Jane Eyre & Mrs Dalloway essay plans

“Women’s identities are shaped and constrained by the societies they inhabit.”
In the light of this view, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present the role of society in shaping women’s lives.

St John & Peter Walsh/other men - represent society's attempt at constraining of Jane and Clarissa's identities

But they both escape this confinement - Jane's marriage; Clarissa finds power in her role as hostess because she is able to find & culture connection

“The female body is both a source of power and a site of control.”
Compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway explore the significance of the body in relation to women’s experiences.

Oppressed s*xuality - Jane Eyre, oppressed & controlled - red room as symbolic of female body; versus Clarissa in the attic - could be seen as controlled but also an escape

Hunger as a means for control - Jane at Lowood and also with St John; versus Miss Kilman trying to exert control via eating in vain - female powerlessness exposed

“The boundary between the public and private spheres is central to women’s lives.”
In the light of this statement, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present the relationship between public and private spaces.

Privacy - empowering - Ferndean; retreat to the attic

Public - disempowered for Jane (Blanche) but also empowered bc of 'moral clarity' her isolation affords her, arguably in some ways empowered for Clarissa (empowered by her party)

“Class determines both freedom and limitation for women.”
Compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway explore the relationship between class and power.

Class as limiting power- Jane - lower class than Rochester - trapped in unequal relationship; Miss Kilman - lower class - trapped without power

Class as enabling power - Jane - heiress - able to be equal with Rochester; Clarissa - able to be a hostess with the social power to connect people

“Women are oppressed by institutions such as marriage and the church.”
In the light of this view, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present oppression.

Oppression by marriage? Jane could be oppressed by Rochester but escaped this; Clarissa could be oppressed by her marriage (& resulting role as hostess) but escapes this

Oppression by church - St John; Miss Kilman - representatives of oppressive religion - escaped

“Women are punished if they seek to rebel against oppression.”
Explore how far you agree with this view by comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway.

Yes punished - Bertha for sexuality; Miss Kilman for unfemininity

But both writers also show characters who escape punishment - alternative - exposes limits of their feminism/limits of socially acceptable transgressiveness: Clarissa is able to escape oppression & isn't punished; Jane is able to escape oppression & isn't punished

OR - instead of Clarissa, Sally? Stronger point?

“Social conventions both unite and isolate women.”
In the light of this view, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present women’s interactions within society.

Social convention drives wedges between women (Clarissa and Miss Kilman; Jane and Blanche)

Social convention forces women to be in private when they pursue their desires

Both women achieve connection anyway

OR: 1. isolate, plight of governesses - what does this symbolise about women more widely ? (governesses = educating girls)

2. united by sexuality - as doubles (Jane and Bertha); Clarissa and Sally (as romantic connection). these connections are in private though —> women forced to connect only in private- generally forced into siding with husband (rochester, richard)

“Madness is used to silence and control women.”
Compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present the relationship between women and mental instability.

Madness used by society to control both genders - Bertha (as a comment on sexuality/Gothic trope); Septimus (as a comment on rest cure)

Madness used by writers to 'free' women - Bertha as a sacrifice to plot; Septimus dying instead of Clarissa. Bronte shows limitations of her proto-feminism; Woolf shows extent of her feminism.

“Women’s experiences of desire are shaped by external pressures.”
In the light of this statement, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present female desire.

Free desire - not marrying St John or Peter -autonomy - preserving inner self  - for Jane her desire and her sense of self are synonymous; for Clarissa, she chooses her sense of self

Confined desire - both only able to experience their desire in privacy/specific conditions (argue against for Jane though)

Confined desire - Miss Kilman and Bertha - limited female freedom to socially acceptable degree/to upper class

“Clothing and appearance reflect deeper truths about women’s identities.”
Compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway use the body and appearance to present women’s lives.

Age - Jane defined by her age- but achieves power ; Clarissa defined by her age- but achieves power. Comment on how both age and youth equates powerlessness for women - there may be a 'golden period', perhaps when a woman is of childbearing age  - But both Jane and Clarissa escape this powerlessness. Think about how Jane's youth equals innocence and Rochester tries to appropriate it

Beauty - Blanche, Miss Kilman - beauty as desirable but not decisive. Beauty (femininity?) related to class but not to personality necessarily --> critique of obsession with appearances? Blanche used as a foil for Jane

“The domestic sphere is a place of safety, isolation and confinement.”
In the light of this view, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present the domestic lives of women.

Safety - Marsh End, Clarissa in the attic

Isolation - governess; disconnected from Richard

Confinement - could see marriage to Rochester as confinement, but argue against; Clarissa similarly could be seen as confined in her role as hostess

OR

1. confined - potentially but both escape

2. isolation/bad treatment - as governesses

OR better -

1. oppression in the domestic sphere = forced into roles (wife, fairy, hostess) - risk to female identity

2. power in domestic sphere - marriage to R, Clarissa the connector

“Women’s lives are profoundly shaped by political and social structures beyond their control.”
Compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway engage with political and social concerns.

Political: Chartism - idea of rebellion; Decline of ruling class & empire - critique/satire of upper class

Social: expectations for women  - confinement in roles (argue against though)

OR

1. social structures = class - governesses

2. politics = rights of women - marriage, confinement in roles

“Power in relationships is determined by class as much as by gender.”
In the light of this statement, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present relationships between men and women.

Writers present relationships where the man has power due to class and gender  - Rochester (class and gender) - Peter (just gender) - sexual threat

But also the woman - why? Could be seen as because of class but Jane has power before becoming an heiress , and Clarissa and Peter aren't in that diff classes. --> idea of inherent feminine power. Jane power over Rochester, Clarissa power over Peter. Could write about how this is shown at the party too - Peter as failure of what he set out to be versus Clarissa as vibrant connector ( see below for better)

OR

1. determined by gender (since both same class) - but both women escape/subvert - St John (proposal refused) & Richard (isolated vs connected)

2. sexual threat - despite class (since peter is lower) (rochester and peter)

3. but both also subverted - jane gets equality; Clarissa = more powerful than peter

overall women more powerful in these texts

“Women are judged more harshly than men within their societies.”
Compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present scrutiny and judgment of women.

Negative judgement - Bertha, Miss Kilman

Judging into roles - wife, hostess - both escape

 

 

 

Or

Both men and women face judgement

Peter faces less judgement than a woman in his position - in love with married woman

But Rochester, in parallel  situation - in love despite being married himself - still faces judgement - his symbolic 'castration' as a punishment for his attempted bigamy

 

Women also judged - missionary's wife; effusive and insincere - but escapes these judgements

 

Septimus judged harshly - medical criticism

Rochester faces judgement too - punished

But not as much???

“Women’s voices are often constrained, yet they find ways to assert themselves.”
Compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present female voice and expression.

Constrained into roles - wife, hostess

But they escape

But some characters do not

“Ageing and mortality shape women’s understanding of themselves.”
In the light of this view, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present ageing and mortality.

Jane defined by her age- but achieves power ; Clarissa defined by her age- but achieves power

Comment on how both age and youth equates powerlessness for women - there may be a 'golden period', perhaps when a woman is of childbearing age

But both Jane and Clarissa escape

“Women’s lives are defined by conflict between independence and constraint.”
In the light of this view, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present women’s struggles for autonomy.

Constraint - trapped in roles - wife, hostess

Independence - escaping the roles - autonomy /power - is that the same as independence? Independence of action/rising above the role = autonomy.

Limited -? Bertha - constrained and only achieves independence in death - not empowered in the same way

 Miss Kilman - independence but isolation

“Power is never equally distributed between men and women.”
In the light of this statement, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present gendered power.

Rochester has power; Peter has power

But subverted

“The search for selfhood is central to women’s experiences.”
In the light of this view, compare how Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway present women’s journeys towards self-understanding.

Sense of self denied by men - Rochester, St John, Peter

And denied by marriage - Jane Rochester, Mrs Dalloway

But women find themselves anyway by pursuing their desire - Jane marrying R, Clarissa thinking about Sally

"Women are acutely aware of the importance of money and status."

By comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, explore how far you agree with this claim.

Yes aware of their importance in how they limit their power & both also think they should be equal - Jane and Miss Kilman. Woolf shows how MK is isolated due to her class - same for Jane (disconnected from Rochester)

Perhaps ultimately unimportant - anticlimax of the Prime Minister; whereas for Jane they raise her power - but also they live in private without status & she knows they are equal anyway

“Women’s lives are shaped by romance.”
By comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, explore how far you agree with this claim.

Yes Jane's story is largely characterised by romance - the arc of her story is the relationship with Rochester - meeting, dilemma, denouement. In terms of plot !

But actually more a journey of self discovery - her marriage is symptomatic of her pursuit of selfhood ; the meeting, dilemma and denouement are actually characterised by Jane's growing assertion of selfhood

Yes Clarissa 's life is shaped by her marriage to Richard - it has dictated her role as hostess - it has dictated the course of her life.

But she is more than just a hostess -a force of connection in the isolated, superficial London society - so she supersedes these boundaries of 'mere hostess' which her marriage dictated for her, therefore her life is not solely shaped by romance  - life more shaped by her inner explorations, inner power, inner gift etc - that is what characterises and dictates her role as hostess

Or clarissa's life is shaped by her search for independence - she is active

"Women are often portrayed as in control of the social world and social gatherings."

By comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, explore how far you agree with this claim.

No - Jane behind the curtain

Also detached from social world in her marriage - but this does not equate powerlessness

No - Clarissa - role forced on her - society has forced the social world on her so society is the one in control

But yes she is empowered by it - force for connection

"Female figures in literature have to settle for what life offers them."

By comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, explore how far you agree with this claim.

Bertha - unable to rebel against what is imposed on her - role of madwoman

Jane - able to hold out until she receives what she wants/able to advocate for better

Miss Kilman - unable to obtain what she desires, stuck at bottom of society

Clarissa - autonomous about her marriage + future - enables her both privacy and her gift as connector 

"Endurance is a key quality for female characters in literature."

By comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, explore how far you agree with this claim.

Jane endures a lot and is rewarded

Does Clarissa endure ???? 'the heat of the sun' stuff??kind of pales in comparison with Jane's sufferings though

Her story isn't really about endurance

Internal struggles - menopause etc

Both suffer & endure the suffering but also achieve autonomy

Both writers also present characters who struggle & endure and are not rewarded in any way

Bertha

Miss Kilman

Women have to endure stuff?

"Female characters are shown to be more emotional and expressive than their male counterparts."

By comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, explore how far you agree with this claim.

Bertha passionate, Miss Kilman passionate - but voids their femininity, so how can emotional expression equate femininity?

Septimus/Peter and Rochester - both super passionate (more than Clarissa - parallel/surrogate) & Rochester trying to define Jane as symbolic of this

"Rather than making things happen, female characters in literature tend to be observers."

By comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, explore how far you agree with this claim.

Jane behind the window

Clarissa withdrawn

Jane active

Clarissa active

Some women not afforded this luxury

"Capturing the woman's viewpoint often means telling the story in a completely new way."

By comparing Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, explore how far you agree with this claim.

In what ways are the texts told in 'new ways'

• Jane as the heroine

• MD - modernist, the atoms as they fall, use of doubling, fragmentation of time

 

In what ways do they 'capture the woman's viewpoint'

• Jane - selfhood

• Clarissa - exploration of age? What it means to be a woman - using memories and theme of time