Women in Victorian Novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights

Session

Education and Development

Description

The Victorian era was named after the reign of “Queen Victoria” from 1837 until 1901. It was a chaotic yet fascinating era for Britain. The nation was rich in culture, literature, art, and music. The century saw unprecedented changes in the conditions of women's lives as well as the consolidation of a powerful female literary tradition. Herein this paper delves into the insights of the two iconic novels of Victorian time, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Hights, by analyzing the roles, characteristics and societal changes faced by the female protagonist Jane Eyre and Catherine Earnshaw. Despite these extensive and varied developments, they were denied numerous rights since they lived in a patriarchal culture where males were granted all rights and a woman's place after marriage was at home. The two sexes now inhabited what Victorians thought of as ‘separate spheres’, only coming together at breakfast and again at dinner. The upper-class women belonged at home near their husbands and kids. Women were seen as an object of joy and sex and someone who should satisfy men. Women were mainly categorized as being moral and faithful married partners, staying home, or ending up in the streets as a prostitute to please someone else’s needs. For most women during this era, marriage was an avoidable option whether they wanted it or not. In addition, in this period, the rights of married women, their property, and even their identity almost ceased to exist by law; she was under the complete and total supervision of her husband, and through the marriage, husband and wife became one person whatever view he presented was the unquestionable truth.

Keywords:

feminism, gender roles, social constraints, self-independence, female identity.

Proceedings Editor

Edmond Hajrizi

ISBN

978-9951-550-95-6

Location

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

Start Date

28-10-2023 8:00 AM

End Date

29-10-2023 6:00 PM

DOI

10.33107/ubt-ic.2023.330

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Oct 28th, 8:00 AM Oct 29th, 6:00 PM

Women in Victorian Novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

The Victorian era was named after the reign of “Queen Victoria” from 1837 until 1901. It was a chaotic yet fascinating era for Britain. The nation was rich in culture, literature, art, and music. The century saw unprecedented changes in the conditions of women's lives as well as the consolidation of a powerful female literary tradition. Herein this paper delves into the insights of the two iconic novels of Victorian time, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Hights, by analyzing the roles, characteristics and societal changes faced by the female protagonist Jane Eyre and Catherine Earnshaw. Despite these extensive and varied developments, they were denied numerous rights since they lived in a patriarchal culture where males were granted all rights and a woman's place after marriage was at home. The two sexes now inhabited what Victorians thought of as ‘separate spheres’, only coming together at breakfast and again at dinner. The upper-class women belonged at home near their husbands and kids. Women were seen as an object of joy and sex and someone who should satisfy men. Women were mainly categorized as being moral and faithful married partners, staying home, or ending up in the streets as a prostitute to please someone else’s needs. For most women during this era, marriage was an avoidable option whether they wanted it or not. In addition, in this period, the rights of married women, their property, and even their identity almost ceased to exist by law; she was under the complete and total supervision of her husband, and through the marriage, husband and wife became one person whatever view he presented was the unquestionable truth.