Two Cinderellas In The 19～(th)-Century English Literature: A Comparison Of Elizabeth Bennet And Jane Eyre

Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte are both remarkable women writers in the 19th -century English literature. Their representative works—Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre— have been enjoying enormous popularity since their publication. By analyzing the two heroines—Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre, we can easily find that they have a lot in common with Cinderella who is the heroine of a fairy tale. Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre actually are transformations of the Cinderella story. This article discusses the nature of the Cinderella story and points out that Cinderella is in fact an image of passivity and dependency which a woman was supposed to possess in the patriarchal system. The Cinderella story conveys to women a message that a woman of such virtues could expect a man to bring her into a better life by means of marriage. Though Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte created Cinderella fate for their heroines, Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre, the heroines show a lot of differences. Elizabeth Bennet is financially and spiritually dependent on Darcy, the hero. Despite some rebellious spirit in her, she is still "an angel in the house". In contrast, Jane Eyre is financially and spiritually independent in her relationship with her lover, Mr. Rochester, and appears to be a new woman. So, Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre are two different Cinderellas in the 19th century. This article at last makes an inquiry into the reasons for their differences from three perspectives. It can be concluded that the creation of the two heroines with Cinderella fate is a combined result of the different social and family backgrounds, and personalities of the two writers.