[Charlotte Brontë] once told her sisters that they were wrong – even morally wrong – in making their heroines beautiful as a matter of course. They replied that it was impossible to make a heroine interesting on any other terms. Her answer was, “I will prove to you that you are wrong; I will show you a heroine as plain and as small as myself, who shall be as interesting as any of yours. (Gaskell, 1997, p.235)
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As seen in Jane Eyre, The Professor and Vilette, the main female protagonists were written and emphasized to be 'unattractive", but showed power through their intellect and self determination.
Brontë makes many points throughout her novels to highlight the fact that women should not have to be conventionally beautiful, for they had other capabilities—just as men do, and can prosper in life—just as men do. Frances in The Professor, catched William Crimsworth's interest through her work ethic and intelligent discourse. Rochester in Jane Eyre is attracted to her due to her ability to maintain witty banner and honest conversation. The female characters also show to have strong sense of morals, which pose as challenges to the male counterparts, but serves as one of their best qualities.
Click the image to enlarge. Zoom in to follow along with voice recording of presentation.
Begin at the portrait of the Queen on the bottom left —> Go clockwise, looping up the top —> End at the pink "Feminist"
Enjoy!
Illustration and video created by Pearl Au-Yeung
“Women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.”
— Brontë, Jane Eyre