The gaze is a significant tool in the hands of Charlotte Bronte to construct her new masculinity in the Victorian society in general and the Victorian literature in particular. The gaze plays a role in the power dynamics between men and women; between the gazer and the gazed. The gazer is considered the subject and the gazed is considered the object. From such point of view, Charlotte Bronte presents the concept of masculinity in terms of power, authority and dominance compared to powerlessness, and subordination. John Berger, in his book Ways of Seeing, observes that “men survey women before treating them. Consequently how a woman appears to a man can determine how she will be treated … men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at… Berger adds that in European art from the Renaissance onwards women were depicted as being “aware of being seen by a male spectator.”(p.49) Rochester’s gaze on Jane Eyre is strong and masculine since the first meeting, thinking that she is of the fairy tales. Jane Eyre is aware of being seen. She is an artist. She draws a portrait – painting – for herself and for Blanche Ingram for Rochester to compare between the two. The eye is the most active organ of Jane Eyre. The paintings of Jane Eyre present the issue of the gaze whether male or female. Jane paints several paintings; amongst these are the portrait of Blanche Ingram based on the description of Mrs. Fairfax, the portrait of Jane Eyre and the portrait of Rochester. Rochester finds the portfolio and starts searching the portraits. While questioning Jane Eyre on her painting, with a piercing gaze not only into the physical charms but also into the mind of Jane. He starts questioning her:
‘Where did you get your copies?’
‘Out of my head.’
‘That head I see now on your shoulders?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Has it other furniture of the same kind within?’
‘I should think it may have: I should hope—better.’ Jane Eyre (p.106).
Rochester is astonished to see the beautiful “furniture” before him. He is also gazing to discover “other furniture of the same kind within”. He is gazing at the head “on her shoulder”. Now Jane Eyre is the object of his gaze, gazing at the outer and inner “furniture” of Jane. The word “furniture” has an erotic suggestion. Jane Eyre responds to the language of the gaze of Rochester saying: “I should think it may have: I should hope—better.” Rochester, while going through the portraits, finds his portrait, asks Jane Eyre “Were you happy when you painted these pictures?” Jane Eyre (p.106). He wants to discover her state of mind during painting his portrait. He is gazing to discover the female gaze on his portrait. Jane responds positively which makes her happy to be gazed at. At this moment, Jane and Rochester are both the gazer and the gazed. Jane sits well in the firelight so Rochester can examine her. However, Rochester examines her, Jane examines him right back. Both are the subject and the object simultaneously. They are both equal. It makes no difference who is the dominant or the subordinate. The traditional Victorian view is that man is the subject and the woman is the object of the man’s gaze and other love relations. S. N. Singh argues that “despite all his agreeableness, kindness, and goodness to Jane, Rochester seems ‘proud’, ‘sardonic’ and ‘kept a strange fire in his look’ to her”. Charlotte Bronte deconstructs the concept of masculinity and femininity in Jane Eyre. She presents a new version of masculinity in which man and woman are equal with equal gender roles. It makes no difference ‘who is the gazer?’ and ‘who is the gazed?’
Jane Eyre describes the qualities of his gaze, his piercing eyes, and the coruscating radiance of his glance. Jane refers to Rochester’s eyes as “flaming and flashing”; “and in his great, dark eyes; for he had great, dark eyes, and very fine eyes too” Jane Eyre (p.111). Accordingly, his eyes are more powerful and masculine according to the hegemonic masculinity of the Victorian society. Jane is aware she is being looked at and she is happy to enjoy the state of be-looked-at-ed-ness. She looks at Mr. Rochester and she made him look at her. Charlotte Bronte usurps Rochester’s eyes at the end of the novel making him helpless and makes him sees though the eyes of Jane Eyre. Every power he has is snatched from him through fate to reduce his power to be equal to that of Jane Eyre or to be under the mercy of Jane. She becomes his eyes; the eyes of the two are mingled into the eyes of Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre becomes everything for Rochester. Jane Eyre says:
“Literally, I was (what he often called me) the apple of his eye. He saw nature—he saw books through me; and never did I weary of gazing for his behalf, and of putting into words the effect of field, tree, town, river, cloud, sunbeam—of the landscape before us; of the weather round us—and impressing by sound on his ear what light could no longer stamp on his eye. Never did I weary of reading to him: never did I weary of conducting him where he wished to go: of doing for him what he wished to be done.” Jane Eyre (p.384).
Jane’s gaze becomes the gaze of Rochester and Jane is no more than the “Apple of his eye”. Charlotte Bronte has based unity and equality for her new construction of masculinity through the tool of the gaze. No one is dominant or subordinate. Though Rochester is of high social status and wealth, Bronte has reduced his masculine powers like wealth and his social rank. His house as a sign of his wealth is destroyed through Bertha Mason who is the “double character” of Jane Eyre. The male gaze of Rochester is the icon of his masculinity, power and dominance. Charlotte Bronte levelled his powers to be equal or united within Jane Eyre’s. The gaze is best example used by Bronte to bring Jane Eyre and Rochester into one area with equal gender roles.