The Role of Costumes in Victorian Fiction: An Analysis of Great Expectations and Jane Eyre

This research paper examines the role of costumes in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations and
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Great Expectations and Jane Eyre have been chosen as they are widely
read texts, and investigating the aspects of costumes can shed new and necessary light. Through a
detailed analysis of key characters and scenes, this study highlights the symbolic significance of
costumes in these two classic works of Victorian literature. Very often, costumes that individuals
wear daily do not get the required academic attention as they are considered too ordinary to devote
quality time. However, the paper claims that costumes can serve as a crucial narrative device that
mirrors and reviews social norms, class distinctions, gender roles, and character development in the
creative literature of a particular period. After all, costumes play a critical role in Victorian fiction,
which often serves as a means of conveying profound understandings of characters and societal
structures.