Abstract:  Jane Eyre is one of Charlotte Bronte's representative masterpieces in the 19th century which tells the story of an ordinary girl Jane Eyre who pursues freedom and dignity. She adheres to her belief, and ultimately obtains happiness after all the sufferings. This paper analyzes the character and behavior of Jane Eyre from viewpoint of feminism and studies both positive and negative influences of feminism in Jane Eyre. The aim of this paper is to probe into the dignity and self-reliance of women in contemporary era. Jane Eyre's feminist idea also reflects the development of feminism and women's consciousness of equality and rights in the Victorian era. This paper argues that although the development of feminist idea in Jane Eyre is limited by social rules and consciousness, it still shows great progress and influence in feminism. In general, women's status and consciousness have been improved in a certain extent with the development of the era and the improvement of people's ideological consciousness.

Key words:   Jane Eyre  Resistance  Feminism  Equality  Pursuit

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Introduction-1

Chapter 1  The Feminist Thought in Jane Eyre-2

1.1  The Feminist Thought in Jane Eyre's Childhood-2

1.2  The Feminist Thought during Jane Eyre's School Period-3

1.3  The Feminist Thought in Jane Eyre's Adult Period-4

Chapter 2  The Pursuit of Love in Jane Eyre-6

2.1  The Pursuit of True Love-6

2.2  The Pursuit of Marriage-7

Chapter 3  The Causes of the Feminist Idea in Jane Eyre-8

3.1  The Background of the Society-8

3.2  The Author’s Experience-8

Chapter 4  The Influence of Jane Eyre on Feminist Idea-10

4.1  The Negative Influence of Jane Eyre on Feminist Idea-10

4.2  The Positive Influence of Jane Eyre on Feminist Idea-10

Conclusion-12

References-13

Acknowledgements-14