V6 P2 W5 position of women/Brontë sisters + Jane Eyre

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 6

Basic rules

• We do our work when we should
• We are silent during explanations and raise our hands for questions
• Our phone is in our "zakkie" on the corner of our table
• We don't eat, drink, or chew gum in class

learning goals

- I know the circumstances for women during the Victorian Age

- I know the plot of Jane Eyre

Romanticism

Victorian

pessimism

Nature = 

godlike

symbolism

Bildungsroman

inspired by the

Renaissance

concern 

for outcasts of society

daily life

visually

descriptive

supernatural

Brontë sisters

Characteristics of Victorian Novel: 

1. Standard middle-class (bourgeoisie) habits and standards of behaviour.

2. The most popular topic is the adaptation of the individual to society. 

3. Emphasis on the way that characters develop. 

(lower class described in a boring manner, aristocracy portrayed in a jealous/arrogant manner). 

Why was the novel successful? 

1. intended for middle class

2. flexible

3. escapism 

4. realistic

5. solutions to complex issues

Bildungsroman

A Bildungsroman is a literary term describing a formative novel about a protagonist’s psychological and moral growth from their youth into adulthood. Bildungsroman novels are generally written in the first-person and often feature the name of the protagonist directly in the title, such as Emma, Jane Eyre, and David Copperfield.

The Bildungsroman literary genre originated in Germany. The German word “bildung” means education” and the German word “roman” means “novel.” Thus, “Bildungsroman” translates to “a novel of education” or “a novel of formation.”

Gothic novel

The adjective gothic describes something that is characterized by mystery, horror, and gloom — especially in literature. Gothic literature combines the genres of romance and horror. Some famous writers of Gothic fiction include Charlotte Bronte, Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe.

Types of jobs for poor women

servants

nannies

governesses

prostitutes

Position of women in Victorian Times

*Poor women had to work

*Bad living conditions

* no rights to vote, husband was the boss

Difference between the classes:

*Rich women were supposed to be "the Angel of the House"

*Well-furnished houses & enough food, servants

* no rights to vote, husband decided on everything

Women's rights

Emancipation: women's rights

in GB called Sufragettes: rights & votes for women 

1918 :allowed to vote if 30 years old

1928: vote at 21 years old

Rights to vote for women & lower classes

Male pseudonyms

no prejudice

freedom of anonymity

to encourage male readership

"We did not like to declare ourselves women, we had a vague impression that authoresses are liable to be looked on with prejudice" 

-- Charlotte Brontë --

Charlotte Brontë

Jane eyre

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