Duty and desire in Jane Eyre Essay Example

Duty and desire in Jane Eyre Paper How is the conflict between duty and desire explored in these texts? Desire is a term conveying a longing for a certain object, person or outcome. It is an emotion from the heart and is unaffected by social opinion. Duty, in contrast, is a moral obligation to an act, which is perceived to be selfless. The decisions made regarding these emotions are significant throughout Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea. However, these definitions were more extreme during the time that Bronti and Rhys texts were written. In the 19th century, it was considered a completely selfish act for women to show desire, it was a vulgar emotion that women were expected to control and conceal. The female role during the 1800s was limited; they were expected to be passive and were passed from father to husband, similar to a possession. To perform ones duty to society was regarded as an unspoken rule imposed on all women, therefore, women never truly had the chance to express their true identity or gain real independence. The 19th century conflict between duty and desire was a key topic written about by many authors, predominately women, who illustrated personal experiences and beliefs through the characters and their decisions. In both Brontes and Rhys novels the authors illustrate the limitations imposed on women, societys views and expectations concerning the conflict, and the importance of finding the balance between the duty and desire. The life path of women living in the 19th century was largely dictated by Victorian society and was limited both in its direction and expression of individuality. We will write a custom essay sample on Duty and desire in Jane Eyre specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Duty and desire in Jane Eyre specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Duty and desire in Jane Eyre specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Victorian women were forced to conform to the ideologies of patriarchal society and so duties were imposed on them; many of which repressed their desire. In Jane Eyre, though Janes character is very passionate, she adheres to the Victorian morality, in which passion and emotion were kept concealed. Jane learns to become dutiful and to control her passion at Lowood and through the preaching of Helen Burns. However, Bronti shows recognition of the female struggle through Janes character, who recognises that Millions are condemned to a stiller doom, acknowledging the oppression felt by women across the nation. In the same paragraph Jane expresses the general female opinion stating women who are supposed to be very calm feel just the way men feel, that women too need exercise of faculties and when this is not given, like men would, they suffer from too rigid a restraint. In this section Bronte employs challenging and political language, such as revolt, rebellions and the consistent mention of restraint to portray the powerful struggle Victorian women experienced. Bronti experienced the same struggle when trying to publish her novel. She realised that it would be impossible for a woman to publish such a controversial book as Jane Eyre in the patriarchal society she was living in. Therefore, she felt obliged to publish under the pseudonym of Currel Bell. In contrast to Jane, the character of Antoinette in Wide Sargasso Sea is extremely passive. Antoinette losses all sense of self by allowing society, (Rochester), to compress her desires and so she becomes completely dependent on others. Rochester symbolizes patriarchal society when he imposes an entirely new identity on Antoinette, by renaming her Bertha. Her lack of self is illustrated when she realises she will have no one to depend on; what will be come of me? . To this Christophine replies Get up, girl Woman must have spunks to live in this wicked world. Rhys choice of language is significant; Get up, must, shows that Christophine is a strong woman who is able to give an order, symbolizing the power of women within the patriarchal society. Christophine describes the world as wicked and believes this is because it seems to be ruled by oppressing, hypocritical men. This adjective allows Rhy to portray her view of 19th century society and allows the reader to feel empathy for women living during this time. When reading Wide Sargasso Sea, Bront , and the reader would agree with and admire Christophines view. Here also, parallels can be seen between Jane and Christophine, who are both portrayed as strong independent women. The contrast between Antoinettes and Janes characters emphasises Janes moral courage and enhances the readers admiration for her character. During the 1800s female desire was viewed by the patriarchal society as evil. This is highlighted in Jane Eyre when Jane, as child, is forbidden from expressing herself. Janes instinct for asserting herself was stifled, at a young age and so could only be expressed through defiance. Mrs Reed symbolizes societys view of female passion by likening Janes traits to those of the devil and this is reiterated by Bessie who describes Janes passion as wickedness. After acting out Jane is given time in the red room to reflect, here she compares herself to a rebel slave and she realises that she had acted as if poisoned, illustrating that Jane is starting to comprehend Mrs Reeds narrow minded view. Helen Burns describes to Jane the evil consequences that result from not being dutiful and says the bible teaches us to return good for evil. Through the opinions of Bessie and Helen Burns, Bronti interestingly portrays how societys view on desire had become ingrained within the female consciousness and how Jane may feel betrayed by other female characters. The view that desire may be linked with the devil is explored in Wide Sargasso Sea as Rochester often describes Bertha like a devil with uncombed hair and eyes which were inflamed. It is suggested that because Antoinette, gives in completely to desire, Rochester is no longer able to understand her and so imposes a new identity, stating Bertha Mason is mad. This is reinforced when Christophine provides an explanation for Antoinettes mothers madness; they tell her she is mad, as though an identity has been forced upon her. Rhys illustrates that society found it impossible to accept a female who did not fit the social paradigm of a perfect woman and in doing so, the reader dislikes Rochester and sympathises with Antoinette.

10 Countries with the Highest Population Density

10 Countries with the Highest Population Density Cities are known for being crowded, but some cities are far more crowded than others. What makes a city feel crowded isnt just the number of people who live there but the physical size of the city. Population density refers to the number of people per square mile. According to the Population Reference Bureau, these ten countries have the worlds highest population densities 1. Manila, Philippines - 107,562 per square mile The capital of the Philippines is home to roughly two million people. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay the city is home to one of the finest ports in the country. The city regularly hosts over a million  tourists each year, making the busy streets even more crowded. 2. Mumbai, India - 73,837 per square mile Its no surprise that the Indian city Mumbai comes in second on this list with a population of over 12 million people. The city is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India. The city lies on the West coast of India and has a deep natural bay. In 2008, it was dubbed an alpha world city. 3. Dhaka, Bangladesh - 73,583 per square mile Known as the city of mosques, Dhaka is home to roughly 17 million people. It was once one of the most wealthy and prosperous cities in the world. Today the city is the countries political, economic and cultural center. It has one of the largest stock markets in South Asia. 4. Caloocan, Philippines - 72,305 per square mile Historically, Caloocan is important for being home to the secret militant society that spurred the Philippine  Revolution, also known as the Tagalong war, against Spanish colonialists. Now the city is home to almost two million people. 5. Bnei Brak, Isreal - 70,705 per square mile Just east of Tel Aviv, this city is home to 193,500 residents. It is home to one of the largest coca-cola bottling plants in the world. Israels first womens only department stores were built in Bnei Brak; its an example of the gender segregation; implemented by the ultra Orthodox Jewish population. 6. Levallois-Perret, France - 68,458 per square mile Located roughly four miles from Paris, Levallois-Perrett is the most densely populated city in Europe. The city is known for its perfume industry and beekeeping. A cartoon bee has even been adopted at the citys modern emblem. 7. Neapoli, Greece - 67,027 per square mile   The Greek city of Neapoli comes in at number seven on the list of most densely populated cities. The city is divided into eight different districts. While only 30,279 people live in this small city thats impressive given its size is only .45 square miles! 8. Chennai, India - 66,961 per square mile Located on the Bay of Bengal, Chennai is known as the education capital of South India. Its home to almost five million people. Its also considered one of the safest cities in India. Its also home to a large expat community. Its been dubbed one of the must-see cities in the world by the BBC. 9. Vincennes, France - 66,371 per square mile Another suburb of Paris, Vincennes is located just four miles from the city of lights. The city is probably most famous for its castle, Chateau de Vincennes. The castle was originally a hunting lodge for Louis VII but was enlarged in the 14th century. 10. Delhi, India - 66,135 per square mile The city of Delhi is home to roughly 11 million people, putting it just after Mumbai as one of Indias most populated cities. Delhi is an ancient city which has been the capital of various kingdoms and empires. Its home to numerous landmarks. Its also considered the book capital of India due to its high readership rates.