Gender roles are heavily reinforced throughout Charlotte Brontë’s, Jane Eyre, and are emphasized through the actions and dialogue exchanged between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. Gender roles are traits and behaviors generally expected of a person solely based on the person’s assigned sex. For example, a woman is stereotypically associated with delicacy, purity and kindness while a man is associated with dominance, strength, and aggressiveness in comparison. These gender roles, although detrimental to society, continue to persist today and can be traced back to literature from the 19th century, when Jane Eyre was originally published. Perhaps Jane Eyre’s reinforcement of gender roles are fitting given the novel’s time period, but they definitely do not go unnoticed in today’s social climate where gender roles are constantly being tested and condemned for their sexist classifications.

There are many examples of the use of gender roles in Jane Eyre, one being the unbalanced dynamic that Mr. Rochester and Jane share. Mr. Rochester is romantically interested in Jane and attempts to marry her, as can be seen in pages 121-126 “The Ruined Wedding.” However, despite being partners, Jane and Mr. Rochester are still unequal in their relationship, with Mr. Rochester taking on the more dominant role. In a few instances, Jane calls Mr. Rochester “master” (page 124) and “sir” (page 126) and at one point, is commanded by Mr. Rochester to stop speaking after she tries to tell him a story “Now, Jane, that is all” (page 120). Mr. Rochester is clearly in a position of power and expects Jane to respect him as an authoritative figure and not as an equal.

Another great example of both Mr. Rochester and Jane fitting into the mold of gender stereotypes occurs during the wedding scene. After Mr. Briggs interrupts the wedding to “declare the existence of an impediment” (page 121), Mr. Rochester and the other men involved are the only people to speak thereon. Never once does Jane speak up to ask a question or assume even a small role in the situation. She simply stands back and watches in quiet embarrassment as the men handle the allegation. Although she is clearly angry “my nerves vibrated […] my blood felt their subtle violence,” she remains collected and looks at Mr. Rochester for reassurance (page 122). This form of submissive behavior is something that is usually attributed to females, and is a prime example of how Jane is written in a way that follows gender stereotypes. On the other hand, Mr. Rochester asserts power immediately after the altercation. This is shown when he physically pulls Jane to his side in an attempt to regain control.

Lastly, there are several depictions in Jane Eyre of how an ideal wife should look and behave. These depictions are first introduced on page 124, when Mr. Rochester tries to get the wedding crowd to sympathize with him after he is caught trying to marry Jane despite being legally married to Bertha Mason. Mr. Rochester explains that he was “cheated” into marrying a “bad, mad, and embruted partner” and that he shouldn’t be blamed for finding solace in Jane, who is “at least human” in contrast to Bertha (page 124). These antagonistic descriptions of Bertha, who is in fact human, just show how disapproving Mr. Rochester is of the idea of a wife having mental illness. He finds it unfathomable that the woman he married is “mad.” Mr. Rochester goes so far as to show everyone at the wedding how much of a “maniac” Bertha is in person and then points out that Jane, the “young girl, who stands so grave and quiet,” is truly the wife he wishes to have (page 125). After he compares the differences between Bertha and Jane “clear eyes with the red balls yonder—this face with that mask—this form with that bulk,” it is evident that Mr. Rochester merely wants to marry Jane because she is everything a wife should be. She is beautiful, thin, and quiet. Mr. Rochester wants a perfect wife, someone like Jane who embodies the ultimate image of how a woman and wife ought to look and behave. In return, Jane wants Mr. Rochester as her husband—a person who is assertive, dominant, and strong. Mr. Rochester is someone “athletic” who is strong enough to “have settled [Bertha] with a well-planted blow” when he and Bertha were fighting (page 125) but chose not to because he would never “strike a woman” (page 124). Ultimately, the qualities given to Jane and Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre directly correspond to gender stereotypes that existed during the time of its publication and that, in some parts of the world, still exist today. Although Charlotte Brontë may not have intentionally written this novel with the purpose of reinforcing gender roles, she certainly succeeded in doing so.

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