The social system of the Victorian era was heavily influenced by the patriarchal entitlement of men. This social construct favored men by forcing women into submission. Sigmund Freud, in his essay entitled “The Poet's Relationship to Daydreaming,” stated that women were considered capable only of having erotic desires that dominated their “fantasies” and that even their ambitious “fantasies” were rooted into erotic desires ( 177). The prevailing thought regarding women during the Victorian era was that, due to their nature, they only desired marriage. Those women who were not fortunate enough to marry (due to appearance or social status) had only one job left, that of becoming a governess. Charlotte Brontë, through her protagonist Jane Eyre, clearly describes the difficulties of a destitute young woman forced to be a governess. The story of Jane Eyre is clearly articulated by Adrienne Rich in her essay titled “Jane Eyre: The Temptations of a Motherless Woman,” when she states that Jane wants to “choose her life with dignity, integrity, and pride” (471). Although Brontë paints a woman who will not be bound by the mores of her society, she is not so exuberant as to make her protagonist proclaim, “I am a woman, hear me roar.” The toning down of Jane's behavior and actions can be attributed to the satisfaction of critics, but Brontë also demonstrates that the social expectations of men (given their patriarchal entitlement) have produced an equally negative effect on men as well as women. From John Reed and his self-righteous attitude, to Rochester's internal battle over the treatment of women, Charlotte Brontë argues that sexism, something that is inherent in a patriarchal society, has a negative effect on both... at the center of the card. .....hal society, and the sexism inherent in this type of social structure, is that there is a negative outcome for both men and women. Patriarchal societies that discriminate against women simply because of their perceived weakness no longer empower men as they disenfranchise women. Works Cited Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre, An authoritative text, contexts, criticism. Ed. Richard J. Dunn.WW Norton & Co Inc., 2001. PrintFreud, Sigmund. "The Poet's Relationship to Daydreaming." Collected Documents Vol IV. NewYork: Basic Books, 1959. 173-183. Print.Ricco, Adrienne. "Jane Eyre: The Temptations of a Motherless Woman." On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose 1966-1978. W. W. Norton, 1979. Rpt. in Jane Eyre, An authoritative text, contexts, criticism. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. New York: W. W. Norton & Co Inc., 2001. 469-83. Press.