JANE EYRE, A PORTRAYAL OF BRITISH MIDDLE CLASS WOMEN IN THE 19th CENTURY AS REFLECTED IN CHARLOTTE BRONTE’S NOVEL “JANE EYRE”

ABSTRACT
There are many advantages of reading a novel. One of them is to share
experiences with the characters of the novel. Further, hopefully people can learn
something about life from the characters.
This thesis is about a portrayal of a middle class woman. This study is
aimed at analyzing the character of Jane Eyre and to find out the British middle
class women condition in the 19th century through education and profession. The
study will be limited into the main character, Jane Eyre and the setting, which has
a relationship to the main character. For the discussion, the writer used method of
research and method of approach. The Objective approach was used to analyze the
character of Jane Eyre and the setting of the novel, which took place in the 19th
century. Sociological approach certainly made the discussion clearer.

Jane Eyre was an orphan who lived under the care of her aunt. She was
described as a little rebellious girl, she was sent to Lowood, an orphan boarding
school, at the age of ten. In Lowood, she learnt well about many things. It affected
on her attitude and behavior. When she grew up, she became mature and full of
affection to anyone. She was still a rebellious woman but she rebelled against the
conventionalities which put women in the subordinate position compared to men.
She thought that women can be a worker and lived independently. It motivated
her to find a new profession which was suitable with her education. Then she
became a private governess. With her education, she was able to obtain a better
life. She was also described as a faithfully lover who felt in love with her master.
From the analysis, we can conclude that Jane Eyre is a portrayal of a
British middle class woman in the 19th century. She had an education and with her
education, she could earn a living as a governess. She proved that a woman could
work and could live on her own.
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