Student Response: Jane Eyre And Mary Prince

Sharon Pealer

The status of women in the first half of the 19^th century provides a common bond between Jane Eyre and The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave. There are some similarities in the lives of the two main characters, one a fictitious white woman and the other a living witness to the world of female slaves. Both characters allow for the examination of the Victorian era’s domination by the white Anglo- Saxon male and the role that these men forced upon the women of the period.

The difference in the lives of both women are rather easy to examine. Jane is a white and free woman, she is not in any kind of indentured servitude. She is, however, through much of her story a poor orphan. Even at the time Jane leaves Lowood she has no property, no real family that she knows and thus no male to protect her and provide for her. The freedom of choice she has is limited by her having been born a woman and the need to provide for herself. There are few respectable positions that a woman is allowed to fill and still be respected. Jane has received an education and is able to make the choice to support herself using her education.

Mary Prince on the other hand is not white and she is a slave. She is quite literally owned by another person. As a slave she has no choice in her life and must do as she is ordered. Unlike Jane Eyre, Mary Prince does have a family. She also has a place where she feels she belongs. Mary is owned by another person though and because of this there is a vast difference that cannot be bridged. When Mary’s owner needs to loan her out for economic gain Mary experience the first of many times in her life of being separated from her loved ones with no choice.

Jane with her limited choices and Mary with virtually no choices both marry. Mary marries a free man but her marriage is not recognized by English law. Slaves are not allowed to marry and they are not allowed to marry a free person. Thus when Mary chooses to marry, the choice to stay with her husband is not one that is open to her. She is not even allowed to buy her freedom. Jane with her freedom of choice can choose to marry, or as with her first two offers, not to marry. This then is a curious difference between the two women. Mary Prince chooses to marry out of mutual respect, but not necessarily for love. Jane chooses not to marry because of her need for both love and respect.

Despite the differences in status between the free Jane Eyre and the slave Mary Prince, their lives are also similar in some very basic ways. Jane must ask permission to leave Thornfield when her ’Aunt Reed” is dying and calls for her. She does not have the freedom to just leave. This is because she has no money and is dependent on Rochester to save her position and the very roof over her head for her. Mary Prince as a slave runs afoul of her master by marrying without asking permission. Like Jane, however, she has no money and is as dependent upon her master for her every physical need. Both women depend upon men to simply survive. Jane needs a reference or some other help after leaving Thornfield and must apply to St. John so that she can attain a respectable placement. Mary Prince, because of being a slave must go where her owner sends her. She must do whatever job she is ordered to do even accepting cruel and inhumane treatment. Here I must digress and make a short comment about the fact that Mary Prince’s father dared to speak up to her owner about the foul treatment she had received. This was not something I had ever understood to be acceptable behavior.

Another major similarity between Jane Eyre and Mary Prince is actually found in Jane’s description of her cousin’s positions as governesses,

“They were regarded only as humble dependents, and who

neither knew nor sought one of their innate excellences,

and appreciated only their acquired accomplishments as

they appreciated the skill of their cook…” (447 Bronte)

One need only replace the word dependents with the word slave and the statement is equally true. The upper class wealthy families that employed servants and owned slaves did not view the people who served them as people with the same dreams and needs as all other human beings. They scarcely noticed that the servants and slaves were really even people and as long as needs were met the actual person serving the need made little difference.

Overall the lives of Jane Eyre and Mary Prince were very different. Jane was not property and did have an education of sorts, she also had choices. Jane could have chosen to stay at Lowood, she could have chosen to stay at Thornfield or at the girls school at Morton. Mary Prince did not have the luxury of choice until her owner brought her to England. Both women need to depend upon others for survival until Jane inherits a fortune. The wealth places her in a different social position of strength.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Richard Nemesvari, ed. Broadview; Peterborough, Ontario, 2000.