Bonnets & Bimbos: Internalized misogyny in Austen and Brontë’s work

This paper examines how internalized misogyny manifests in the works of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë, particularly in Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Jane Eyre. Through a feminist lens, it argues that while these novels are celebrated for their proto-feminist heroines, they simultaneously perpetuate patriarchal ideals by vilifying women who embody traditionally feminine traits. Characters such as Caroline Bingley, Lucy Steele, and Blanche Ingram are portrayed as superficial and vain for participating in the “marriage game,” while male characters exhibiting similar behaviors are often redeemed or celebrated. By drawing parallels between these nineteenth-century archetypes and modern social phenomena such as the “pick-me girl” and “bimbo” tropes, this paper reveals how female rivalry and self-policing are rooted in enduring structures of patriarchal oppression. Ultimately, the study contends that recognizing these contradictions does not diminish Austen's or Brontë's feminist contributions but instead deepens our understanding of how internalized misogyny continues to shape narratives about womanhood.