This final project aims at analyzing the life of middle class woman and the struggle of Agnes Grey as being a governess in the novel Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. In England 19th century era, middle class women had difficult position in society. Being governesses was the only choice for middle class women to get financial security. Agnes Grey as the major character in the novel struggles to solve all her difficulties as being a governess.
The study used descriptive qualitative method. There were two kinds of data called primary data and secondary data. The primary data taken from the novel Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte as the object of the study and the secondary data was taken from electronic books, international journal, articles, thesis, and essay. The data were collected by reading the novel Agnes Grey, identifying, classifying and reducing. The analysis was done by several techniques including analyzing, interpreting and presenting.
The analysis of this study finds two points. The first is the life of middle class women portrayed in the novel. The novel shows that life of women in 19th century era was difficult. The second is the struggle of Agnes Grey as being a governess. The novel Agnes Grey portrays that the life of a governess is uneasy. As a governess Agnes must face the difficulties. Her struggle starts from the way she looks for an employer until she works as a governess.
Keywords: Governess. Middle class women. Woman’s struggle.