Post 4

“And, ma’am,” he continued, “the laundress tells me some of the girls have two clean tuckers in the week: it is too much; the rules limit them to one.” 

“Julia Severn, ma’am! And why has she, or any other, curled hair? Why, in defiance of every precept and principle of this house, does she conform to the world so openly—here in an evangelical, charitable establishment—as to wear her hair one mass of curls?” 

“Naturally! Yes, but we are not to conform to nature; I wish these girls to be the children of Grace: and why that abundance? I have again and again intimated that I desire the hair to be arranged closely, modestly, plainly. Miss Temple, that girl’s hair must be cut off entirely; I will send a barber to-morrow.”

“(T)hree other visitors, ladies, now entered the room. They ought to have come a little sooner to have heard his lecture on dress, for they were splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs. The two younger of the trio (fine girls of sixteen and seventeen) had grey beaver hats, then in fashion, shaded with ostrich plumes, and from under the brim of this graceful head-dress fell a profusion of light tresses, elaborately curled; the elder lady was enveloped in a costly velvet shawl, trimmed with ermine, and she wore a false front of French curls.”

(Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë)

Analyze the author’s use of irony in describing Mr. Brocklehurst’s family in the second passage. How does the author contrast this description with Mr. Brocklehurst’s lecture to Miss Temple to provide social commentary on perceptions of class during this time?

This passage is notably ironic because prior to when Mr. Brocklehurst's family entered the church, he is lecturing Miss Temple on how people should dress not only in church, but in life as to show one's devotion to God. He notes that the young girls do not need large meals or more than one clean tucker a week. He thinks they much be dressed modestly as to not show gluttony and so they can focus on what is important:  God. However, the irony lies in the fact that his own family does not follow this crucial sentiment. As his children were adorned in "velvet, silk, and furs." Mr. Brocklehurst claims that he is dedicated to his religion and praises God, and to do this one must not live in abundance. But the author shows that he follow his own beliefs as she describes his family as being attired in the fanciest of expensive clothing, which leads the audience to believe that this must be how they live all the time.

This contrast between the description of Mr. Brocklehurst's family and his lecture of the dress code to Miss Temple provides a social commentary of the perceptions of class during this time. From Mr. Brocklehurst's hypocritical expectations of a Christian follower, it is reflected that he is attempting to note that the higher class holds more importance over the lower class since it is apparent that he does not necessarily hold his family at the same standards as he does with the orphanage children. It is possible that he almost expects God to value him more because of the social standing he has. Brontë is showing that she believes that the higher class is privileged, but this doesn't mean that they are automatically closer to God. The higher class may use religion to convince themselves that they are good people, even though they don't necessarily follow the word of God how they expect others to.

Based on this passage, I believe that Brontë may also be commenting on the power that the higher classes display over the lower class. She wants the audience to understand how selfish the higher class with all the excess they have, while at the same time the lower class has so little. But through this passage, it shows that the higher class prefers that they lower class stays at the bottom with little possessions, as Mr. Brocklehurst tells Miss Temple that "the rules [of which he made] limit [the orphans]" to one" tucker each. The upper class is portrayed as unkind and arrogant while the lower class is shown as being victims being mistreated by the higher class who get to dictate how they live their lives. It can be assumed that Brontë acknowledged the power differences between the two classes and felt that the upper class utilized their position in organizations such as businesses and the Christian church to exert their power over the poor social groups.