This article examines the problem of gender inequality in the works of Charlotte Brontë, especially in the novel "Jane Eyre"

Аннотация

This article examines the problem of gender inequality in the works of Charlotte Brontë, especially in the novel "Jane Eyre". The author emphasizes that Brontë experienced a sense of dualism, which was reflected in her views on women's destiny and the struggle for independence. The opposing views of researchers on the role of women in her works are also analyzed, including the ideas of women's emancipation and subordination to patriarchal society. Key words: Victorian era, dualism, gender inequality, motive, autonomy, emancipation. Sh. Bronte, a great writer of the 19th century, who, along with Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Mary Roberts, wrote about the inequality between the male and female genders during the Victorian era. Sh. Bronte herself experienced a sense of dualism, which means a contradiction between different sides of the personality and also regarding the female purpose and place of women in society. In Bronte's books, one can often encounter opposite things, such as freedom and restrictions, the outer world and the inner world, which help to better understand the psychology and motives of the main characters. For example, in the book "Jane Eyre" we can often encounter a sense of dualism in the main character, as she is torn between her emotions and reason: she loves Rochester madly and wants to be with him, but with her mind she understands that they cannot be together from a moral point of view and that she herself must follow the principles of morality. So, for example, N.V. Shamina in her article “The Peculiarities of the Realization of Women’s Issues in the Early Works of Sh. Bronte” clearly described the term “dualism” and noted: “Bronte experienced a feeling of dualism regarding women’s destiny and the realization of her own capabilities and abilities practically from the moment of the publication of her first poetry collection» [1]. She even published her first collections not under her own name, but under the male pseudonym "Carrel Bell". The main plot in almost all of Sh. Bronte's 173 ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN MODERN SCIENCE International scientific-online conference works was the acute social inequality between men and women. A woman during the Victorian era simply did not have the right even to her own child, to express her opinion, to be on the same level as men. Seeing and living in such an environment, Sh. Bronte decides to write her work "Jane Eyre", which is known as the autobiography of the writer herself. The reason for choosing female autonomy is that the main character of the novel, Jane Eyre, believes in the importance of female independence and strives to maintain her position in life and get rid of debts to other characters. But, in addition to dualism, the works vividly describe the problems of inequality, and that women in that era did not have their own autonomy and that women longed for emancipation to be equal with the male gender. In world literature, interest in the study of women and their place in society began in the 60-70s of the XIX century. Bronte's books brought to the forefront the role of women in society, in which they were full of emotions and experiences and who also decisively fought against the oppression of women's rights and had their own opinion. For example, one of the most striking examples is the novel "Jane Eyre", which was perceived as a manifesto of the struggle for women's rights. This trend was continued and deepened in subsequent works, such as "Shirley" and "The Town". As G.K. Darvisheva noted in her article, “One of the controversial issues raised in the novel is the position of women in society. The heroine of the novel defends the idea that women should have equal rights with men” [2]. However, Inda Miftah Awaliya expressed the opposite idea. He noted that “In Jane Eyre, a woman is considered the second sex, under the dominance of men” [3]. But few people can understand that it is in her works that Sh. Bronte shows the strong character of the main characters who protest against accepted systems, that a woman cannot always be “ideal”, but on the contrary can show her character, be independent and self-sufficient in her decisions. For example, when Jane found out that Rochester was married, she left without thinking, since his deception does not suit her principles. Jane also did not tolerate injustice towards herself, beatings or humiliation from her cousin John Reed and aunt Mrs. Reed, she was not afraid to show her anger. She openly declared: "I am not an angry child, but if I am treated unfairly, I will not remain silent!" [4, p. 17]. And all this was not just hysteria or a protest against her guardians, but a fair protest against injustice. 174 ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN MODERN SCIENCE International scientific-online conference List of References: 1. Дарвишева Г.К. The importance of equality of women’s rights in the works of Charlotte Bronte // Oriental Renaissance: Innovative, educational, natural and social sciences, 2024. – Vol.4, № 1. –