Synthesis Essay About Gender Equity in Jane Eyre

Art, media, and literature are effective means for promoting gender equity because they highlight the stereotypes society presents onto men and women. Through emphasizing the stereotypes, the media teaches how gender stereotypes are false and unrealistic.  In addition, art, media, and literature can portray inclusive and diverse gender roles in order to negate the societal standards of men and women. In the book Jane Eyre it is publicized that there is a power imbalance between men and women. The Always #runlikegirl Superbowl commercial exemplifies how society pushes gender roles onto men and women from an early age. The commercial realistically shows the different viewpoints of women, from the perspective of older and younger girls and one man and one boy. The portrait Girl Drowning illustrates the lesson a woman can choose to not take a man's help. Through this, it demonstrates women are self-sufficient. All of these works emphasize combating stereotypes about the gender norms created in society.

By displaying the power John Reed has over Jane the book teaches the effects of a stereotypical man's actions toward women through a young girl's viewpoint as she grows up.  Jane Eyre portrays the obstacles a woman goes through with men in addition to financial crises and finding/receiving love. The book begins with Jane in an unsuitable house with her cousins and aunt. Jane first experiences the power imbalance between the genders when John Reed comes looking for her while she is reading behind the curtain. When John finds Jane she asks him what he wants. He then corrects her harshly to address him as "Master Reed" (Bronte,4). The honorific "master" implies that John is more important and can control Jane. The stereotype that women are lesser than men is strongly portrayed in Jane Eyre. Throughout the book, it is a standard that Jane is unequal to the men she has relationships with, indiscriminately of good or bad relationships. When Jane addresses Mr.Rochester she also calls him "master". While there is only a four-year age difference between John and Jane, John has learned from an early age that he is dominant over women because he can be mean to Jane and his mom and sisters without consequences. John did not have "affection"(Bronte,5) toward his mother and sisters. He treated them with disrespect by not acknowledging when they would help him or appreciating their presence, he ignored them. John Reed is written as a standard man because he does not show emotion and holds his power over women to assert himself as greater. Through John Reed's nonexistent display of affection to his family, the stereotype men don't show or have emotions is presented. Jane describes John as a "bully"(Bronte,5). In Jane Eyre, the basic actions and stereotypes of men are shown through John Reed's character. When Jane continues to call the men in her life master it is rooted in John Reed's single comment that he has control over her. In addition, it asserts that Jane is lesser than John, which translates into her feeling unequal to Mr. Rochester because she doesn't have the same financial background he does.  Jane Eyre educates on the stereotypes men and women obtain to promote equality. Moreover, Bronte utilizes Jane to portray a strong and intelligent woman that has overcome adversity as a main character. Most books in the Victorian age included only men as main characters and women as love interests.

The Always #likeagirl commercial directly addresses the stereotype that women are seen as weaker and care more about looks. When asked how a girl runs and throws the older women, both the man and boy demonstrated a girl running with the wrong form and with a weak wrist. One woman demonstrated a girl running and only caring about how her hair looks by playing with it while fixing it while she runs. The commercial explicitly supplies the evidence that women are seen as weaker through social conditioning. When the younger girls were asked to demonstrate a girl running and fighting they ran stately and unfeigned and punched as hard as they could. By showing the raw film set and people who were involved in the commercial it reiterates that the commercial is natural and unscripted. Furthermore, it also makes the commercial have a direct and simple tone. It lets the audience experience the real evidence of how men and women are conditioned differently when growing up. The boy that was the same age as the girls made fun of girls while throwing without noticing he was insulting girls. When asked if he insulted his sister he said no, however, his sister is a girl. Similar to John Reed, the young boy is deriding girls at an early age. On the contrary, the boy in the commercial doesn't realize it at first and learns why he insulted girls with his impression. WhileJohn Reed does it on purpose and never learns how to be respectful of Jane and his mother and sisters. The commercial provided insight into how society is teaching people to look at girls and hold them as lesser because they are portrayed as weak.  The commercial promotes equality between the genders by providing awareness of the contentious actions people are professing toward young children of all genders.

Girl drowning emphasizes the theme women are able to be independent without a man. Girl Drowning introduces a new perspective of women because the painting only includes a woman with a reference to a man that is not included in the artwork. While the commercial and Jane Eyre both express the differences between the genders with men and women included in it, Girl Drowning is solely focused on the emotions of the woman. The painting was created in the 1960s when change and equality movements were potent. Lichtenstein used different shades of blue in addition to two sources of water. Blue is used to portray sadness, calmness, and hopelessness. In the painting, sadness is shown through her tears. She is not hysterically crying, however, there is a sense of sorrow for her situation; she is stranded and crestfallen Furthermore the woman isn't thrashing around in the water trying to be saved, the water is enveloping her and creeping up on her arms and head. Moreover, her hair has taken on the shape similar to a wave around her ear. It parallels how she is giving up to the ocean because her hair is taking on the shape of the wave engulfing her. She is calm, yet there is hopelessness because she is letting the water overtake her. In contrast to the light and muted blue of her tears and the water, her hair is a bold royal blue. Bolder and brighter colors have an independent and stark connotation. The women having blue hair is not typical for the time period. The outgoing blue shows that the woman is self-sufficient and can make decisions for herself because she has an untraditional hair color. The painting highlights a strong woman that does not have a typical man hero. She is rejecting "Brad's" help. The portrait includes the message that women are their own person and have a choice in their decisions. In the Victorian age, The time period Jane Eyre was set in, women had decisions made for them such as their wealth and education. Jane did not get to pick what school she went to, nor did she get to control her inheritance. Girl Drowning teaches that women are urbane and independent through the portrayal of the women rejecting the man's help.

Jane Eyre, the Always #likeagirl commercial, and Girl Drowning all educate on the importance of confronting unrealistic stereotypes.  While some media does not encourage gender equality by depicting men and women as stereotypical and unequal the #likeagirl commercial, Jane Eyre, and Girl Drowning all portray women in a positive light and teach that men and women are equal. Jane Eyre utilizes the presence of John Reed to spotlight the unfairness and effect a man's actions have on a young girl throughout her life in relationships and views of herself. The Always #likeagirl commercial directly addresses the social conditioning of girls and boys. Throughout the commercial awareness about false stereotypes of girls is brought up. In Girl Drowning an independent woman is shown being able to make her own decisions. The painting teaches how women are not obliged to serve men, they have power and a voice.