How does the following representative quotation from Brontë's Jane Eyre reflect on Victorian social conventions? "You have nothing to do with the master of Thornfield, further than to receive the salary he gives you for teaching his protégée, and to be grateful for such respectful and kind treatment as, if you do your duty, you have a right to expect at his hands" ?

Correct answer: A. It reiterates the class divisions that kept both men and women from social mobility.

  • A. It reiterates the class divisions that kept both men and women from social mobility.
  • B. It suggests that women were increasingly accepted as professionals.
  • C. It indicates that British society had become much more egalitarian.
  • D. It reveals the stern consequences of the Industrial Revolution.

Explanation

The quotation places Jane in a subordinate economic and social position, distinguishing the governess from her employer and limiting her relationship with him to paid work. It therefore reinforces Victorian class hierarchy rather than suggesting broad equality, although Jane's employment does show a restricted professional role for women.

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