Reader, I Married Him: Charlotte Brontë’s Defiance Against Gender Norms

“Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more priviledged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.” - Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë—or under their male pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell respectively—were 19th century poets and novelists with their works accepted as literary classics. Charlotte, as the oldest, is best known for her four novels: Jane Eyre, Shirley, Vilette, and The Professor. Emily wrote a sole book, Wuthering Heights along with other poetry which were published as a collection alongside the other two sisters under their male pseudonyms. Anne was the author of two books, Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the latter widely considered one of the first feminist novels.

Perhaps one of the most well-known out of the novels by the Brontë sisters is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. If you have not read Jane Eyre and are planning to, I would advise you to not read the following paragraphs as I will discuss plots and themes.

Jane Eyre                   

Though the actions of protagonist Jane are often questionable to say the least, it is absolutely undeniable that Jane Eyre was well ahead of its time with its social criticism and refreshing female autonomy.

The novel is in the perspective of a woman which was a rarity at the time, and Charlotte makes good use of this by showcasing the many things on a woman’s mind—things not limited to sewing, painting, family life, romance, but also morality, divide within social classes, and religion. Throughout the novel, Jane is a force to be reckoned with—she suffers and survives mistreatment from her relatives, endures hardships at her school, speaks her mind all the time, and refuses when she decides something steps over her moral boundaries. 

I can immediately think of two instances where this happens: her relationship with Mr. Rochester, and later, St. John Rivers. 

St. John Rivers proposes to Jane for her to become his wife as a missionary in India, but she refuses despite his persuading because it would go against her personal happiness. Even when he threatens her after her refusal, she is adamant in her decision and does not want to form a union devoid of actual love. Though it may seem like an insignificant action in our current day and age, this was monumental at the time and challenged societal boundaries between the roles of men and women.

“I scorn your idea of love," I could not help saying, as I rose up and stood before him, leaning my back against the rock.  "I scorn the counterfeit sentiment you offer:  yes, St. John, and I scorn you when you offer it.” - Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

“Refuse to be my wife, and you limit yourself forever to a track of selfish ease and barren obscurity.” - St. John Rivers, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

On the other hand, though Mr. Rochester is an interesting (or creepy & strange in my opinion) character, Jane falls in love with him. However, after (and bear with me, please) on their wedding day someone objects and thus reveals that Mr. Rochester was still married at the time to a woman who was so “mentally insane” he locked her up in his attic to live in for years, Jane decided to leave him despite her love for him—it was against her morals to be somewhat of a “mistress”. Even though this choice was hard and led her to run away, nearly starving to death, she stood firmly and courageously on her decision knowing she had more self-value than to take on that role. 

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you.” - Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

“I am not an angel,' I asserted; 'and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself. Mr. Rochester, you must neither expect nor exact anything celestial of me - for you will not get it, any more than I shall get it of you: which I do not at all anticipate.” - Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart!” - Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

Years later, she returns out of curiosity and in such a roller coaster of events, we find out that Mr. Rochester’s first & hidden wife, Bertha Mason, had set fire to the building and died by jumping off of the roof and Mr. Rochester himself had lost vision in one of his eyes, his other entire eye, and a hand while he was saving all the servants and attempting to rescue Bertha. This means that Mr. Rochester technically no longer has a wife, and he and Jane are free to marry, which Jane decides to do. Though myself and other readers find Jane’s actions highly questionable at times like these, you can’t help but applaud her as a heroine who stuck to her own wills and desires rather than letting social divide and gender roles dictate her actions and choices, a true example and trailblazer at the time for more female representation and autonomy in novels. At the end in fact, Charlotte ends it with this following line:

“Reader, I married him.” - Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

Typically at that time, an author would likely use “Reader, he married me” instead. However, this simple sentence is defiance itself—it shows that Jane was the driving force of her own narrative: this was her choice, her life, and her happiness.