Patriarchal Constraints and Women’s Emancipation in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening

Abstract

Feminist writers are examined for their influence on the movement to better women’s traditionally subordinate social status. Two female authors, Charlotte Brontë, with Jane Eyre, and Kate Chopin, with The Awakening, are the focus of this analysis. They illustrate how, prior to marriage, women overcame challenges to gain power and independence.

The protagonist of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening develops new perspectives on her roles as a mother and a Victorian housewife. She flat-out declines her allocated roles. Women’s exploitation is brought to light, and a path is created toward women’s long overdue emancipation and gender equality concerning their fundamental human rights to freedom. This is achieved by analyzing the general perception of women writers and the key concepts employed by Chopin and Brontë to expose the narrowness and pervasiveness of patriarchal culture depicted in their novels. The analysis also reveals parallels between the novels’ portrayals of Victorian-era life and the broader societal constrain placed on women.