ELSIE MITCHELL: A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

British
Colonialism:

Elise feels that imperialism is emplified by Rochester*s ascent to wealth and power.
-He now has slaves and controls a huge estate.
-Rochester is the head of his household, basking in his riches.

Stereotypes
of Rochester:

-Rochester is stereotyped as an Irishman.
-He has dark characteristics and odd features.
-Rochester is described as an oriental despot, popular in writing of the time.
-He is described as having a *dark face,* *heavy brow,* * broad and jetty eyebrows,* *deep eyes,* and *full nostrils*.
-When author Charlotte Bronte was growing up, the Irish invasion heavily influenced her. Rochester exemplifies Bronte'*s cultural influences.

Historical
Stereotypes:

-To understand Jane Eyre, you must read *Jane Eyre against the backdrop of a specific historical event, the famine in Ireland,*
-Irish refugees were massively immigrating to England. This created a tension in Engalnd, because the Irish were racially different.
-Rochester is

Stereotypes
of Race:

-Elsie Mitchell was influenced by scientist, Daniel MacKintosh. MacKintosh denotes *the Celtic type by comparing them to the *pure Saxons*. The saxons are distinguished by*:
--*features excessively regular: face round, broad, and shortish, mouth well formed, and neither raised nore sunk. Chin neither prominent nor receding. Nose straight and niether long nor short. Underpart of face a short ellipse. Low cheek bones. Eyes rather prominent, blue or bluish grey and very well defined. Eyebrows semicircular, horizontally placed. Forhead semicircular...*
-Scientists such as MacKintosh, Beddoe, and Know focus on the difference between Saxons and Celts, stemming from the physical appearance.
- Know proclaims that *human character, individual and national, is traceable soley to his/her innate, racial instincts*.
-The Irish have a failure to realize consequences and ignore reality. Rochester exemplifies this intuition when he proposes to Jane, ignoring the fact he already has a wife.

Oriental
Despot:

-The oriental despot theory is defined as a person who starts with nothing and strives for social status and wealth.
-This concept arose in Western political writing during the ascent to power.
-Rochester*s trip to Jamaica led him to rich and social status. This is a symbol of British colonization but could also be intrepreted as an oriental despot.
-From the start, Rochester was deprived of private property and a large inheritance; he attains wealth and power through the marriage to Bertha Mason.
- He returns to England and eagerly accepts his role as a tyrant.
-Rochester*s wealth is connected to his physical stature. He is injured during the fire and consequently loses his wealth. Once the beauty goes, so does the power.

Struggles in Society:

-Contrary to the oriental despot, Jane has no aids along her journey to equality.
- As the novel begins, she is in a *position marked by images and social difference,*. Jane�s rebellious attitude is repressed at Lowood.
-Jane dreams of exotic lands and fantasies. This is exactly opposite of Rochester*s ambitions and goals. who focuses on social stature.

Role of
Women:

-Women were forced to act proper and go along with society in the Victorian age.
- Characters such as Mrs. Reed and the Ingrams reinforce the notion that Jane�s actions are wrong.
-Blanche Ingram is the ultimate woman of the era. She is portrayed as the perfect woman. This reinforces Jane*s acceptance of her differences in society.
-Rochester and Jane can not overcome their opposite social status. In the end, Rochester showers Jane with gift and presents before their wedding. Jane references to him as a sultan, to whom Jane rebels against.