The Fallen Woman and the Corrupt Aristocrat The Ideological Function of Céline Varens and Blanche Ingram in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of this essay is to examine how the minor characters Céline Varens and Blanche Ingram are depicted in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. The essay’s claim is that the minor characters are created to be bad female characters in order to highlight the protagonist Jane Eyre’s position as a female role model and an independent character. By conducting a combination between a contextualized and a resistant reading, the essay exemplifies how the depiction of Céline and Blanche influence the character Jane and describes what effect this has on the general opinion of the novel. In extension, the essay argues that it is problematic to create an emancipated female character at the expense of other female characters and thereby questions the readings of Jane Eyre as a novel seeking emancipation for all women.