THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND ROMANCE IN 19TH CENTURY LITERATURE In the 19th century, the vast majority of women had very limited freedom. They were, in most respects, property of their husbands or fathers, and had very little choice in the direction of their life. Perhaps because women's roles were so restricted, romance novels were one of the most popular ways for women to escape the drudgery of their pre-set life. However, in the novels …showed first 75 words of 1209 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1209 total…is the most important aspect of true romance that Charlotte Bronte gives her heroine and which Flaubert and Zola do not-romance of the mind and soul. While Emma and Severine seek pleasure in earthly delights, Jane seeks happiness that will satisfy not only her body but also her mind and soul. It is even more ironic considering that Jane Eyre was written by a woman; perhaps it takes a woman to know a woman's pleasure.