“The modern governess system is a case between woman and woman.”

(“Hints on the Modern Governess System” 571)

The magazine article from Fraser’s critiques the governess system by an aim at the domestic sphere. The women hiring the governesses are the intended audience, and the article repeatedly relies on a mother’s empathy. But wait… there’s no wife at Thornfield Hall. How does this change the governess critique? How does it relate to Jane Eyre? My blog post uses the quote as a starter topic, and will seek to explore how Brontë treats the governess’s duty in a home without a motherly domestic influence. Continue reading →