On the Representations of Parent-Child Relationships in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Résumé

The paper aims at analysing the parent-child relationships in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre, with special emphasis on the relationship between Jane Eyre, the protagonist of the novel, and her aunt, Mrs. Reed. For this purpose, it begins by presenting the traits of the domestic Victorian ideal as well as those of the so-called “transnormative family”, to ultimately show that the Victorian domestic ideal was not valid for everyone, which had a great impact on both parents and children in the process of upbringing. Then, the paper considers the representations of Victorian domestic relationships in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, which the author of the novel uses to demonstrate that a strong character and an iron will, like those of the protagonist, can make a difference and change destinies.