If there is anything that classic novels have in common, other than their rare uniqueness, it is that all continue to be cherished long after their initial creation. Those novels that continue to interest readers through time are examples of writing that forms deep levels of understanding. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte has stood the test of time due to its impact on society, masterfully utilized motifs, and the continued relevance Bronte’s message has to readers. Emma, by Jane Austen will weather time equally as well as Jane Eyre, as both of the novels display incredible use of language in their distinctly different criticisms of English society in the 19th century. Both Authors employ motifs as a way to express dissatisfaction with society …show more content…
Austen’s Mr. Woodhouse constantly complains of his discomforts and ailments, despite their insignificance when compared to the plight of the non-aristocracy (Austen 190). Austen could be using the ridiculous Mr. Woodhouse, who is incredibly egocentric, to poke fun at the upper class. Literary criticism indicates another possible purpose of Austen’s: to highlight society’s oversight in the treatment of the ill (Gullette). Bronte, however, uses disability as both an identifier of social issues and a metaphorical solution to inequality. The implication of Jane’s disability mimics how society constricts women of her position, while the disabling of Rochester is presented as the necessary, if not advantageous, measure required to put Jane and Rochester on equal terms (Schaffer). While the idea that men must be brought down in order to achieve equality vastly differs from Austen’s gentle mockery of the wealthy, both criticize social inequality from a woman’s …show more content…
“According to Jane Austen, for marriage to be successful it must be an intrinsic part of, and connected to the fabric of the genuinely ordered society, and thus represent a true moral and ethical reality” (Jackson). Austen’s subtle style of criticism entertains as well as pokes fun. Seeming strangely like a game of musical chairs, Austen’s game of marriage mocks the great importance society places on matrimony while emphasizing the benefits to following one’s heart. Bronte creates a new ideal of partnership: one that criticizes the rigidity of societal constraints, but is aligned to some aspects of society’s morality that happen to agree with Jane Eyre’s values. In other words- society shouldn’t dictate marriage and love, for true passion is not inherently immoral. It could be said that Bronte produced less of Austen’s restrained observations and more fervent declarations on the subject of love. According to some criticism, “…the novel embodies ‘a Christian feminism that . . . advocates the values of love, sexuality, and a marriage of partnership’…” (Lamonaca). As seen through the balanced relationship that is idealized at the end of the novel, Bronte again redefines Austen’s idea of marriage. Eventually, though, both authors simultaneously criticize and respect the social constraints around