6. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Explain how the character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and moral values.

“Julia Severn, ma'am! And why has she, or any other, curled hair? Why, in defiance of every precept and principle of this house, does she conform to the world so openly--here in an evangelical, charitable establishment--as to wear her hair one mass of curls?"

"Julia's hair curls naturally," returned Miss Temple, still more quietly.

"Naturally! Yes, but we are not to conform to nature; I wish these girls to be the children of Grace: and why that abundance? I have again and again intimated that I desire the hair to be arranged closely, modestly, plainly. Miss Temple, that girl's hair must be cut off entirely; I will send a barber to-morrow: and I see others who have far too much of the excrescence--that tall girl, tell her to turn round. Tell all the first form to rise up and direct their faces to the wall."

This quote stood out to me for it's irony and ridiculous reasoning by Mr. Brocklehurst. I could not help but laugh the first time I read it when I realized he was speaking of her natural hair. I believe the author does this on purpose to point out to the reader the cultural issues at play. Here, his humorous denouncement of her naturally red and curly hair displays the values of the time.

The alienation of poor Julia Severn allows Austen to reveal to the reader quite plainly the values of a “evangelical, charitable establishment” in the 1840s. One distinguishing factor of this time period was the rigid modesty of both body and mind. Mr. Brocklehurst is seen as a hypocritical man as he uses the Bible for harsh punishments and ridiculous accusations, like Julia’s hair being immodest. Austen may then be using his alienation of Julia as a representation of the church in the Victorian Era. Julia’s hair, coupled with her low class, allows Mr. Brocklehurst to condemn her and the other girls with legalistic ideals that had become rampant in church theology to keep the lower classes in check. Mr. Brocklehurst remarks in a dogmatic tone, “why that abundance?”, which further supports that he believes girls of such low class should not pursue beauty or individuality. This is very similar to how the church, dogmatically manipulated by the wealthy class, called the low class to remain lowly and leave the beautiful things to those who can afford that kind of luxury.

This quote contains irony because Mr. Brocklehurst is seen claiming that the “good Christian way” is being overly modest so that you can be "children of Grace". However, if he truly believed in the Bible's teachings, then he would also believe that she is exactly how God created her to be. Therefore, God must also value beautiful things and that is how intended it to be. The irony of Julia's alienation shows that lower class society in the 1800s was diseased with the belief that pursuing beauty or just simply being different is immoral.