Abstract

Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte are two influential women writers in English literature. Austen’s characterization of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice and Charlotte Bronte’s depiction of Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre have always been one of the most interesting focuses of literary criticism and have inspired different analysis and understanding in literary world. From feminists’ perspective, Elizabeth and Jane Eyre share many similarities in their personality and their values of life when they both are interpreted as women of feminist consciousness. But writer of this paper thinks that, even as women of feminist consciousness Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet stand in sharp contrast to each other. By comparing the two characters in the aspects of their different understanding of women’s role in marriage, in society and their role as an independent self, this paper aims to come to the conclusion that Jane Eyre is a woman with stronger feminist consciousness, which serves to highlight the progressive awakening feminist consciousness in English society. 

Key words: Jane Eyre; Elizabeth Bonnet; difference; feminist consciousness

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1 Introduction.1

1.1 Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte.1 

1.2 The literature review of Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice3

2 A feminist comparison of Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre.5

2.1 Different understanding of women’s role in marriage5

2.2 Different understanding of women’s role in society8

2.3 Different understanding of women as an independent self.10

3 Conclusion.11

References 12