Jane Eyre - Not the Typical Governess

In 19th century England, being a governess was one of the few occupations considered suitable for an unmarried middle-class woman. It was typical and socially acceptable for single middle-class women to become governesses in order to support themselves and families, and to maintain their social status. As a governess, a woman was obligated to fulfil certain roles and expectations. Some of the roles of a governess were well-defined while some were more difficult to precisely define. Nevertheless, the occupation of a governess can be very challenging. In the novel Jane Eyre ,Charlotte Bronte tries to capture the life of a Victorian governess named Jane Eyre. The character Jane Eyre may not reflect a typical Victorian governess entirely, but her experiences provide valuable insight into the life of a governess, including the joys and hardships involved in such an occupation.

The importance of being a governess is conveyed in the comment, "If they have no husbands to toil for them, they must win food for themselves. They found, if they would not sink in the scale, they must work with their heads, and not with their hands (qtd. in Fraser's Magazine 569)." This comment not only expresses the economic necessity in holding a governess position, but also the social necessity to do so. In other words, it was necessary to obtain a governess position if a middle-class woman wants to maintain her membership within the gentry. The phrase,"Teach us on our own terms, or work, and cease to be gentlewomen (qtd. in Fraser's Magazine 569)," further conveys this requirement which many middle-class women strove to fulfill. Therefore, if middle-class women worked in other occupations instead of working as a governess, they would consequently, be looked down upon and lose their membership in the gentry.