Rice University

Bront's "Jane Eyre" and the Grimms' Cinderella

Author(s): Micael M. Clarke
Source: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, Vol. 40, No. 4, The Nineteenth Century (
Autumn, 2000), pp. 695-710
Published by: Rice University
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1556246
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SEL 40,4 (Autumn2000) 695
ISSN0039-3657

Bronte'sJaneEyreand the
Grimms'Cinderella
MICAEL M. CLARKE

Readersattempting toplace Charlotte Bronte'sJane Eyreinthenine-

teenth-century noveltradition havebeen puzzledbyBronte'sbold mix-
ingofgenresand bytheimmenseand powerful ideologicaldialecticthat
seems to "closedown"at thenovel'sconclusionto an apparentlythin
monologicalstream. RichardChaseexemplifies thiscritical
mystification:
"TheBrontes'tremendous displacement ofthedomesticvaluestowardthe
tragicandmythical, thoughitfallsshortofultimate achievement, givestheir
worka marginofsuperiority overthatofotherVictorian '
novelists."
Chase's statement reflects manycriticshave withthe
thedifficulties
conclusionofJane Eyre,an endingthatoftenleavesreaderswondering
whathappenedto thewomanwho once so stirringly declaredwomen's
desiresforindependence,replacedbya Janenow apparently livingonly
forRochester. Has Brontefailedtoextricate hervisionfrom theapparently
downward-tending "domestic" to achievethe"tragicand mythical" and
therefore failedto filfillthevisionshe seemedto offerwomen?Or is it
perhapsthatBronteisraisingthedomestictothelevelofthemythical? An
examination ofBronte'suse oftheCinderellataleinJane Eyrepointsto
thelatterconclusion:Jane Eyrefisesthedomestictothemythical.
A recurring questionregardingJane Eyre is how to readthenovelin
termsofwomenand men.Attimes,Bronteseemsto offer a clearexpres-
sion ofwoman'sself-assertion, as whenJanedeclaresthat"womenfeel
justas menfeel;theyneed exercisefortheirfaculties and a fieldfortheir
effortsas muchas theirbrothers do."2 Andyet,atthenovel'sconclusion,
Janehasnarrowed thefieldforherefforts tojustone man-Rochester. Miss
Templehas been swallowedup bymarriage. Maryand Diana Riversvisit
Janejustonce a year,and even Adele,an orphanwithwhomJaneEyre

MicaelM.Clarkeisan associateprofessorofEnglishatLoyolaUniversity inChicago.

SheistheauthorofThackeravandWomen.Hercurrent projectsincludea studyofEmily
Bronte'sspiritual
and ethicalmotifs, as ctulttural
and a studyofthetiniversity institution.

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696 Jane EyreandCinderella

mightbe expectedto sympathize, has been sentawayto schoolbecause

Jane's"time andcareswerenowrequired byanother-my husbandneeded
themall"(chap.38,p. 396).HasJaneEyresoldhersoul?
Variousanalyseshaveaccounted, oftenbrilliantly,
fora conclusionthat
leavesRochester injuredand dependentonJaneas his"propand guide"
(chap.37,p. 395).Chase,famously, viewedRochester's injuriesas a form
of"symbolic castration."3In TheMadwomanin theAttic, SandraGilbert
and SusanGubarinterpret thenovelintermsoffemaleragethatis coun-
terbalanced bya conclusionthattentatively and incompletely suggestsa
worldofsexualequality."
Othercriticshave praisedBronte'sconclusion.AdrienneRichde-
scribesitas presenting alternatives "toconventionand traditional piety,
yes,butalso to socialand cultural reflexesinternalized withinthefemale
psyche."The mostimportant ofthesealternatives, accordingto Rich,is
Bronte'sradically redefined understanding ofmarriage, notas something
that"stuntsand diminishes thewoman;but[thatis]a continuation ofthis
woman'screationofherself."5 AndJohnMaynardinterprets thenovel's
conclusionas "aclearassertion oflovingsexualunion,"achievedonlyaf-
ter"thedifficulties
[Bronte] sees insexualopenness"havebeenovercome,
andafter thefears,suppressions, andrepressions thatdriveJane Eyreinto
"panickedflight" areincorporated intothecomplexprocessofhersexual
awakening.
One ofthekeystothepowerofjane Eyreis Bronte'sdeployment of
multiple genres.The realistic novelenableshertodelineatethedevelop-
mentofa character overtimeandtorepresent indetailthesocialcircum-
stancesthatshapeher.And,byincorporating elementsofallegoryandthe
Bible,BrontedeployselementsoftheJudeo-Christian religioustradition,
suchas itsthorough and perceptive analysisofmoraljudgment andfree-
dom ofwilland itsinclusionofthesupernatural as an activeforceinhu-
manlife.
Bronteadheredto theAnglicanism thatherfather, Patrick,preached
inSt.Michael'sChurch, nextdoortotheirhomeinHaworth, butherwork
demonstrates considerableambivalenceregarding cultural
Christianity's
legacyinreference towomen.Thefairy taleelementthatisso important a
partofJaneEyreallowsBrontetoincludeelementsofmagicandfantasy,
andthustoescapetheepistemologically restraining ofrealism.
effects More
importantly, fairy
taleenablesBrontetoreachbeyondthemoralandethi-
cal constraintsthatChristianity sometimesenjoinsupon womenand to
conveyan alternative religiousvision.
The Cinderellataleis onlyone ofseveralfairytalesthatinformJane
Eyre; allusionsto "Beautyand the Beast"and to "Bluebeard'sCastle"

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MicaelM.Clarke 697

presentRochester simultaneously as a good manhiddenbeneathan ugly

exteriorand as an ogrehusbandwithmultipleformer wives,whomhe
keeps hiddenina secretroominhiscastle.AllusionstoArabianNights,
furnished byJaneherself as sheresists Rochester's attempts toshowerher
withluxuriousgifts, suggestparallelsbetweenthepowerofa sultanover
hisharemandthepoweroftheEnglishgentleman overwomen.Byasso-
ciatingJane withScheherezade, Bronteassertsthepowerofnarrative: like
Scheherezade, JaneEyreemploysnarrative tosave lives,herown as well
as thoseofotherwomen,and,in NancyWorkman'swords,to assert"a
woman'sclaimto sexualautonomyand creativefreedom."7 Neitherthe
fairy talesnorArabianNightsis anymoresusceptibleto easyinterpreta-
tionthanisJaneEyre, andallservetoconveyBronte'scomplexandsome-
timesambivalent attitudes towardhermaterials.
Thegeneralresemblances betweenJaneEyreandtheCinderella tale
areobvious,andseveralcritics haveelucidatedthem.8 Thisstudyproposes
todemonstrate thatJane Eyreis morethana "generic" Cinderellaandthat
Bronte'snovelresemblestheGermantalein specificways.Thisresem-
blancetotheGermanCinderella taleprovidesanimportant keytoBronte's
ethicoffemaleintelligence, activity,pleasure,andintegrity.
GenericresemblancesbetweenJaneEyreand theCinderellafigure
includelostmothers andcruelmother substitutes.Jane's AuntReedparal-
lelsCinderella's 'wickedstepmother" andhercousinsElizaandGeorgiana
Reedthestepsisters. LikeCinderella,Jane Eyrebecomesa kindofservant:
"Bessienow frequently employedme as a sortofundernursery-maid, to
tidytheroom,dustthechairs,etc.,"andis restricted toobservingtheplea-
suresofhermorefortunate siblings(chap. 4, p. 25). "Fromeveryenjoy-
mentI was, of course,excluded: myshare of the gaietyconsistedin
witnessing thedailyapparelling ofElizaand Georgiana,and seeingthem
descendtothedrawing-room, dressedoutinthinmuslinfrocks...I would
retirefromthestairheadto thesolitary and silentnursery: there,though
somewhatsad, I was notmiserable"(chap. 4, p. 23). Later,as Rochester
entertains theladiesfromwhomitseemshe,liketheprinceinCinderella,
is to choose a wife,JaneEyreis stillin exile in thedomesticregionsof
Rochester's castle:"Andissuingfrommyasylumwithprecaution, I sought
a backstairs whichconducteddirectly to thekitchen. .. I could notpro-
ceed to theschoolroomwithout... running theriskofbeingsurprised
withmycargoofvictualage...a soundofmusicissuedfromthedrawing-
room"(chap. 17,pp. 146-7).
Inbothnarratives, theCinderella figureundergoesa periodoftesting,
markedbya seriesofdemeaning"feminine" tasks.The GrimmBrothers'
Cinderella, "musste ... vonMorgen bis Abend schwere Arbeittun,fruihvor

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698 JaneFyreandCinderella

Tagaufstehn [sic],Wassertragen, Feueranmachen, kochenundwaschen."9

[Frommorning untilevening, shehadtoperform difficult
work,risingearly,
carryingwater, makingthefire, cookingandwashing.] BothCinderellaand
JaneEyrearerendered unattractive bydull,shabbyclothing,andbothlong
forescape totheexcitement, beauty,music,andperhapsthesexualplea-
surerepresented by theball.Clearly, JaneEyreis theclassicCinderella:
poor,despised,and mistreated. ButBrontewouldhaveknownboththe
Frenchand theGermanversionsofthetale,and itis significant thatshe
specificallychosetodeploytheGermanversioninJaneEyre.
JacobandWilhelm Grimm's firstvolumeofKinderundHausmarchen
appeared in Berlin in 1812 and was an immediatesuccess,appearingin
seventeeneditionsbetween1812and 1858.The first Englishtranslation,
byEdgarTaylor,appearedin 1823ina collectionentitledGermanPopu-
larStories,whichwas equallypopularinEngland.Thus,Brontecouldeas-
ilyhaveknowntwoversionsoftheCinderellatale:theGrimms' version,
and CharlesPerrault's "Cendrillon," first
publishedin Francein 1697in
Histoiresou Contesdu TempsPassi. BrontereadbothFrenchand Ger-
manand couldhavereadbothversionseitherinEnglishorintheirorigi-
nalpublication languages.
ThankstoWaltDisney,mostAmericans todayaremorefamiliar with
Perrault's
version, inwhichCinderella ridestotheballina pumpkin pulled
bywhitemicethata fairygodmother has transformed intoa coach and
horses.ThisCinderellamustleave theball by midnight because,at the
strokeofmidnight, hercoach willturnintoa pumpkinandherclothesinto
rags.
The Germanversionis rougherbut,to mymind,preferable. In the
Grimms' version,Aschenputtel is toldbyherdyingmotherto be always
"fromm undgut... undichwillvomHimmelaufdichherabblicken" (p.
93) [piousandgood ... and I willwatchoveryoufromheaven].After her
fatherremarries, Cinderella ismadetosleepnexttothehearthandamong
thecindersorashes,henceherGermanname,Aschenputtel. One dayher
fathergoesona journey andaskshisdaughters whatgifthecanbringthem.
Thestepsisters requestfineclothesandjewelry, whileCinderellaasksonly
forwhatever branchfirst strikesherfather's hatwhenhe beginshisreturn
home.Cinderellaplantsthebranchon hermother'sgraveand watersit
withhertearsso thata beautifuil hazeltreegrowsup overthegrave.And
everytimeAschenputtel goes to hermother's gravetoweep and pray,a
birdcomestofulfill anywishthatshespeaks.
Whennewsoftheprince'sballreachesthefamily, thestepsisters
com-
mandCinderellatodressthem.Theylaughattheideathatshemight wish
togo too.Butshepleadsso persistently thatherstepmother, toputheroff,

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MicaelM.Clarke 699

makesita conditionthatCinderellaperform severaltasksbeforeshe can

go:toremovefirst andthenpeas,fromtheashesofthehearth.
lentils, After
thefamily leaves,however, thebirdfrom her mother's gravesummons two
whitedoves to pickup thelentilsand peas, and bringsa beautiful dress
andgoldand silver(notglass)slippers.
In theGrimms'version,Aschenputtel leavestheballvoluntarily: "Es
tanztebises Abendwar,da wolltees nachHausgehen"(p. 96).[Shedanced
untilevening, andthenwantedtogo home.]Shegoestotheballthreetimes
infact,eachtimerunning awayandhidingfromtheprince,andeachtime
herfather helps princesearchforher,oncechoppingdowna treewith
the
an axe,once destroying a dovecoteinwhichtheythinksheis hiding.
At the conclusion of the Grimms' tale, the prince reaches
Aschenputtel's homewiththegoldenslipperandthestepmother tellsher
eldestdaughter tocutoffhertoeinordertofitintotheshoe,for,saysthe
mother, whenyouarequeenyouwillnotneedtowalk.But,as theprince
ridesawaywithhisfalsebride,thebirdcallstohimthathe shouldlookat
thetrailofblood she leavesbehind,and he realizesthedeception.The
second sisteris advisedbyhermotherto cutoffherheel,and againthe
birdcallsouttotheprince,who returns once moretothehouse.
Now theprinceasksAschenputtel's fatherwhetherhe has anyother
daughters, andheanswers"No... thereisonlya little stuntedAschenputtel
here;shecannotpossiblybe yourbride"(p. 98).Buttheprinceinsists, and
Aschenputtel washes herfaceand putson thegoldenslipper,and the
prince,drawing near,recognizesher.Astheyleavethemarriage ceremony,
thebirdspeckoutthetwostepsisters' eyes.
The Grimms'versionof thetale includesimportant religiousand
mythic elementslackingintheFrench.The motherinheaven,hersuffer-
ingdaughter on earth,andthebirdthatmediatesbetweenthemsuggesta
femaleholytrinity thatparallelsChristianity'sFather,Son,andHolySpirit.
These arejoinedtothepre-Christian symbolism treegrowingoutof
ofa
themother'sgrave,ofthehearth, and ofthepeas and lentilsthatsignify
connectionwitha powerful,benevolentmother-half-divine, half-
human-andwiththehearth, thedomestic, andfertility.
Another elementthatdistinguishes theGermanfromtheFrenchver-
sionisthat,intheGrimms' tale,Cinderellaleavestheballon herown ini-
tiative;indeed,"es entsprangihmso geschwind,dass er nichtfolgen
konnte"(p. 97) [shesprangawayfromhimso quicklythathe could not
followher].She seeks pleasure,nota husband,and thereis no threatof
publichumiliation toforcehertoleavetheball,as intheFrenchversion.
JaneEyreechoestheGermanCinderella inmanyways.Abriefsurvey
willdemonstrate how skillfullyBronteevokesthetale'scentralsymbol

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700 JaneFyreandCinderella

the hearth.Welcominghearths,forexample, signifythe precious

caregivingqualitiesassociatedwiththehearthkeepers. MissTemple's
hearthprovidesthefirst homeforJane'sintellect and spirit,and thissa-
credspace is illuminated bythemoon,also traditionally associatedwith
femaledeities:"Someheavyclouds,sweptfromtheskybya risingwind,
hadleftthemoonbare;andherlight, streaming inthrough a windownear,
shonefullbothon us and on theapproachingfigure, whichwe at once
recognisedas MissTemple... [Herapartment] containeda good fire, and
lookedcheerful" (chap.8,p. 61). Gradually,Bronte expands on this"good
fire":"Therefreshing meal,thebrilliant fire,
thepresenceand kindnessof
herbelovedinstrLictress ... hadroused[HelenBurns's]powerswithinher.
Theywoke,theykindled: theyglowedinthebright
first, tintofhercheek...
thentheyshonein theliquidlustreofhereyes . . . whichhad suddenly
acquired... radiance"(chap.8,p. 63).
Everyhomecomingin thisnovelis associatedwitha hearthand do-
mesticcaretaking: atThornfield, Mrs.Fairfaxinher"snowymuslinapron,"
withherknitting andhercat,welcomesJane Eyretoher"snug, smallroom;
a roundtablebya cheerful fire"
withaninvitation, "youmustbe cold;come
to thefire"(chap. 11,p. 83). WhenJanereturns to visitherdyingauntat
Gateshead,Bessie,theone personintheReedhouseholdwhohadtreated
Janekindlyand thesourceofherknowledgeoffairytales,presidesin a
lodgethatis"very cleanandneat:theornamental windowswerehungwith
littlewhitecurtains; thefloorwas spotless;thegrateand fire-irons were
burnishedbright, and thefireburntclear"(chap. 21,p. 199).In Bronte's
privatehistory, Bessie bearsa close resemblanceto "Tabby," thekindly
servant who,after Charlotte's mother's death,fedthechildren generously
and,inWinifred Gerin'swords,"caredfortheirfrailbodies.'l"1
DavidLodgepointsoutthatJane Eyre"contains abouteighty-five ref-
erencesto domesticfires"as well as some dozen references to hearths,
aboutforty-three figurative and tenliteralreferences to fire,and fourto
InJaneEyre,Lodgedemonstrates,
hell-fire. Bronteconveys"a verysig-
nificantclusterofemotionsand values"bymeansoffireimagery, devel-
oped and expandedwithremarkable fluidityfromliteraldescription into
lyricalevocationsofpassionateandspiritual statesofbeing."
AtMoorHouse,thehearthrepresents family, intellectualcompanion-
ship,emotionalintimacy, andevenlifeitself, as a shivering, exhausted, and
starvingjane looksinfromtheoutercoldanddarknesson a "roomwitha
sandedfloor, cleanscoured;a dresserofwalnut, withpewterplatesranged
inrows,reflecting therednessand radianceofa glowingpeat-fire." Near
thehearth,"@amidst therosypeace and warmth," sittwo "younggraceful
women-ladiesineverypoint."Theirfaceslook "thoughtful almosttose-

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MicaelM.Clarke 701

andyet,Jane
verity," feels,"Iseemedintimate witheverylineament" (chap.
28,pp. 292-3).LikeMissTemple's,theirnamesare significant: Maryand
Dianarepresent Christianandmythical figures whosymbolize femalechas-
tity On theotherhand,Rochester's
and integrity. "bedoffire" makesclear
thatthedomesticembersmaybe fannedintothedemonic,uncontrolled
firesofa madwife'srage,and HelenBurns(hernameindicatesBronte's
deliberateness),who has"onlya father ... andhewillnotmissme,"diesby
a feversignifyingthedestrLictivequalityofself-abnegation thatispreached
towomenbyChristian ministers suchas Brocklehurst and St.JohnRivers
(chap.9,p. 71).Thus,hearthfire inJaneEyrerepresents allthatis needftil,
desired,andinspiring, butalsothatwhichhasa terrifying potential fordev-
astationanddestruction.
Andwhatofthesaintly motherin heaven?Brontetakesthisinvisible
butactivelyintervening figurefromtheGrimms'taleand transforms her
intoan imagethatresonateswithpowerful echoes ofancientfemaledei-
ties,especiallythatofthemoon-goddess. In doingso,shedefiesconven-
tionalexpectations thatthenovelbe realistic and presentsa supernatural
figurestraight out of theGrimms'Cinderella:a motherin heavenwho
watchesover,guides,and inspires JaneincrLcialmoments.
Moonimagery isessentialtoJaneEyre.Notonlydoes themoonshine
fillon MissTempleinthepassagequotedabove,itis also clearlyassoci-
ated withJane'smotherin thescene in whichJanestrLiggles to decide
whetherto staywithRochester afterlearningthathismadwifestilllives.
Janefallsasleep and dreamsofthemoonbreakingthrough clouds:

a handfirst
penetrated thesablefoldsandwavedthemaway;then,
nota moon,buta whitehumanformshoneintheazure,inclining
a gloriousbrowearthward. Itgazed andgazed and gazed on me.
Itspoke to myspirit:immeasurably distantwas thetone,yetso
near,itwhisperedinmyheart-"Mydaughter, fleetemptation!"
"Mother,I will."
(chap.27,p. 281)

The moon also illuminates doubtsaboutChristian

Jane'sfirst teachings:
"themoonrosewithsuchmajestyinthegraveeast... Andthenmymind
madeitsfirst to comprehendwhathadbeen infusedintoit
earnesteffort
concerningheavenandhell:andforthefirst
timeitrecoiled,baffled"
(chap.
9,p.69).
Moonlight"streamed throughthenarrowwindownearmycrib,"it
brightensandgleamsonjane's first withRochester,
meeting "herglorious

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702 jane FyreandCinderella

gaze"rousesJane EyrejustbeforeBertha's first andilluminatesJane's

attack,
declaration oflove and independence(chap.5,p. 34). Rochester, too,re-
markstheeffect ofthemoonlight, as he reminds Janethatshe "glowedin
thecool moonlight lastnight,whenyoumutinied againstfate,andclaimed
yourrankas myequal"(chap.25,p. 230).Ineverycase,Bronteassociates
themoonwitha kindofsacredpresence.
Beforetheabortive marriage ceremony, themoonforeshadowsjane's
isolationandsuffering. On theeveofJane's intended wedding,themoon's
"diskwas blood-redand halfovercast;she seemedto throwon me one
bewildered, drearyglance,and buriedherself againinstantly inthedeep
riftofcloud."Soon afterward, she "shutherself whollywithinhercham-
ber,and drewclose hercurtainofdensecloud;thenightgrewdark;rain
came drivingfaston thegale"(chap. 25,pp. 243-4).Butthatverynight,
afterBerthaMason'svisittoJaneEyre'sroom,duringwhichshe ripsthe
bridalveil,themoononce again"shonepeaceftilly," as ifrelieved,having
warnedherdaughter (chap.25,p. 251).
Againand again,Bronteuses these symbols-thehearthand the
moon-to represent a heavenlymotherandvirginmoon-goddess, offer-
ingJaneEyrea spiritual lackingintheversionofChristianity
integrity rep-
resentedbyBrocklehurst and St.JohnRivers.
AfterSt.JohnRivershas insistedthatJane Eyremarryhim,for
propriety's sake,and so thathe would be possessedof "a wife:thesole
helpmeetI can influence efficientlyinlifeandretainabsolutely tilldeath,"
themoonagainplaysa decisiveroleinJane'sperilofsoul (chap. 34,p.
357):"Icontendedwithmyinwarddimnessofvision,beforewhichclouds
yetrolled.I sincerely,deeply,fervently longedto do whatwas right; and
onlythat.'Showme,showme thepath!'I entreated ... Allthehousewas
still... theroomwasfullofmoonlight. Myheartbeatfastandthick;I heard
itsthrob.Suddenly, itstoodstillto an inexpressible feelingthatthrilled it
through, andpassedatonce tomyheadandextremities ... I saw nothing:
butI hearda voicesomewhere cry-'Jane!Jane!Jane!' nothing more"(chap.
35,p. 369,emphasisadded).
AgainJanehas had a vision,describedintermsthatstretch thelimits
oftherealistic novelandthatisa religious, ratherthana gothic,element.It
isrelatedtotheconversion experienceso typicalofVictorian autobiogra-
phy-inthiscase a woman'sconversionexperience:

I brokefromSt.John,
whowouldhavefollowed,andwouldhave
detainedme. Itwas mytimeto assumeascendancy.Mypowers
wereinplay,andinforce.I toldhimtoforbear
questionorremark;
I desiredhimtoleaveme:I must,andwouldbe alone.He obeyed

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MicaelM.Clarke 703

atonce.Wherethereis energytocommandwellenough,obedi-
ence neverfails.I mountedto mychamber;lockedmyself in;fell
on myknees;andprayed inmy way-a different
way toSt.John's,
initsownfashion.I seemedtopenetrate
buteffective veryneara
Mighty andmysoulrushedoutingratitude
Spirit; atHisfeet.I rose
fromthethanksgiving-took a resolve-andlaydown,unscared,
enlightened-eager butforthedaylight.
(chap.35,p. 370)

In orderto understand how theGrimmBrothers' Cinderellainfuses

JaneEyrewithitsreligioussignificance, we mustconsiderthetaleitself.
JacobandWilhelm Grimm wereessentially whocollectedtales,
folklorists
legends,myths, fables,anecdotes,jokes,and Sagen,frombothoraland
literarysources.Theirgoalwas,inpart,to"reconstruct theancientmytho-
logicalpantheonprecedingChristianity."12 The Cinderellatalehas a life
faroutsideoftheGermanicorTeutonictraditions; theearliestknownver-
siontofeature a lostslipperwas recordedinninth-century China,whereit
was alreadya well-known partoftheoraltradition.'3 W.R.S. Ralstonsur-
veyed"scoresofvariants" ofthetaleandfoundthatone significant feature
thatmostvariants shareis "theideathata lovingmother maybe able,even
afterherdeath,toblessandassista dutiftil child."14
Aquestionwe mustaskiswhether theCinderella nega-
talereinforces
tivestereotypes ofwomen.Somecritics chargethatthetalepositspassiv-
ityas a feminine ideal,suchas is exemplified intheDisneysong,"Some
Day My PrinceWill Come." And the "CinderellaComplex"has come to
meana femalefearofsuccess.Ifthisisallthereistothetale,thenJaneEyre
wouldnotbenefit muchfromitsborrowing. KarenE. Rowe,infact,argues
thatBronte"tests the[Cinderella] paradigm... andfindsitlacking"because
it"subvertstheheroine'sindependenceand humanequality."'15
Butthereis a wayto readCinderellathatis consistent withBronte's
feminist themes.Jack
spiritual ZipesnotesthatfolkloristsAugustNitschke,
in Soziale Ordnungenim Spiegelder Mdrchen,and Heide Gottner-
Abendroth, inDie Gottinund ihrHeros,tracetheCinderellatalebackto
matrilinealsocietiesandassociatesomeofthetale'svariations withmoon
worshipand matriarchal ' MarieLouisevon Franz,in TheProblems
rites.
oftheFemininein FairyTales,tracesinthetalesfemalearchetypes from
Greekmythology, inparticularthedualimageofmotherhood represented
byDemeter, goddessoffertility andgrainandalso ofsorrowandrevenge.
AndSigridFrdih, inDie Frau imMdrchen, arguesthatCinderellaisnot
a demure,passivevictimbutratheran active,clever,scheminggirlwho
ultimately makestheprincekneeltoherinherash-stained dress,thatis,in

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704 jane EvreandCinderella

herown identity, and thatthetalerepresents theprince'sultimate subor-

dinationtoAschenputtel's will!
Inthefinalanalysis, theCinderella taleoffers twoapparently conflict-
ingperspectives onwomen'sroles.On theone hand,Cinderella does seem
toteachthathumility, obedience,andlong-suffering acceptanceofhouse-
holddrudgery willbe rewardedthrough marriage andlivinghappilyever
after,in triumph overall thosecompetitive otherwomen.On theother
hand,LouiseBernikowarguesinAmongWomenthattheCinderellatale
represents remnants ofancientpre-Christian religionsinwhichthehearth
was dedicatedtogoddessessuchas VestaandHeraandtendedbypriest-
esses,and thatthetale'shearth, tree,and peas and lentils(grain)all sym-
bolize the sacred. Cinderella'sassociation withthe hearthand her
thrice-dailyritualvisittohermother's gravelinkherinparticular toVesta,
goddessofthehearth, andtotheVestalVirgins ofancientRome,powerftil
guardiansofthesacredfiresofhomeandstate.
Accordingto Bernikow, theCinderellatalerepresents a conflict be-
tweentwokindsoffemaleprinciples: themother theimportance,
signifies
eventhesacredness,ofwomen'srolesand work,includinghousework,
as symbolizedbyCinderella'sassociationwiththehearth.The otherfe-
maleprincipleis represented bythestepmother and is malecentered, al-
ways in competition withotherwomenformale approval,hopingfor
idleness("WhenyouareQueenyouwillnothavetowalk")andwillingto
mutilate one's selfandone's daughters togaintheprize,a husband.17
JaneEyre'sfamily is essentiallylikeCinderella's, but,as thisis a novel
andnota fairy tale,Bronteis able touse thenovel'srealismtoexplorethe
socialandpsychological forcesthatdestroy women'sintegrity. Mrs.Reed's
continualindulgenceofherson'sselfishcruelty, forexample,represents
society'sovervaluation ofthemale,and,afteryearsofprofligacy, John
Reed'ssuicidekillsthemboth.
Elizaand GeorgianaReedrepresent thedilemmamanywomencon-
frontregarding marriage or spinsterhood (a recurring Bronteantheme).
Georgianais describedby hersisterEliza in termsreminiscent ofMary
Wollstonecraft: "youseek onlyto fastenyourfeeblenesson some other
person'sstrength: ifno one can be foundwillingtoburdenherorhimself
withsuch a fat,weak,puffy, useless thing,you cryout thatyou are ill-
treated,neglected,miserable" (chap.21,p. 207).Georgianafinally makes
"anadvantageousmatchwitha wealthy, worn-out manoffashion," while
Elizachoosestheonlyalternative sheknowsandhasherself, injaneEyre's
view,"walledup aliveina Frenchconvent"(chap.22,p. 212).Putting this
family behindher,JaneEyrecontinuesherpilgrim's progressinsearchof
a betterway.

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MicaelM.Clarke 705

LikeCinderella, JaneEyrerunsawayfromthetoo-powerful prince,

thoughotherssell themselvesdailyto such men,even,step-sister-like,
deforming themselvesin a vainattempt to meettheirrequirements. The
issuebetweenJane EyreandEdwardRochester theinterrupted
after mar-
riageceremony andrevelation ofBerthaMason'sexistenceisnotso much
Rochester's deception,northemoralquestionconcerninghisstill-living
wife,as itisa questionofmalepowerversusfemaleintegrity. Thishasbeen
theissuebetweenthemfromthefirst.
Although JaneEyreis attracted byRochester's strength ofcharacter,
she fearsitina worldwheremenareencouragedto misusetheirpower.
Fromtheverybeginning,Jane's wariness,hersometimes prickly indepen-
dence,herbantering repliestoRochester, andherrefusaltoaccepthisgifts
establishpoweras a keyissuebetweenthem.Andindeed,Rochester has
longabused hisprivileges: as a youngman,he married formoney,using
womenforsex butwishingto possess themexclusively withno obliga-
tionsinreturn. He is a distantdomesticdespotwho mocksthefeminine
qualitiesofhiswardAdeleandforms no close attachments butliestoand
teaseswomenmercilessly. Yet,he ismuchadmiredandsoughtafter inso-
To paraphraseOscarWilde,thatisallthatneedbe saidaboutsociety.
ciety.
Thescene-moonlit,ofcourse-thatleadstotheirengagement isfilled
withthelanguageofequality:Jane's emotionassertsits"right topredomi-
nate,"herspiritaddresseshis,"equal-as we are!"and he respondsthat
"Mybrideis here... because myequal is here"(chap.23,p. 223).Shortly
thereafter,whenRochester hasinformed Mrs.Fairfaxoftheirplanstomarry,
shebeginsa litanyofwarnings on thethemeofinequality: "He is a proud
man,""Equality ofpositionandfortune is oftenadvisable.. . He mightal-
mostbe yourfather," and,"Tryand keep Mr.Rochesterat a distance...
Gentlemeninhisstationarenotaccustomedto marry theirgovernesses"
(chap.24,pp. 232-3).
Mosttellingofall is Rochester's resorttothreats ofviolencewhenhe
realizesthathisdeceptionwillnotworkand thathe maybe balkedofhis
desires:"'Jane!willyou hearreason?... because,ifyouwon't,I'lltryvio-
lence... Jane,I amnota gentle-tempered man... beware!'...hisstillvoice
wasthepantofa lionrising." Brontemakestheunderlying issueclearwhen
JanerespondstoRochester's "Itwouldnotbe wickedtoloveme"with"It
wouldtoobeyyou"(chap.27,p. 278).
JaneEyre'shumblesocialpositionhas,likeCinderella's, a doublefunc-
tion.As emblemsofunjustlimitations on
placed women,Jane'spoverty
andherlifeofserviceas under-housekeeper, governess,andteacheroffer
a socialcritiqueofwomen'ssubjection. ButBrontealso assertstheworth
ofwomen'swork.Itsvalueis suggestedbythemanyimagesofdomestic

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706 Jane FyreandCinderella

peace andintellectual nourishment

andspiritual offeredbywomenattheir
hearthsides.Suchservice,ifperformed freely,
isnoble,andpromotes good
inothers.
Inthelargerpattern ofthenovel,atthehearths ofMissTemple,Bessie,
Mrs.Fairfax,andMaryandDiana Rivers, domesticity isassociatedwithre-
sistancetothelife-denying ofa taintedsocialsystem
principles andwitha
thatis notanti-Christian,
spirituality butthatseeksto reintegrate ancient
maternalistprinciplesintotheChristianitythatBronte'sfatherand hiscu-
ratespreached.Had thehearthkeepers morepower,Bronteseemstosay,
theJaneEyresoftheworldcouldfulfill theirambitions andtheirdesirefor
freedom.
toElizabethGaskelldated27August1850,Brontewrote:
Ina letter

Menbegintoregardthepositionofwomeninanotherlightthan
theyused to do; and a fewmen,whose sympathies are fineand
whosesenseofjusticeis strong, thinkand speakofitwitha can-
dorthatcommandsmyadmiration. Theysay,however-and,to
an extenttruly-thattheamelioration ofourconditiondepends
on ourselves.Certainlythereareevilswhichourown efforts will
bestreach;butas certainlythereareotherevils-deep-rootedin
thefoundationsofthesocialsystem-which no efforts
ofourscan
touch;ofwhichwe cannotcomplain;ofwhichitis advisablenot
toooftentothink.18

Distinctiveas heisinhisByronic Rochester

attractiveness, ispartofa larger
pattern ofmasculinedominance:videJohnReed,theRev.Brocklehurst,
and St.JohnRivers.Atthecenterofthisdominanceis a displacement of
therightftilrelationsbetweenmenandwomenbya religioussystemthat
places manbetweenwomanand heaven.JaneEyrereflects: "Myfuture
husbandwas becomingtomemywholeworld;andmorethantheworld;
almostmyhope ofheaven.He stoodbetweenme and everythought of
religion,as an eclipseintervenes betweenmanandthebroadsun.I could
not,inthosedays,see God forhiscreature: ofwhomI had madean idol"
(chap.25,p. 241).
Women,bycontrast, eitherbecomeruthlessly competitive andpettily
cruel(GeorgianaReed,Mrs.Reed,andBlancheIngram), having,ineffect,
cutoffa partofthemselves toplease men,ortheyareswallowedup bya
world thatdoes not value them(Helen Burnsand Miss Temple), as
Cinderellafearswillhappento her.The thirdalternative, and "thechoice
oflife"forwomen,isthatrepresented bythehearth, a "sacredspace"where
Cinderella's isnourished
spirit through divinehelp,andwherelovingser-

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MicaelM.Clarke 707

vice bringsjoy.The hearthrepresents a place wherewomencan,inVir-

giniaWoolfs words,"lookpastUohn]Milton'sbogey,forno humanbeing
shouldshutouttheview."' 9
Thisbook isneither a simpleexpressionoffemalerage(thoughthere
is angerinit),nora capitulation tothedevaluedfemalerolesofnurseand
servant.Itis,rather, an expressionofa maternalist systemofvaluesthat
was known and debated in Bronte's lifetime.20Nineteenth-century
maternalists such as J.J.Bachofen,FriedrichEngels,ElizabethCady
Stanton, andCharlotte Perkins Gilmanbelievedthathumansocietyevolved
through a numberofstages,andthatitwas notalwayspatriarchal.21 Some,
likeWalter Bagehot,believedthatwoman,whosematernal hecon-
instinct
sideredthesourceofallaltruism, providedthefoundation ofcivilization.
Although Bachofenconsideredpatriarchy superiorto matriarchy on
thescaleofhumansocialdevelopment, nineteenth-century feministssaw
hope inthematernalist denialoftheuniversality offemalesubordination:
itsuggestedthatequalitybetweenthesexes mightbe themore"natural"
formofsocialorganization, positingalternativesforwomen.And,inthe
nineteenth century,archeologicalevidenceofmother-goddess figureswas
deployedfora variety ofpurposes,sometimesto supporttheoriesofthe
moralsuperiority ofwomen,sometimes toargue,as didSydneyOwenson,
LadyMorgan,in Womanand Her Master(1840),thatwoman'srightftil
place inhumanhistory hadbeen hiddenand suppressedbyhistorians in
ordertokeepwomeninsubjection.
Maternalism offeredan alternative visionof relationsbetweenthe
sexestonineteenth-century thinkersandwriters suchas BronteandWill-
iamMakepeaceThackeray. Thatsuchideaswerenotforeign to Bronteis
in
demonstrated Shirley, when Caroline Helstone and Shirley Keeldar, sit-
tinginthechurchyard while,withinthechurch,"curates ... hammerover
theirpreparedorations," discuss"whatEvewaswhensheandAdamstood
alone on earth." AndwhatEve was,was notMilton'sEve,forhe "triedto
see thefirst woman;but... Itwas hiscook he saw."Rather thefirstEve,as
Shirley describesher,was "heaven-born," "grand,"
"vast," 'a woman-Titan,"
"Jehovah'sdaughter,"an "undying,mightybeing" who yielded the
"tinexhausted lifeand uncorrupted excellence... which,aftermillenni-
umsofcrimes... couldconceiveandbringforth a Messiah."22 ThatBronte
wouldgivetheheroinewho was based on herbelovedsisterEmilysuch
wordsand ideas strongly suggeststhatBronteherselffoundthemcom-
pelling.
Cinderella'svirtuesthen,theethosshe represents, are exactlythose
thattheVictorians heldtobe peculiarly women'svirtues, andBronte'suse
ofthetaleinJaneEyrerepresents a fusingoftheGermanvariant's mother-

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708 JaneEyre andCinderella

goddess implications withcertainnineteenth-century ideas concerning

humanevolutionand altruism as a femaleprinciple.LiketheCinderella
tale,thenovelis structured upon twocompetingreligioussystems, one
female-centered and pre-Christian, theotherpatriarchal It
and Christian.
isonlywhenthetwoareviewedtogether thatwe canunderstand Brontn's
particulardialecticoffierceindependenceand romantic, seemingly anti-
ideasaboutwomen,duty,
feminist, andaltruistic
caretaking.
Thestructure ofJaneEyreisa complexfusionofclassicalmythology,
Christianallegory,and fairy tale,resulting in a feminist
finally a
allegory,
woman'sPilgrim's Progress, inwhichthoseelementsofChristianity that
demeanwomen'sintelligence, will,desire,andintegrityareassessedand
foundwanting. Bronte'sis a Christianityreclaimedbythe(re)insertion of
a maternalistrespectforwomen'swork.InJane Eyre,Brontewas able to
reconcilegrieffora lostmotherand ambivalencetowardthereligionof
herfather. Anditis theinsertion intothenoveloftheGrimmBrothers'
Cinderella,withitsresonancesofthesupernatural and themythic, that
conveysthisfeminist ethic.23

NOTES

'RichardChase, "The Brontes,or,MythDomesticated,"inFormsofModernFic-

tion: Essays Collected in Honor ofJoseph Warren Beach, ed. William Van O'Connor
(Minneapolis:Univ.ofMinnesotaPress,1948),pp. 102-19,119.Thisarticlewas origi-
nallypublishedinKR9, 1 (Autumn1947):487-506,buttheoriginalarticledoes notcon-
tainthissentence.Exceptinthisone instance,all referencesto Chase's essaywillbe to
theKR version.
2CharlotteBronte,JaneEyre,ed. RichardJ.Dunn,NortonCriticalEdn.(New York:
W.W.Norton,1971),chap. 12,p. 96. Henceforth all referencestoJane Eyrewillbe to
thiseditionandwillappear parenthetically
inthetext,designatedbychapterand page
numbers.
3Chase,p. 495.
4 SandraM. Gilbertand Susan Gubar,The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman
WriterandtheNineteenth-CenturyLiteraryImagination(New Haven: Yale Univ.Press,
1979),pp. 368-71.
5AdrienneRich,"JaneEyre:The Temptations
ofa MotherlessWoman,"inOn Lies,
Secrets,and Silence. Selected Prose, 1966-1978 (New York: W W. Norton, 1979), pp.
89-106,106.
6John Maynard,Charlotte Bronte and Sexuality (Cambridge:CambridgeUniv.
Press,1984),pp. 143-4.
7Nancy V.Workman, "ScheherezadeatThornfield:MythicElementsinjane Eyre,"
EL WIU15,2 (Fall 1988):177-92,190.
8 For discussionsof Bronte'suse of the Cinderellatale,see especiallyElizabeth
Imlay, Charlotte Bronte and the Mysteriesof Love. Myth and Allegory in 'Jane Eyre"
(New York:St.Martin's
Press,1989),withparticular
reference
tochapter8,"FairyTales,"
pp.69-80.OtherdiscussionsincludeKarenE.Rowe,"'Fairy-bornandhuman-bred':Jane

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MicaelM.Clarke 709

Eyre'sEducationinRomance,"in 7he VoyageIn: FictionsofFemale Development,ed.

ElizabethAbel,MarianneHirsch,and ElizabethLangland(Hanover NH and London:
Univ.PressofNew England,1983),pp. 69-89; RobertKeefe,CharlotteBronte'sWorld
ofDeath (Austinand London:Univ.ofTexas Press,1979),pp. 113-22;Paula Sullivan,
"FairyTale ElementsinJaneEyre," inJPC12,1 (Summer1978):61-74;CharlesBurkhart,
CharlotteBronte.-A PsychosexualStudy ofHerNovels(London:VictorGollancz,1973),
pp. 69-73.
9Jacoband WilhelmGrimm,"Aschenputtel," inKinderund Hausmdrchen(Ber-
lin: WilhelmHertz, 1888), pp. 93-9, 93. Subsequent referencesto thisedition of
"Aschenputtel" inthetext.
willappear parenthetically
'"Winifred Gerin,CharlotteBronte:7he EvolutionofGenius(Oxford:Clarendon
Press,1967),pp. 34-9.
' David Lodge,"Fireand Eyre:Charlotte BrontesWarofEarthly Elements," in The
Language ofFiction:Essaysin Criticism and VerbalAnalysis oftheEnglishNovel(Lon-
don: Routledgeand Kegan Paul,1966),pp. 114-43,116-7.
'2Kurt Ranke,FolktalesofGermany(Chicago:Univ.ofChicagoPress,1966),p. viii.
'3R.D.Jameson,"CinderellainChina,"inCinderella:AFolkloreCasebook,ed. Alan
Dundes (New Yorkand London:GarlandPublishing,1982),pp. 71-97.
14W.R.S. Ralston,"Cinderella,"in Cinderella:AFolkloreCasebook,pp. 30-56,36.
'5Rowe,pp. 71,70.
'6JackZipes, TheBrothersGrimm:FromEnchantedForeststotheModernWorld
(New Yorkand London:Routledge,1988),pp. 137-8.
'7Louise Bernikow, AmongWomen(New York:HarperColophonBooks, 1980),p.
28.
18 ElizabethGaskell,TheLifeofCharlotte Bronte,ed. and withan intro.byAngtis
Easson(Oxford:OxfordUniv.Press,1996),p. 356.The reference to"afewmen... whose
sense ofjusticeisstrong"surelyrefers toWilliamMakepeaceThackeray, whomBronte
praisesso strongly intheprefaceto thesecond editionofJaneEyre.
19Virginia Woolf,A Room ofOne s Own (New York:HarcourtBraceJovanovich,
1929),p. 118.
20SeeespeciallyjohannjakobBachofen'sMyth, Religion,andMother-Right(1861),
also SydneyOwenson,LadyMorgan'sWomanandHerMaster(1840),Charlotte Perkins
Gilman's Womenand Economics(1861), HerbertSpencer's PrinciplesofSociology
(1876-1896),WalterBagehot'sPhysicsand Politics(1869),Friedrich Engels'sOriginof
theFamily(1871),EleanorMarx'sTheWomanQuestion(1887),Mona Caird's7heMo-
ralityofMarriage(1897),andFrancesSwiney'sTheAwakening ofWomen:Or,Womens
Part in Evolution(1897). I am indebtedto FlorenceBoos's discussionoftheideologi-
cal axes ofagreementand difference amongtheseand otherwriters inher"AHistoryof
TheirOwn: Late Nineteenth-Century FeministFamilyHistory," deliveredbeforethe
MidwestVictorianStudiesAssociationin Aprilof 1992.Gerda Lernerdiscusses the
problematic workingsoftheideas ofmatriarchy
yetinfluential and maternalism in"Ori-
gins,"in TheCreationofPatriarchy (New Yorkand Oxford:OxfordUJniv. Press,1986),
pp. 15-35.
21Lerner, p. 26.
22Bronte, Shirley(Oxford:ClarendonPress,1979),book 2,chap. 7,pp. 319-21.
23 MarianneThormahlen'srecentstudy,TheBrontes and Religion(Cambridge:

CambridgeUniv.Press,1999),appearedafterthisessayhadbeen written. Thormaihlen's

analysisis compatiblewiththeviews expressedhere,in thatshe demonstrates thata
"tradicalenquiryintoreligiousthought, andconduct"characterizes
feeling, alltheBronte
works(p. 219).Moreover,she correctly representsCharlotte'scritiqueofAnglicanism

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710 jane EvreandCinderella

as a sign,notofrejectionofthechurch,butofa lovingdesiretoreformit.Thormnlhlen's
studyistobe commendedforitsimpressivedemonstration oftheneed forgreatercon-
temuporary appreciationoftheroleofreligioninnineteenth-century
literature.
Thormn ihlen'sstudy,
however,focuseson theextenttowhichChristianinstitutions
and ideas informntheBrontenovels,whilemypurposeistoshowthatinJaneEvreChar-
lotteBronteincludesreligiouselemnents thatrangebeyondthose providedby Chris-
tianity alone.

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