Canterbury Tales & Jane Eyre

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?

In the provided quote, Mr. Brocklehurst's wife and daughters are described through their luxurious clothing. Unlike the girls that Miss Temple teaches that are only allowed one clean tucker per week, these women appear in extravagant dresses sporting velvet, silk, and animal fur. The school girls must also have straight, tidy hair while his family has "elaborately curled" hair. Author, Charlotte Bronte, uses irony to make the comparison between the two social groups presented. After ranting about Julia Servern's natural curls and how he demands her locks be chopped off, his family glides in with heads of unnatural curls. It is ironic that the man does not demand that his family practice what they preach, as they are allowed to wear pretentious clothing and hair styles with no backlash from authority.

When speaking with Miss Temple about the children, Mr. Brocklehurst's tone is extremely degrading. According to him, the girls are not allowed to wear their hair natural or in braids and if they do, the only option is to cut all of their hair off. This shows that this man, supposedly an authoritative figure, does not regard the school girls of worthy of expressing their own style. Everyone must look the same. Instead of the upperclass appearing as a beacon of hope, they are intimidating and hypocritical. The narrator recognizes this differentiation when she thinks to herself, "They ought to have come a little sooner to have heard his [Mr. Brocklehurst's] lecture" (Charlotte Bronte), referring to him telling Miss Temple about how he wants the girls to be modest. The teacher nor any of the students dare to call out the upperclass visitors about their hypocrisy. The large distinction between social classes went well beyond their access to clothes and food, but to character traits they were allowed to possess. Wealthier individuals controlled society, and therefore could speak their minds and express their diversity through thought. The children, and even Miss Temple, had to simply oblige by their demands, which in a way dehumanizes them. Another important aspect of the scene that reveals evidence of social commentary is the stereotypical gender roles presented. A man is shown to have authority over an educated woman, who is a teacher, which happens to be a very stereotypical job in society for a woman.