Abstract
Whether Jane Eyre functions as a primarily feminist text has been a source of debate in recent literary and gender discourse; Jane’s ultimate marriage and pregnancy seemingly diminish her desire for independence and her resistance to socially constructed norms of appropriate femininity. However, these concessions on Jane’s part of her prized self-sufficiency are not sacrifices of her earned agency, but, alternatively, cognitive choices that she can afford to make as a result of her purchased societal station. Jane’s inheritance, a necessary rhetorical implementation on Charlotte Brontë’s part, provides her with the luxury to negotiate her own interpretation of the social conventions of marriage and motherhood. Financial autonomy allows Jane to view romantic involvement as a potentially equitable partnership rather than as an opportunity for social or monetary security; in order to grant Jane a truly egalitarian relationship with Rochester, Charlotte Bronte simultaneously relieves Rochester of his corporeal masculinity, effectively elevating Jane to the position of head of the household.
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