Carter B.

Atchison
Lisa Hamilton
09-01-15
Paper 3

In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the author uses the characterization of male characters in the
book to portray the problems of perceived masculinity during the time period of the 1800s. The
author points out problems of masculinity specifically John Reed and materialism, Rochester
and a suppressed life, and St. John with moral superiority and ambition.
In Jane Eyre, John Reed has the life that many men envy. He is spoiled by his mother and runs
the house at an early age. He gets what we wants and can be rude to whoever he chooses.
John was born into a family that never had money troubles and had enough status in society to
wield power. This freedom and power is shown when Jane and John get into a fight. John is
more responsible for the scuffle than Jane, but Jane is the one thrown in the red room. John is a
powerful man who controls his own life. But if you put John in a different environment, does he
really wield any power? Johns masculine power is a product of his environment, not because
he has done anything to merit his perceived power. Later in the middle of the book, we realize
the implications of this idea of take whatever you want masculinity. When Jane is discussing
what happened to the Reed estate, they speak of John Reed being a rascal and half ruining his
family. John was known for his drinking and gambling habits that turned him onto a depression.
John Reed ends up committing suicide because he bit off more than he could chew. John Reed
shows the prototypical high class white male born in a society that determines worth based off
of family lines and money. All the fun that John did while he ran the Reed Estate actually led to
him feeling empty in the end. Bronte uses John to teach the lesson of avoiding materialism
because happiness cannot be gained by worldly things but by relationships.
Rochester has the money and he knows how to get the ladies. At first glance, you think he is a
successful man who has had many mistresses, nothing very peculiar. Like most men, their
masculinity tells them to hide their problems. Rochester is insecure about his wealth, because
society tells him that is how his worth is determined. So Rochester marries a lady he barely
knows, because there is a large sum of money that he will gain. Rochester suppresses his
intellectual brain and emotion to look for a marriage that will net him more worth. After that
marriage turns sour, he hides the problem in the attic. He then begins to search for mistresses
to entertain him. None of these ladies suffice because he still has the suppressed problem of his
wife in the attic, holding him back. Even when Jane comes to Thornfield, Jane can tell there is a
thorn in Rochester. Rochester overcomes the idea that wealth determines worth shown by his
advances on Jane, but still holds the secret of his wife. When Jane finally finds out about
Bertha, Rochesters wife, Rochesters actions become awkward. During the 1800s, Men had to
be the strong, dominating person in every relationship. After this embarrassment in front of
Jane, the tables have turned drastically. Rochesters suppressed secrets have backfired and
now he appears weak. When Jane leaves because of the Bertha problem, Rochester begins to
cry. Rochester realizes that his suppressions have only caused him more pain and lets out his
emotions. Bronte is challenging the idea that during the 1800s men were not allowed to show
many emotions, only to be stern and strong willed.

The character of St. John personifies the masculine need for ambition, moral superiority and
companionship on the journey of life. When St. John talks to Jane about her potential for a job,
he begins by talking about what he has done. He speaks of how desolate Morton was before he
arrived and how he transformed the town with a school for boys and potentially a school for
girls. St. John speaks as if he accomplished these things not for helping the community, but for
the self-satisfaction of doing good deeds. Some men feel that under the Christian doctrine the
act of doing good deeds is the most important part of life to go to Heaven. These men, like St.
John, can be clouded by their desire to do good deeds and stop doing them for the purpose of
helping people. But as Jane notices, St. John does not even feel content with doing these good
deeds. St. John is a strong willed man who follows the moral principles strictly. This strong
following is a result of his devotion to his Christian religion. Sometimes it seems like St. John
uses his moral superiority to force Jane to make decisions that she does not want to make. St.
John tells Jane that by marrying him and going to the mission in India, she will be filling her
moral obligation to the world. Jane, being morally sound, cannot disagree with that statement.
But at the same time, Jane does not love St. John. St. John begins to persistently cornering
Jane into accepting his moral marriage proposal. St. John is focusing on the morals of the
marriage and not the love that comes with it. Bronte uses St. John to point out the distorted view
of morals in society during the 1800s and how they can interfere with the enjoyment of life when
distorted.

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre has been labeled by many as a feminist text. This is a statement
that has much evidence in the text. But after reading this book, I also believe that Bronte is
challenging men to look at what society wants from them during the time period and aim for
something higher, something more real.