Social Criticism in Jane Eyre: A Marxist Approach

Abstract

Social criticism is an analytical approach used to examine social structures, institutions, and power relations in order to reveal inequalities and injustices within a society. This study investigates the forms of social criticism presented in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre using a Marxist theoretical framework developed by Karl Marx. The data were collected from the novel through a qualitative descriptive method focusing on narrative events, character interactions, and social settings. The analysis reveals the rigid class hierarchy of Victorian English society, in which the bourgeoisie controlled economic resources and social power, while the proletariat experienced dependency, exploitation, and alienation. The findings show that the novel portrays various forms of social inequality through the experiences of Jane Eyre as an impoverished orphan and governess navigating a stratified social structure. Furthermore, the social criticism expressed in the novel remains relevant to contemporary societal issues, including gender oppression, power imbalances in the workplace, and struggles for individual autonomy. Therefore, Jane Eyre can be understood as a significant literary work that not only reflects social realities of its time but also encourages readers to critically examine injustice and inequality in modern society.

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