Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (And You Know... Freedom)

Passage: It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.  Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot.  Nobody knows how many rebellions besides political rebellions ferment in the masses of life which people earth.  Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags.  It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.

     This passage shows a lot about Jane's character and the way she looks at the world. This passage implies that Jane has been both witness and victim to sexism and discrimination. Jane is restless and curious about life outside of her job. She lets her mind wander and uses her imagination. Jane also makes a reference that a rebellion is brewing in many women's minds. This passage shows the way Jane is feeling confined and how she wants more from life; she wants action and independence which is practically impossible for a woman at this time.
     Jane makes reference to a "silent revolt" and seems to suggest that many women are building up to a rebellion in their everyday lives. This makes a lot of sense considering the time period. The book was published in 1847, right around the time the women's suffrage movement would have started. This passage suggests that Jane may have been a suffragette although she never specifically mentions women when talking about a revolt.
     In this passage, Jane feels trapped and lonely. The audience can see how passionate Jane is through her calmer exterior. She also comments that "women are supposed to be very calm generally," however the audience knows that Jane is not actually calm. She is very emotional and angry when faced with injustice. By saying "women feel just as men feel," she shows more of her character and how she believes men and women are the same. Jane is suffering from her boredom and she discusses how men would suffer the same way. The use of phrases such as "rigid restraint" and "absolute stagnation" shows how desperate and trapped Jane feels. She even calls people who enforce gender roles "narrow-minded" and "thoughtless," showing that she believes her intellect is beyond theirs. She believes she is capable of more than people give her credit for and is angry at the injustice when people won't let her try.
      Jane had definitely fallen victim or been witness to sexism. She knows that women are condemned or laughed at for having ambitions or goals for something more than being a housewife and mother. She also knows that women are generally confined to household chores such as "making puddings and knitting stockings." Jane describes these things as if she seen them firsthand. Through these descriptions, Jane shows that she has experience with sexism and how angry it makes her.
      Jane is a passionate, independent character who is feeling trapped and confined in her current situation. This passage shows how she feels about that and the way she feels about the roles of women versus the roles of men.