Analyzing Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre Through the Lens of Women’s Hysteria

Catherine Baker

Throughout Western history, women have been subjected to objectification and oppression by their male counterparts. In the 19th century, this oppression took on a new form: the mental health industry. As part of a growing interest in psychology, women who did not conform to implemented societal norms were now pathologized as “hysterical.” In an effort to displace rising feminist ideology, “hysterical” women were often placed in asylums to separate the untame from the domesticated. Despite this medical fixation with subduing unconventional women, some feminist managed to obtain their voice though literary publications. Female authors such as the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen, and George Elliot explored the straining societal demands placed on women, in addition to exploring the affects this had on female mental health. This essay will explore both the realities of medically diagnosed hysteria in women and apply this as a lens in analyzing Charlotte Brontë’s world-renowned novel Jane Eyre.

• Catherine Baker is a soon to be graduate of Lander University with a B.A. in English. Throughout her time as an English major, she has most enjoyed learning about literature within a historical context and applying this lens when analyzing written works. Upon graduation, Catherine plans to attend Indiana University Bloomington for her M.S. in Library Science with a specialization in rare books and manuscripts.