Setting can be described as the time and place in which an event occurs. It is a major factor in revealing plot and showing character development. The setting in The Grapes of Wrath allows the reader to see the poor conditions in the dust bowl that the Joad family was forced to live and the opportunities they had in California; however, they were unable to obtain them. Charlotte Bronte sets her story, Jane Eyre, in the 1840's, a time often refereed to as the Victorian age. By doing this, the reader can get a sense of how women are treated, and what responsibilities they were required to uphold in society. They rarely held important jobs if they were not married. Instead, they basically had two options either as a governess or a schoolteacher. If they were married they were mothers and hostesses for their husband's parties. Jane was a very strong woman for her time, as she did not allow people to mistreat her. She is on a constant search for love and goes many places to find it. As Jane travels through each place, starting at age ten in Gateshead Hall till she was nineteen in Ferndean, she matures as a result of the experiences that she has, which in turn allows her to become a strong woman. .
In the beginning of the novel, Jane, age ten, lives in Gateshead Hall, a house owned by her uncle. She lived with her Aunt Reed and her three children. Jane was treated as an outcast there because of her lower class background and the fact that her uncle loved her the most over his wife and children. This caused jealousy in the home. "I was a discord at Gateshead Hall; I was like nobody there" (47). In Gateshead Hall Jane was treated as a servant not as a member of their family. She was as an ugly person with a temper in a beautiful rich place. The only form of love that Jane possesses was the doll she slept with every night. Mrs. Reed, her aunt, was an evil woman who believes that she is superior.