Charlotte Brontë was trying to persuade her reading audience to view her work objectively and judge it on its own merits by writing under the name ‘Currer Bell’. All the Brontë sisters used pseudonyms that were ambiguous. They were not overtly masculine or feminine. The novel is about a passionate relationship between a man and a woman. To be taken seriously by critics and readers, Brontë had to persuade her audience that she was a man. Reviews where favorable until they found out she was a woman then they became more negative.
In the novel, Brontë depicts Rochester as a harsh and aloof man. In the nineteenth century men ruled the world. Women were meant to be seen, but not heard. By using a pseudonym Brontë persuaded her male readers to view Rochester objectively so they could see his strengths and weaknesses. Brontë created a very strong female character who served as role model for women in that time because she defines Rochester, her master, and becomes an independent woman.
well devised. I think you open up a small Pandora's box here - We'll have to put this out to the class on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteI would say that "Currer Bell" was trying to let her readers have a small hint of a theme of what the book is about;feminism. Of course in this era women were still somewhat looked down upon as "less intelligent". Because of this men didn't take womens' ideas seriously. However, Charlotte wanted to be taken seriously and therefore disguised herself as "Currer Bell"; a man. By deceiving her viewing audience, she got more approval by them and her critics.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, (much as it was during that time) women again were looked down upon. Charlotte wanted to battle this idea by creating perhaps creating a character in her own image, Jane Eyre. Jane is a very strong minded women who stands a firm ground in anything she is put into. She has more qualities of a man rather than a woman, and by doing this Jane is appreciated (secretly) and ridiculed more. Bronte paralleled her female character with a male character, Rochester. Rochester does share some of her traits but he seems to be more of a woman in his way of running away, being weak minded and being attracted to "pretty things".