Money talks, wealth whispers - How the power of narrative in Jane Eyre is used transactionally for liberation and oppression
Written By: Lily Dorranian
Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (1847) explores the idea that human nature is transactional. Brontë conceptualises the dynamic between a storyteller and receiver by exploring two perspectives: individualist and feminist. The individualist explores the power of narrative transaction to aid personal liberation and as a symbol of resistance against English nationalism. Conversely, the feminist perspective critiques the transactional state as a perpetuator of male narrative, causing an oppressive dynamic between the sexes - thus women are rendered voiceless and powerless. Brontë uses Jane’s life told throughout the novel as a universal symbol of the search for autonomy and liberation.These perspectives reflect respective tensions in Victorian society and serve as a powerful critique of the oppressive dynamics of her time.
Individualism explores individual narrative as a means of liberation from the controlled and inauthentic collective narrative of Victorian society. Power is gained from physical experience of life, as evidenced in Jane’s outburst, where she claims, “It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity; they must have action." The contrast between “tranquillity” and “action” is Jane’s assertion that individuals must gain control over their respective narratives through the physical experience of life. Jane’s awareness of reality creates a separation between her individual needs and the collective’s. This is evident in her advertising for a job, her leaving of Thornfield and choosing Rochester. The novel displays Jane’s search for and achievement of autonomy and separation from societal constraints. This is evidenced in Jane’s reflection: “Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot.”. The repetition of “millions” and collective language such as “they” and “human beings” establishes the tyrannical nature of the collective narrative, allowing Jane to liberate herself by identifying and renouncing it. The “stiller doom” infers to the lasting impact of Britain’s slave trade; Britain emancipated slaves in 1834, and Jane Eyre was published in 1842; the gap of "eight years since emancipation provided enough historical distance for Brontë to make a serious and public...critique of British slavery and British imperialism..” (Meyer, 71). Jane’s critique reflects the struggle for individual liberation against the deep-rooted collectivism of Victorian society.
The feminist perspective critiques the transactional nature of gender dynamics. Brontë emphasises how gender roles are a product of male narrative and enforce an oppressive dynamic: “I longed for a power of vision” and “I desired more...practical experience." The contrast highlights the gap between the freedom women idealise and their actual powerlessness. This explores two broader issues: to witness life beyond the domestic is reserved for those worthy, implying that women are second-class to men. This implication highlights how women are initiated into a life of value through gender roles. Following Jane’s outburst, explaining that while men and women feel the same, women need “a field for their efforts,". The field metaphorically explains women lack the opportunity to experience life and to assert control over their own narratives.
The individualist and feminist perspectives advocate for liberation through personal narrative. Jane’s revolt against the male narrative manifests through childhood defiance, job search, choosing to leave and marry Mr. Rochester. Jane’s revolt allows her a life beyond the domestic setting. The autobiographical structure reinforces this, aligning with the context in which literature began to serve as a catalyst for social change. Kaplan agrees that this outburst “..is a plea for an interlocutor and, as such, it parallels her own (and Bronte's) act of writing: gesturing to a future listener who...might be able to hear her” (13). Jane’s revolt indicates self-awareness and a change in her values. Through exchanging her narrative with the readers, she shifts from a powerless receiver to an active creator of her own story, liberating herself from the oppressive transaction.
Brontë uses Jane Eyre as a catalyst for change, weaving feminist and individualist themes to critique the transactional state of human nature explored through the power of narrative. Jane’s experiences as a woman illustrate the limitations imposed on women by male narrative and societal expectations that enforce them. Jane’s experience as an individual acts as a symbol of resistance against the tyrannical collective rhetoric. The novel’s autobiographical structure and historical context offer insight into literature’s role in creating change and amplifying marginalised voices. Thus, Jane Eyre serves as a critique of Victorian norms and the enduring power of personal narrative in the pursuit of liberation.
