives.This thesis"The Marriage between Equals: Gender Relations in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre" attempts to examine the mutual relationship and interdependence in companionate marriage.The novel’s three characters–Jane, Rochester and St.John Rivers–have different views and ideals regarding marriage and family relationship.Mr.Rochesterat firstand St. John Rivers attemptto have traditional dynastic type of marriage with Jane. The power of masculinity and conventionality is ultimately defeated by Jane as she gets married with Rochester on the basis of mutual relationship. This research explains the companionate marriage between Jane and Mr. Rochester by tracing the historical,social and cultural background of Victoriantimes. The male domineering power of the 19 th century is evident in Mr. Rochester and St. John. The social and historical framework of marriage allows me to examine the characters of this novel from the perspective of woman’s consciousness.Marriage with love and mutual bond are elements of companionate marriage, which this research attempts to highlight. This novel has the pattern of women's consciousness which rejects Victorian conventionalities concerning marriage and domestic life. Charlotte Brontë creates a radical form of marriage between equal partners only when Mr.Rochester realizes his mistakes and accepts marriage as based in mutual relationship.