[제인 에어]와 영국 민족주의

초록

Postcolonial criticism makes some contribution to literary studies by explaining the dynamic relations between the empire and its colonies. For example, Spivak's postcolonial criticism attempts to overcome the individualist tendency in feminism by stressing the colonial “soul－making” project as well as the domestic “children－raising” task. This explains why the novel ends with Jane's praise of St. John's colonial mission, not simply with her happy marriage with Rochester. British nationalism serves as a link between the colonial mission on the one hand and the domestic education on the other. British education is presented as superior to that of other European nations. As a female educator Jane corrects the French defects of Adle, while as a male missionary St. John abolishes the superstitions of the colony. These paralleling elements eventually constitute Britain's superiority over other European countries as well as its own colonies. Jane's marriage with Rochester has a nationalist dimension. He seeks an ideal woman as a substitute for his “mad” wife. In this search, Jane turns out to be the sought－for ideal woman in contrast to Bertha the promiscuous creole, Blanche the problematic British, and Cline, Clara, Giacinta the inferior Europeans. Racial and national stereotypes are employed to emphasize the honest and healthy British, as opposed to the uncontrollable West－Indian, the African－like Spanish, the hot－tempered Italian, the boring German, the superficial French, the despotic Roman, and the cold Greek. In this way, Jane is portrayed as an ideal representative of British moral superiority. National superiority ultimately serves as a foundation for the British colonial mission.

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