In Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, the upper class uses art to assert their dominance in a hierarchical society. Art and literature are prominently displayed in the places Jane stays. At George’s Inn, she encounters portraits of the royal family. The paintings at the inn show the importance of the monarchy as the leaders of society. At Gateshead, where she spends her childhood, the Reeds keep an impressive collection of literature. The books at Gateshead demonstrate the privilege and access to knowledge of the wealthy inhabitants. At Thornfield, paintings depicting the rich and powerful hang on the walls. In each of these diverse settings, the presence of the art is intended to remind Jane of her place in society. At Gateshead, she is prohibited to read books, and at Thornfield, the paintings serve as a constant reminder to the working class of who is in charge. Jane uses art as a form of resistance in a society that oppresses her because of her class status.
Young Jane reads and cultivates an interest in literature as a form of escape from the oppressive Reed family. During Jane’s time at Gateshead, the Reed children torment her for being an orphan and consider her lower class. They exclude Jane from their activities. Rejected by the other children, Jane reads Bewick’s History of British Birds for solace. She does not read the text, preferring to pour over the pictures of faraway lands. One day, her cousin John Reed catches her reading the book behind the curtains. He reproaches Jane for reading, an activity associated with the upper class: “‘You have no business to take our books, you are dependent, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do and wear clothes at our mamma’s expense.’” John’s words focus on the class division he sees between him and Jane. He believes that by reading a book, Jane is acting out of her social class. Therefore, he punishes her by throwing the book at her, literally beating Jane into submission. John’s view is further reinforced by his mother, Mrs. Reed, who is complicit in Jane’s ill-treatment at Gateshead. Mrs. Reed, after hearing John shout at Jane, disciplines Jane by locking her in the red room. Both John and Mrs. Reed represent the upper class; they are condescending and treat Jane, a lower-class person, with contempt. Jane refuses to let upper-class beliefs oppress her: “‘If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: They would never feel afraid and so they would never alter but would grow worse and worse.’” (68) While enduring the suffering inflicted upon her, Jane uses art to express her emotions and as a form of rebellion against the upper class.
At Lowood, Jane takes her resistance to a new level by creating watercolors that do not fit with the expectations of her class. At first, Jane paints realistic landscapes, which are considered socially acceptable. It is clear that they were approved of because Lowood’s superintendent displays them over the chimney-piece. Jane’s watercolors, by contrast, use symbolism to reveal her true hopes and feelings in an era not socially acceptable to the open feel of the low class. Mr. Rochester is surprised when she shows him her watercolors. He asks Jane if she was happy when she painted them: “‘I was absorbed, sir: yes, and I was happy. To paint them, in short, was to enjoy one of the keenest pleasures I have known.’” (148) Mr. Rochester is impressed as he is not accustomed to the lower class expressing their emotions freely. Even though Jane paints images that are somber and solitary, she derives happiness from their completion. She finds enjoyment through catharsis without fear of judgment. She eventually resists socially acceptable art such as landscapes by painting pictures that reveal her true emotions rather than what society expects.
Jane’s paintings use symbolism that reveals her desire to flout class conventions. Her first watercolor depicts a cormorant–a bird often associated with evil and greed in literature–perched atop the mast of a half-sunken ship. It sits at a high vantage point looking down. In its beak is a gold bracelet, similar to the one that Blanche Ingram wears. The cormorant represents the upper class, greedy for gold and by extension power. The cormorant sits dispassionately atop the shipwreck mast, holding onto the bracelet and regarding the corpse without pity. The cormorant portrays the wealthy as ruthless, willing to do anything to get what they want, even at the expense of the lower class. In the same picture, Jane paints the rough seas with the arm of a corpse floating in the water with the bracelet torn off. The arm represents the working class and the hard work they must do to survive. The painting reveals Jane’s desire to critique class structure and oppose the power of the wealthy. Jane’s second and third watercolor paintings further reveal her awareness of society and herself.
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Jane lives in a society where the upper class uses art to display their power and wealth. She refuses to accept her class status by challenging society’s expectations through her own art. Painting is a way for Jane to express her emotions without public disapproval. Through her art, Jane criticizes the hierarchical structure of wealth and power. Both as a child and adult, Jane is critical of a flawed society by artistically expressing her genuine feelings.
