The Oakum Room and Jane Eyre Essay Example

with Polly. For example, Susan mentions how she "look[ed] a question to Polly."

The treatment of women is exemplified by their interactions with Mrs. Hanson. When speaking to Mr. Jarraton, she uses a normal tone, but when addressing the women, she yells and gives orders such as "Go now" or "Rise". This is described as her commanding them. The women show strong solidarity in their resistance.

Although the women in The Oakum Room are trapped in a sorrowful routine of labor, they find satisfaction in ridiculing Mr. Jarrotson. Despite their harsh living conditions, the women unite in rebellion, recognizing that even if they were to leave the workhouse, they'd still be exploited as servants by a different master.

We witness a display of rebellion in The Oakum Room, highlighting the impressive fortitude of women who can no longer endure cruelty beyond a certain point. This quality is absent in Jane Eyre, where such behavior is not observed. In the workhouse setting, the women are aware of the impossibility of leaving or creating a better life, hence relish their chance to humiliate Mr. Jarrotson - a nearby farmer. Through this mockery, they effectively expose Mrs. Hanson's foolishness and bring her shame. The women live a life devoid of joy and purpose.

According to the text, the victory of the women is conveyed through Eliza's laughter, which is described as "wild" and causing her "big mouth" to "crack open". The use of the word "cracked" emphasizes that the laughter is unexpected and uncontrollable, implying that the women have been holding back their emotions. The laughter also signifies their sense of triumph and control over their situation. As the laughter

spreads amongst the group, it becomes apparent that this is a rare moment of happiness and victory for the women, who typically do not have much power. Their target is Mr. Jarrotson, who appears respectable on the surface but is revealed to be insincere and cheeky.

We can infer their negative opinion of him from the given description: "Fat man of about fifty, with greying sandy hair." This suggests they view him as a pervert. As a result of being treated like animals, they behave like animals, without shame, signifying their victory over their oppressor. The fact that he leaves further emphasizes their triumph.

Upon Jarrotson's rushed arrival, he is immediately prompted to make a choice. However, he quickly leaves the room. In contrast, an excerpt from Jane Eyre delves into the protagonist's life and feelings as she begins attending school. This passage sets the scene for 19th century life through a child's perspective.

During the nineteenth century, children like Jane were often treated cruelly and deprived of love, as evidenced in literary depictions. Nowadays, such mistreatment is deemed unacceptable but it was commonplace during Jane's era. The quote "Breakfast was over, and none had breakfast" highlights their scarce food supply. Charlotte Bronte identified with Jane and used her character to convey her own emotions regarding the loss of her mother and sister. It is probable that Charlotte envisioned a life for herself similar to that of Jane's future experiences.

There are numerous similarities between Jane Eyre and The Oakum Room. Both portray the mistreatment of women, as viewed through a female perspective. The major contrast is that in Jane Eyre, the females were young girls, which led to

a comparatively less severe treatment than the women in The Oakum Room.

The quote "...Music lessons were given by Miss Temple to some of the elder girls. The duration of each lesson was measured by the clock, which at last struck twelve" illustrates that singing and music were incorporated into the elder girl's daily routine along with reading and writing.

Furthermore, the text highlights the timely completion of tasks in a disciplined manner, akin to army schools. A similar observation is made in the statement, "A quarter of an hour passed before lessons again began," indicating the absence of severe treatment towards individuals in comparison to the women from The Oakum Room; allowing them to interact socially. The texts converge here as both depict adherence to punctuality. This disparity in treatment arises from the difference in age and institutional settings. It is important to note that Jayne was orphaned and taken in by her aunt, uncle and cousins.

Jayne's male cousin was a bully while her female cousin embodied the ideal image of a little girl with a pretty pink face and golden curls. However, Jayne was different - spirited and not passive. She fought for her rights, even against her cousin, which resulted in punishment and lack of affection from her uncle and aunt. They deemed her as "un-lady-like" and sent her to a boarding school with the hope of transforming her into a proper lady.

Bessie was Jayne's sole companion and dearest friend, having been one of the servants under her uncle and aunt. Before meeting Helen, a fellow schoolmate, Jayne only had Bessie to love and connect with. As Jayne recounts, "I was taken

from Bessie's neck, to which I clung with kisses," upon departing for school. The excerpt describes her journey to the school and her initial days there, including her first experience with tuberculosis, her consumption of unhealthy food, and her treatment within the boarding school. Jane Eyre is set in the early to mid nineteenth century, highlighting the stark differences between life then and now. Education was not compulsory for girls during that period, resulting in many women lacking proper education.

Having wealth enables access to quality education without the need for labor, while poverty can limit education opportunities and necessitate work for survival. Presently, gender equality is more prevalent compared to the nineteenth century when laws were inadequate, leading to the establishment of shelters for homeless and impoverished individuals in various towns and villages.

The characters in Jane Eyre endured strenuous manual labor without compensation and had to manage with minimal sustenance and shelter. There was a division between genders, as well as the separation of mothers from their children. The youngsters were neglected despite their age, disregarding their health and welfare, and they were deprived of liberty, treated with subhuman cruelty like those in The Oakum Room.

The amount of food consumed by the females in The Oakum Room, described as "Potatoes and thin liquor that they called gravy," was compared to a pitcher of water and mug in Jane Eyre. Both texts portray a minimalistic diet, reinforced by the term "Fragment" in the novel, which indicates small pieces of food. This suggests that Tuberculosis was spread through food as the unhealthy girls transmitted their germs to each other, even through small portions. Despite having T.B.

as a narrative element, the two texts approach it differently.

Within The Oakum Room, the girls acquire illnesses from each other and their unsanitary surroundings. They reside together every day in a cold and unclean environment where they share everything. Their constant coughing facilitates the spread of disease throughout the workplace and amongst themselves. The women endure mistreatment akin to animals, resulting in a purplish hue under their eyes and shaking shoulders due to coughing fits. "After attempting to suppress her coughing, she resumed her seat with trembling shoulders."

While trying to conceal the bags under her eyes, the protagonist in Jane Eyre reveals that all the girls at the school share an imbalanced diet due to inadequate food. Within the first two lessons, one student expresses severe hunger and sickness due to a lack of sustenance the day before, indicating that their food is unhealthy. Furthermore, tuberculosis is discovered in the tale.

In Jane Eyre, Jane finds a companion, Helen Burns, with whom she develops a strong bond. Unfortunately, Helen succumbs to tuberculosis and dies, leaving Jane once again without a confidant - much like when her parents abandoned her. The monotony of life is evident in both stories where the girls have become familiar with the repetitive nature of their routines. This is apparent in Jane's education where there is no opportunity for social interaction - only uninterrupted learning.

The boarding school had a religious atmosphere with minimal lighting and immaculately uniformed students, leading to a loss of their individuality. Similarly, The Oakum Room depicts the women as being imprisoned, evident from the sound of Mrs Hanson's footsteps echoing in the corridor.

The use

of onomatopoeia emphasizes the sound of Mrs. Hanson's walk in the workhouse, contrasting it with a police officer's walk through a prison corridor where detainees are confined to their cells. Despite being female residents, those in The Oakum Room are treated as prisoners. In Jane Eyre, the environment is described as a prison with "high walls that blocked any view of the outside" surrounding the garden, and similarly, girls are also treated as prisoners with no access to fresh air or freedom from outside world.

By using sensory language such as "I could see" and "I felt," the story immerses the reader in the characters' experiences. The young girls were kept behind high walls to protect them from the perceived dangers of the outside world, in line with societal expectations for young women during the nineteenth century. These expectations included being obedient, quiet, and pious, defining both their childhood and womanhood.

In the nineteenth century, societal expectations for rich girls included being both attractive and artistically inclined, demonstrated through singing, piano playing, and painting. In contrast, rich boys were expected to exhibit physical strength and activity, as well as assertiveness, loudness, and dominance - all qualities that would serve them later in life. Both stories use first person language.

Both texts present a narrative from a singular perspective, utilizing first-person pronouns such as 'I' or 'We'. However, Jane Eyre employs a more antiquated vocabulary due to the passage of time, containing more archaic words compared to The Oakum Room. Additionally, the writing style of Jane Eyre is distinctively Victorian while The Oakum Room utilizes modern English.

Throughout the story, we observe a shift in the environment. Initially, Mrs

Hanson's shoes in The Oakum Room produce an onomatopoeic "Slap, slap". Irony is also included in Jane Eyre with the statement, "Breakfast was over and one had breakfast". The intricate language utilized conveys a vivid portrayal of the story's atmosphere to readers.

The first paragraph of The Oakum Room suggests that the women are treated like prisoners, which is further reinforced as the story describes their regimented lifestyle. They are seated in straight rows and given meager portions of food, with little opportunity for socializing. This strict discipline recalls the environment of the military and illustrates the extent of their control.

It is highlighted that the women's diet consisting of boiled vegetable water and potatoes depicts their ill-treatment. Consuming this meal frequently is detrimental to their health, implying an unhealthy lifestyle, and generating pity from the readers. The protagonists of both stories share commonality in their lives as they search for their soulmate.

Both the main character in The Oakum Room, Susan, and Jane Eyre's protagonist, Jane, find female compatriots in Polly and Helen respectively. These two characters are the only ones with whom they communicate throughout the plot of their respective texts.

The Oakum Room and Jane Eyre both feature characters who are depicted as lacking remorse or gratitude, with only the readers being privy to their true selves as they express their feelings towards their soul mates. Both works explore the experiences of women in oppressive Victorian institutions, highlighting how these establishments shape the behavior of women. The Oakum Room and Jane Eyre share a common theme of portraying women as lower-class citizens compared to men during that era. In The Oakum Room, women

fight for their rights and stand up for themselves while in Jane Eyre, girls strive to do the same later on in the story. It is evident that during the nineteenth century, women were treated inferiorly when compared to men.

Jane Eyre delves into the societal expectations placed on women from different economic backgrounds. Poor women were anticipated to work and fulfill their role as wives, while rich women were expected to serve as decorative figures and support their husbands through education.

In both stories, it is evident that the country had a strong bias towards men. However, we witness women standing up against such discrimination and demanding equality. The response of women to such a situation was to rebel and protest against it.