Throughout history women have played important roles in society. Women
have gone through much adversity to get where they are today. Jane Austen
and Charlotte Bronte are some the pioneers of women's literature. Each
shows their different aspects of a women's role in society in their books
Emma by Austen and Jane Eyre by Bronte. In both of these books the author
shows how a woman deals with societies' norms, values, and manners. Jane
Eyre is an orphaned daughter of a poor family. She is brought up by her
aunt Sarah Reed. Where she is teased and tortured by the aunt and the
family. She is not very pretty and is barely on the social structure. On
the other hand Emma Woodhouse is a beautiful girl and is financially
sound. She is raised by her maternal father. In Emma, Emma Woodhouse
is in search of finding the appropriate man for herself is the main theme.
As the reader goes deeper into the text Emma slowly progresses into a
self-deception. Having since childhood been obliged to manage her father,
she still likes to manage things, and particularly people. She manages
to manipulate everyone except Mr. George Knightley. In Jane Eyre, Jane
demonstrates a strong need to be herself, to take responsibility for her
action. She is put to the test by her daily teasing and abuse from her
cousins. When she is brought to a boarding school she soon distinguishes
herself through her classes. Eventually ends up in Thornfield where she
meets Edward Rochester. While growing up in Gateshead Hall, Jane is
treated less than a servant. Her cousins John, Eliza, and Georgiana Reed
remind Jane she has no worth and is an unwelcome relative. Out of the
three cousins John was one of the meanest, not only of Jane Eyre but of
all living creatures. "John, no one thwarted, much less punished: though
he twisted the necks of the pigeons, killed the little pea-chicks, set the
dogs at the sheep, s...