Comparing Brooklyn with Jane Eyre

I'm not sure about the motives in relationships, but one theme that the two novels share is that of gender inequality. In the novel, Brooklyn, Eilis faces certain limitations because of her gender and status as an immigrant. She and her sister feel responsible for the care of their aging mother in a way that their brothers do not, and this affects their futures. Eilis is pressured to want marriage and a family even though she does not feel ready for those things. Eilis is unable to explore her sexuality without the scrutiny of her whole community, and the entire blame of the act falling on her shoulders. But just as often, the novel depicts women empowering each other, and forming connections that help them to better navigate the challenges they face. From Rose, to Georgina, to Mrs. Kehoe, to Miss Fortini, to Patty, Eilis had plenty of people looking out for her wellbeing and helping her to build a new life in America. In them, she found a surrogate family and an invaluable support system. Moreover, the novel fully embraces the ways that women relate to each other. Clothing, makeup, and hairstyles are points of connection and markers of identity. Makeovers are bonding experiences between women. Brooklyn is focused less on women's oppression than on celebrating the ways that women empower each other, and following the journey of one of those women.

In Jane Eyre, Brontë'critique subtly condemns the gender inequalities during the time period. The novel begins with Jane's imprisonment in the "red-room" at Gateshead, and later in the book Bertha's imprisonment in the attic at Thornfield is revealed. The connection implies that Jane's imprisonment is symbolic of her lower social class, while Bertha's containment is symbolic of Victorian marriage: all women, if they marry under unequal circumstances as Bertha did, will eventually be confined and oppressed by their husbands in some manner. Significantly, Jane is consciously aware of the problems associated with unequal marriages. Thus, even though she loves Mr. Rochester, she refuses to marry him until she has her own fortune and can enter into the marriage contract as his equal.

While it is difficult to separate Jane's economic and gender obstacles, it is clear that her position as a woman also prevents her from venturing out into the world as many of the male characters do – Mr. Rochester, her Uncle John, and St. John, for instance. Indeed, her desire for worldly experience makes her last name ironic, as "Eyre" derives from an Old French word meaning "to travel." If Jane were a man, Brontë suggests, she would not be forced to submit to so much economic hardship; she could actively attempt to make her fortune. As it is, however, Jane must work as a governess, the only legitimate position open for a woman of her station, and simply wait for her uncle to leave her his fortune.