Illness, Society and Women: Narratives of Illness in Jane Eyre

Abstract

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte's classic novel, not only shows the social landscape of 19th century Victorian England, but also explores the interweaving of characters' fate, illness and social reality. This paper analyses the illness narrative in the novel and explores its expression, characteristics and metaphorical significance under the influence of specific social backgrounds and concepts. This paper shows that, through the illness narratives, Jane Eyre not only exposes the health crisis and social injustice in the British society at that time, but also shows the individual's struggle in social and gender roles through illness metaphors and narrative strategies. Charlotte Bronte's critical perspective not only addresses the social conditions of the time, but also reflects on the position of women in society. However, despite the forward-looking nature of Brontë's feminist thinking, her views were inevitably influenced by the imperialist and colonialist concepts of the time, which are also reflected in her works.