Dissecting Benevolent Sexism in the Victorian Novel Jane Eyre: A Study of Gender and Power through the Lens of Ambivalent Sexism

This research aims to find out how benevolent sexist attitude is depicted in the Victorian novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The research incorporates the Ambivalent Sexism Theory that provides a theoretical framework for finding out the benevolent sexist attitude by exploring the narratives, the characters, the relationships and interactions between the characters throughout the novels. The study employs a Qualitative Research Methodology to conduct the research. The necessary data are collected from textbooks, journals, articles, dissertations etc. The study develops a code scheming that focuses on the narratives and interactions between the characters that reveals the benevolent sexist notions. The study will analyse the power dynamics, gender roles, romantic relationships and marriages, social constraints and double standards present in the novel. The result of the study will help to understand the complex nature of power dynamics between men and women in the society. It will also reveal how men and women practice this subtle kind of sexist notions that limits the agency of women within the social construct. It will inspire the future researchers to work on this subtle form of sexism to understand its very nature and the consequences it has on the wider social landscape.