Like Charles Dickens's 'David Copperfield, 'Jane Eyre' is a bildungsroman, a novel in which the protagonist must undergo a form of spiritual education, to overcome the obstacles they face throughout their lives. In this novel, Jane must overcome her fiery passions that are physically manifested by Jane's 'alter ego' Bertha Mason. ... Robert Southey sums up the typical views of 1840s England, as well as the response to the novel arguing: "women shouldn't try to redefine their roles in society.... Both Jane and Bronte believe that "women suffe...

• Word Count: 893
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Graduate

However, rather than launching into an explicit diatribe against the repressive societal standards women of the 18th century were subject to, Manley's novel employs a more subtle approach in highlighting the contradictory foundation upon which 18th-century concepts of femininity and female sexuality were based. ... Throughout the novel, honor and sexual chastity are linked inexorably with reputation, the implication being that the former two are very determinedly dependent on the latter. ... The novel suggests that female violence is a direct cause of a weak social system that refuses wom...

• Word Count: 1986
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Graduate