Henry James and Bronte Representation of Racial and Ethnic Difference

A good example of literally work where the authors extensively represent racial and ethnic differences includes “The Turn of the Screw and Jane Eyre” and “Jane Eyre”. The Turn of the Screw is a novel by Henry James that has diverse interpretations. The novel has received several critics in the contemporary world, each critic with a particular interpretation. On the other hand, Jane Eyre refers to a novel by Charlotte Bronte regarding an orphaned girl in the 19th century. The two books contain an extensive description of racial and ethical differences. Despite this effort, this does not change the society perspective whereby men are viewed as superior to women. As prior stated, as described by the author, the women in “The Turn of the Screw” represents the women in the Victorian era.

The women in Victorian era are described as fragile and incapable of dealing with stress. During this time, a nervous tremor was a disorder that was common to women (Norton 2244). This is perhaps the description of governess in the book. In the novel, Richard is represented as an English man with interesting traits. This is interesting and shocking because he comes from a similar family with Bertha yet treated and perceived differently. The representation of Bertha in the novel shows how women were stereotyped and discriminated in the 19th century (Poovey,, 2009). The literature writers had no choice but to represents women in the novel just as the society perceived them. Bertha real character is compromised just to bring the image of the typical woman during that time.

Moreover, Bertha’s parents wanted her to marry Rochester based on the argument that he originated from a good race. Because of the mixed race, Bertha is viewed as an alien. Again, in the story, Bertha is not allowed to make the independent decision or speak for herself. For example, she cannot select the man she wants to marry but her parents select a man that they feel is right for her (Brontë, 2001). This culture was predominant in the 18th century whereby parents selected a husband or wife for their children. Additionally, from the Bronte description of Bertha, it shows that the non-white race is very dangerous, crazy, and sexually provocative. In Jane Eyre, Bronte also utilizes race with irony to portray injustice and class condescension in British during the 19th century.

During this time, the community was full of inequality based on race. Because of her mixed race, Bertha was harshly treated whereas Jane was treated fairly. There was no justice for middle-class women and the women of non-white race. In the 18th and 19th century, people experienced diverse of inequality including racial and ethnic discrimination. As a result, the victims faced numerous consequences including stress, depression, injustice, and several other complications. It is only through informing the readers about the effects of discrimination that they can be able to avoid any kind of discrimination and stereotyping. The authors really did a good job. References Brontë, C. G. The turn of the screw. In The Turn of the Screw (pp. Palgrave, London.