Vic Women Women as Outsiders: A Comparison of Jane Eyre and "The Horse Dealer's Daughter"

Women are often portrayed as a marginalized "other" or outsider in literature, reflecting the degree to which they are outside the traditional patriarchal concepts of authority and power as well as (for much of Western history) outside the practical and legal means of self-sufficiency and self-direction. As the times have shifted, the particular perspective and definition of women as outsiders has also changed, as can be seen in a comparison of the central figures in Charlotte Bronte's Victorian-era novel Jane Eyre and DH Lawrence's more modern short story "The Horse Dealer's Daughter." Interestingly, both heroines are seen as similarly detached from traditional power structures, yet the degree to which Jane distances herself through her morality actually gives her power, while the increasing amorality of the times leads Mabel (Lawrence's...

In all of her moves, Jane is driven largely by necessity -- the need for shelter, and then the need for work. She is also driven by her own moral fortitude, however; there are other options opened to her -- some of them quite desirable -- that she could choose to pursue if she were willing to sacrifice her principles. It is her femininity that leaves her at the mercy of others, but it is her morality that casts her as a true outsider, and she must remain "outside," "other than," and independent from the majority of the…