Directions: Please review the first three chapters, then read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Chapters IV-IX. (Below, you will find the complete text and an audiobook.) Next, compose a blog response using the questions below as a guide. Use at least 3-4 direct quotations in your response, and make sure to cover a little something from the beginning, middle, and end of the section. As always, read and engage with each other. I look forward to your responses.
Guiding Questions for Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - Chapters I-IX
Review the following passage: “I began to recall what I had heard of dead men, troubled in their graves by the violation of their last wishes, revisiting the earth to punish the perjured and avenge the oppressed; and I thought Mr. Reed's spirit, harassed by the wrongs of his sister's child, might quit its abode—whether in the church vault or in the unknown world of the departed—and rise before me in this chamber. I wiped my tears and hushed my sobs, fearful lest any sign of violent grief might waken a preternatural voice to comfort me, or elicit from the gloom some haloed face, bending over me with strange pity” (16). How does this passage contribute to the gothic effects in the novel? Remember that Jane is ten years old. How typical are these insights for a child this age? Later, Jane comments that the incident gave her nerves such a shock that she feels the “reverberation to this day” (19).
Analyze the thought of a frightening childhood incident and its ability to imprint itself on a person’s long-term memory.
Review the following quotation: “I always took my doll; human beings must love something, and in the dearth of worthier objects of affection, I contrived to find a pleasure in loving and cherishing a faded graven image, shabby as a miniature scarecrow” (28). In your own words, what is Jane saying about the need for love?
Compare the religious attitudes of Helen Burns to those of Mr. Brocklehurst. With which views does Jane want her readers to agree or sympathize? Cite text to support your answer.
How do Miss Temple and Helen Burns affect Jane’s attitudes about life? Give examples to support your ideas.
Examine the harsh living conditions present at Lowood. What are some of the difficulties encountered by Jane and the other girls? What message does this send about the life of orphaned children? What statement does this make about those who are commissioned to run organizations that provide for the care of others?
Review the following passage: “If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse” (57). Do you agree with this philosophy? Why or why not? How might this be applicable in today’s society?
Jane’s appearance is alluded to in this section. How important do you think Jane feels that physical beauty is? While Jane may lack in physical beauty, what other qualities are emerging as her strengths?
Jane comments: “It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it” (111). Analyze her statement in terms of politics, women’s roles, and contemporary society.
How does Rochester treat Jane during their initial encounter? What might this foretell about how their relationship will develop?
Rochester comments, “Most things free-born will submit to anything for a salary” (137). Do you agree with his philosophy? Why or why not? From what you know of Jane, will it be true of her? Use text-based examples to support your views.
Rochester states, “Remorse is the poison of life” (138). To what extent do you agree or disagree with Rochester? Support your opinion.
Why might the events of Rochester’s life (143) have seemed shocking to Victorian readers?
Directions: Please read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Chapters I-IX. (Below, you will find the complete text and an audiobook.) Next, compose a blog response using the questions below as a guide. Use at least 3-4 direct quotations in your response, and make sure to cover a little something from the beginning, middle, and end of the section. As always, read and engage with each other. I look forward to your responses.
Why did Charlotte Bronte feel the need to write a second preface? On what grounds had reviewers criticized Emily’s work? (anonymous, unfeminine, immoral)
What explanations of her sister’s life are needed? (explanation of her solitary, unsophisticated existence) What had been reviewers' responses to the sisters' efforts?
In her earlier preface, what does Charlotte Bronte seem to believe about her sister's character? (fiercely independent, high-minded) Her book? (a work of inspired, irresistible genius)
What features does she feel the need to explain, and on what grounds? (character of Heathcliff)
What features of the novel does she admire? Would Emily have agreed with her characterizations of Nelly Dean and Heathcliff?
What may have prompted Emily Brontë to choose Mr. Lockwood as her first narrator? How is his temperament suited to inspire the reader's trust? What do we learn of his tastes and thoughts? His past behavior? (forms a contrast with the unconventional and malicious inhabitants of Wuthering Heights; like the reader, he views them from the outside)
Do any of the novel’s names carry associations?--e. g., Heathcliff or Wuthering Heights? Is it significant that the former bears no “Christian” name? What do you make of such names as Joseph and Zillow?
How does the isolation and location of the novel's northern Yorkshire setting influence the tone and events of the story? Are there symbolic elements to the descriptions of the houses and their landscapes? (e. g., guns)
What are some striking features of Lockwood's first encounter with the Heathcliff/Wuthering Heights family? Who is living there, and what forms of rudeness does each display? What unusual forms of behavior does he witness? Do they seem attached to one another?
What are advantages to the choice of Nelly Dean as the narrator of much of the family’s background? What are some of the ways in which she herself has been a participant in the tale?
To what extent is Nelly Dean a reliable narrator? A believable narrator? How does she judge some of her own past actions? At this early point in the tale, which behaviors of her employers does she favor? Does she seem fair-minded? Conventionally-minded?
What sequence of events causes Lockwood to be placed in Catherine Earnshaw Linton’s bedchamber? What are some important elements of the scene in the old bedchamber--for example, what seems the significance of the names scrawled on the windowpane? The dream in which Lockwood shatters the windowpane?
In what form does Catherine's voice enter the story? (enters through her diary--a story within a story within a story, and thus deeply true at a psychological level) What incidents and thoughts does the child-Catherine describe?
What seems the significance of the repeated forms of violence manifested by the characters?
What are some unusual structural features of the novel--its frames, multiple narrators, time gaps, and dreams? In these regards, does it remind you of other novels you have read?
Under what circumstances does Lockwood first notice that Heathcliff has shed a tear? Is this surprising, given his earlier behavior? What may have caused his pain?
How does the novel present religion? (chiefly used for purposes of repression and judgment; many references to the devil and witchcraft suggest evil rather than benign forces)
What purpose is served by the character of Joseph? What is significant about his social class and language? (speaks in Yorkshire dialect; in life the middle-class characters would also have had a regionally-inflected speech, if not as extreme a one, but their speech has been normalized, as was the custom.
What do Cathy and Hindley each desire that their father bring them from town? Are these choices symbolic? (a whip, a violin)
Why do you think Mr. Earnshaw brought home Heathcliff to his family? What does the novel indicate about Heathcliff's origins? (an orphan found in streets of Liverpool)
Do you think his account is credible? What alternate explanations could be suggested? Could Heathcliff could be an illegitimate child?
How do the other family members respond to him? (Hindley marginalizes him; Nelly mistreats him) How can you explain the negative reactions of others to him?
What do you make of the fact that he is often referred to as a "gypsy," and described as dark? Why isn’t he given a second name?
How does Nelly characterize Heathcliff’s life? (a “cuckoo’s story,” 37) What does this mean?
How does Nelly later explain her behavior to Heathcliff? Does she later change? Does she feel regret at her previous behavior?
What do we learn about Catherine’s childhood? How does she behave toward others? Who becomes her chief companion, and what do you think prompts this?
What events follow Mrs. Earnshaw’s death? (her husband dies soon after) How does the family’s life change after Mr. Earnshaw’s death soon afterwards? (Hindley marries a woman described as frail and frivolous)
How does the new Mrs. Earnshaw (Hindley’s wife) behave toward Heathcliff, and with what consequences? (deprived of education, forced to be a menial)
Under what circumstances does Catherine first visit Thrushcross Grange? Why isn’t Heathcliff permitted to enter with her? How do the Linton and Earnshaw young people respond to one another during their first visit?
What incident confirms the hostility between Heathcliff and Edgar? Who is more responsible? (Edgar first insults him; Heathcliff is first to be violent)
What does Heathcliff confide in Nelly that he regrets? What factors have caused Heathcliff's degredation? Does the novel imply that these could have been remedied? When he complains to Nelly, does she give him good advice?
Why do you think the author presents Lockwood’s praise of Nelly’s reading habits? (confirms her intelligence and reliability as narrator; literacy a class marker)
What fate is suffered by Frances Earnshaw? (dies in childbirth, giving birth to Hareton) Does this event seem consistent with other events in the novel? (outsiders don’t seem to thrive at Wuthering Heights) Do women seem to flourish in its atmosphere?
What are some consequences of her death? (Hindley degenerates into alcoholism and violence) How does Catherine behave during a visit from Edgar? (pinches Nelly, strikes Edgar) What do you make of these responses?
How does Edgar react? (forgives her) Are these events symbolic? (union begins with violence) Does the reader expect that this will be a happy union?
How does Hindley behave to his son Hareton? Had his father behaved in this way toward him? (no)
What sequence of events causes Heathcliff to leave Wuthering Heights? (Catherine’s lack of regard; he overhears her statement that to marry him would degrade her) What natural event occurs on his departure? (fall of a great tree)
What are Heathcliff's feelings toward Catherine, and to what extent are they reciprocated?
What does Catherine tell Nelly are her reactions to the thought of marriage to Edgar? Why does she intend to accept his proposal? Does she intend to separate from Heathcliff after her marriage? (assumes he will not leave her or marry) Does this seem realistic?
How does Nelly respond to Catherine’s confession? (impatient)
According to her speech to Nelly, what are her emotions toward Heathcliff? (“I am Heathcliff”) How would you interpret her speech in Freudian terms--does she feel love? Sisterhood? Possessiveness? Obsession?
How does Catherine respond to the news of Heathcliff’s departure? (falls sick) What sad event occurs when Catherine is taken to Thrushcross Grange to recuperate? (Mrs. Linton catches sick and dies) Does this outcome seem symbolic?
How does the novel treat themes of parenting and motherhood? (mothers seem weak and absent, fathers arbitrary and violent) Are there good parents in the novel? Which characters suffer from childhood neglect? What consequences follow harsh and arbitrary child-rearing practices?
Directions: Please read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte, Chapters I-XV. (Below, you will find the complete text and an audiobook.) Next, compose a blog response using the questions below as a guide. Use at least 3-4 direct quotations in your response, and make sure to cover a little something from the beginning, middle, and end of the section. As always, read and engage with each other. I look forward to your responses.
In the opening chapter, Gilbert and Fergus are explaining to their mother what they have spent the day doing. What is the significance of this brief scene?
What is the significance of the first description we get of Wildfell Hall in the long third paragraph of Chapter II?
Chapter III deals with the question of how to raise a young boy. What do you make of this debate, and does the novel come down on one side or the other?
Near the end of Chapter VI, Gilbert observes his mother and sister making busy preparations in the kitchen. How do you interpret the inclusion of this scene?
Fergus often says things out loud that others would only dare whisper in private. What do you think about his comments to Helen Graham in Chapter VII when he suggests that gossiping is a kind of game? Is it?
Chapter IX makes a big deal out of "eyes." What is their importance to this point in the novel?
In Chapter XII, Markham debates whether or not he should reveal his love to Helen. What do we make of the language he uses in trying to convince himself to do so?
Take a close look at the encounter between Gilbert and Mr. Lawrence in Chapter 14. How would you characterize Bronte's depiction of the assault?
Overview: Below, you will find the three reading groups for our exploration of the Bronte Sisters. Each group will have its own blog posting for their respective novels. There will be times when we all come back together as a group and discuss their work. In class, you will be breaking off into small groups, and sometimes be asked to work with students who are reading the other two novels. I am looking forward to your responses to this experience.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Chloe, Rachel, Sophie, Izzy, Talah, Allison, Sydney, Emily
Directions: Choose one of the following novels to reading during our unit on the Bronte sisters. In this blog space, please share which novel you will explore.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Charlotte's most famous novel depicts the emotional and spiritual development of the heroine, which is mirrored by her physical journeyings throughout the book. It describes her search for self-worth, for identity as an individual and for economic independence, in a world which did not expect such ambitions in women.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The structure of Wuthering Heights is complex: the narrator is Lockwood, Heathcliff's shadowy tenant at Thrushcross Grange. He learns the history of the Earnshaws and the Lintons from Ellen (Nelly) Dean, who has been a servant at both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, and whose account fills most of the book. Within that story, the characters come to life and speak with their own individual voices.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bonte
The tenant is Helen Huntingdon, who, as 'Mrs Graham', arrives at the decaying Elizabethan mansion and causes gossip and rumour to spread in the neighbourhood. She arouses the interest of Gilbert Markham, a local farmer, and though she tries to repel his growing love for her, his closeness to her young son eventually makes her treat him in a more friendly fashion. The relationship however is hindered by the opposition and ridicule of his family...
Directions: Using the information from the documentary as well as the information below, please share your opening thoughts on the Bronte sisters. Use direct examples. I look forward to your comments.
Part I: Biography
Patrick and Maria Bronte had six children (from oldest to youngest): Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. Soon after Patrick had been appointed to a parish in Haworth, Yorkshire, his wife died, leaving the parson and the young children behind (the oldest, Maria, only seven years old). Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Emily began attending Cowan Bridge School three years after their mother's death. Tragically, Maria and Elizabeth both died of tuberculosis, which had infected the school. Patrick hastened to bring Charlotte and Emily home after learning of the deaths of his two older daughters.
Six years after the loss of her sisters, Charlotte set off for Roe Head School. She returned a little after a year later and taught her sisters. In 1835, Charlotte became a teacher at Roe Head, and Emily became a student there, but she only lasted three months. She would speak to no one except Charlotte and became very thin and pale. She was soon back at Haworth. Anne took Emily's place at Roe Head.
In the next few years, Emily became a teacher at Law Hill School. Failure was the result. Emily endured her position for six months; she disliked teaching very much, and longed for the moors that surrounded her home.
In February of 1842, Charlotte and Emily went to Brussels. They stayed at the Pensionnat Heger, where they became pupils. Madame Heger was the head of the school. The two sisters learned French, German, music, singing, writing, arithmetic, and drawing.
At home, Aunt Branwell had become very ill. Charlotte and Emily came home, only to find her dead and buried. Afterwards, Emily stayed at the Parsonage, but Charlotte went back to Brussels. She became a teacher at the Pensionnat, but she was very dissatisfied with her students. In a letter to Branwell, she said:
"I can discern only one or two [pupils] who deserve anything like regard...They have not intellect or politeness or good-nature or good-feeling..."
Madame Heger thought that Charlotte had fallen in love with her husband, and therefore became very cold and distant towards her. Monsieur Heger taught her German, but otherwise, had little to do with her. Early in 1844, Charlotte came home, but continued to write to Monsieur Heger, even though he allowed her to write to him only twice a year.
Branwell's talents seemed very promising. He was seen as the gifted one in the family. His father had hired a painting master to teach his only son, and it was also thought that Branwell could possibly turn out to be a poet or a journalist. Unfortunately, Fate dictated otherwise. Branwell was to go to London to attend the Royal Academy Schools, but he did not present himself as planned. Instead, he roamed the streets of London, wasting his money on alcohol. Later on, when he had failed at portrait painting and working on railroads, he tried his hand at tutoring (the Robinson family hired him). Branwell was dismissed because of "irregularities," as it was termed. He had been having an affair with Mrs. Robinson. Finally, at age 31, Charlotte's only brother died.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne had begun publishing their poetry and novels. Charlotte had written Jane Eyre (1846), Shirley (1849), and Villette (1853). It was not until after her death that The Professor was published in 1857. Charlotte had begun several novels, but she never finished them. Emily's novel Wuthering Heights was published in 1847. Anne's accomplishments included Agnes Grey (1847) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848). All of the Bronte sisters had contributed poems to a collection of poetry, entitled Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell (1846). Currer, Ellis and Acton were the aliases assumed by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte. The sisters lived in such times that women were not always given a fair chance in the business world. Therefore, they assumed masculine names, so that their books would have a better chance of being published.
Disaster struck in October of 1848, when Emily fell sick with tuberculosis. In December of 1848, Emily's coffin was laid in the same vault as that of her mother and brother. Anne soon followed her sister to the grave, after she was consumed by the same relentless disease that had deprived her mother, brother, and three sisters of their lives.
The only remaining members of the Bronte family were Patrick and Charlotte. Charlotte was very deeply grieved at the loss of her companions. Writing restored her energy. In Shirley, she explained her feelings:
"...who cares for imagination? Who does not think it a rather dangerous, senseless attribute - akin to weakness - perhaps partaking of frenzy - a disease rather than a gift of the mind?
Probably all think it so, but those who possess - or fancy they possess - it. To hear them speak, you would believe that their hearts would be cold if that elixir did not flow about them; that their eyes would be dim if that flame did not refine their vision; that they would be lonely if this strange companion abandoned them. You would suppose that it imparted some glad hope to spring, some fine charm to summer, some tranquil joy to autumn, some consolation to winter, which you do not feel. An illusion, of course; but the fanatics cling to their dream, and would not give it for gold."
Charlotte also wrote to her publisher, when she was announcing the completion of Shirley:
"Whatever now becomes of the work, the occupation of writing it has been a boon to me. It took me out of dark and desolate reality into an unreal but happier region."
In a later letter to the same publisher, she wrote:
"The faculty of imagination lifted me when I was sinking, three months ago...I am thankful to God, who gave me this faculty; and it is for me a part of my religion to defend this gift and to profit by its possession."
During this time, her father's curate, the Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls, had been spending a great deal of time with Patrick and Charlotte. It was not long before he proposed, and Charlotte accepted. They were married on the morning of Thursday, June 29, 1854. One year after the marriage, Charlotte died. The cause of her death was tuberculosis, and it is thought that complications in early pregnancy hastened the process.
Patrick Bronte ended up outliving his wife and six children. His only companion was Charlotte's husband, who looked after Charlotte's father, in compliance with Charlotte's last wishes. Patrick, at age 84, was the last of his family to die.
Part II: Major Works
Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre (1846)
Villette (1853)
Shirley (1849)
The Professor (1857)
Emily Bronte
Wuthering Heights (1847)
Anne Bronte
Agnes Grey (1847)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848)
Branwell Bronte
The Works of Patrick Branwell Bronte : An Edition (Vol 1)
Part III: The Victorian Era
Brontë wrote during the Victorian Age of British literature, which lasted from 1833- 1901, named in connection with the reign of Queen Victoria. The social, political, and historical influences of the Victorian Age permeated its literature. At the forefront was the ever-changing role of women. In the 1840’s petitions began.
circulating for the advocation of women’s suffrage. The Married Women's Property Acts in 1882 secured women’s rights to maintain property ownership after marriage. The Industrial Revolution opened doors for lower class women to take jobs in factories, most of which paid low wages and offered terrible working conditions. The plight of the educated but impoverished woman makes Jane Eyre a reflection of the times in which it was written. The Victorian Age brought an increase in literacy, and reading novels became a popular pastime. The typical Victorian novel was directly connected to issues and concerns of contemporary society; authors strove to create realistic views of nineteenth century living. Stories were often published in serial form; readers anxiously awaited the monthly installments of single chapters. Along with Brontë, authors such as Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackery, Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy penned works that became popular.
Part IV: Allusions in Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre has an abundance of Biblical, literary, and historical allusions. To enrich their comprehension, students might be asked to track allusions as they study the novel. A sampling of allusions, along with an explanation for each, is provided here for reference.
Bewick’s History of British Birds
A book that provides details about various species of birds, along with engraved illustrations. Jane enjoys the book as an escape from her life with her cruel aunt and cousins (7).
Nero and Caligua
Mentioned in connection with John Reed, these notorious Roman leaders were known for excessive spending and evil deeds (10).
Gulliver’s Travels
Jane requests Bessie to fetch this novel written by Jonathan Swift. The story uses the form of a traveler’s narrative to develop a satire about human nature (20).
Guy Fawkes
Jane tells readers that Abbot compared her to Guy Fawkes. As part of the famous “Gunpowder Plot,” Fawkes, along with fellow conspirators, attempted to blow up King James I and the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605. The reference is made in connection with Jane’s status as an “illconditioned child” (25).
Babel
A Biblical city in Shinar where the building of a tower is held in Genesis to have been halted by the confusion of tongues; Jane makes this reference to describe the chaos at Lowood School (46).
Rasselas
An essay being read by Helen Burns; this work by Samuel Johnson contends that happiness may not always be within one’s grasp (49). Bluebeard’s castle: A fairy-tale in which a young wife has access to all the rooms in a castle except for the one that contains the bodies of her dead predecessors. Jane mentions this in connection to her lingering by a passage near the attic (108).
Dian
A Celtic deity, Jane uses this name when she refers to Blanche’s appearance with this name (175).
Eliezer and Rebecca
Rochester and Blanche Ingram dress up as Eliezer and Rebecca during a game of charades. In the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis, Eliezer, Abraham's servant, is sent to find a bride for Abraham's son, Isaac. Eliezer does not marry Rebecca, just as Rochester will not marry Blanche (186).
King Ahasuerus
The Persian king who is found in the Book of Esther and promises to give Esther what she wants, just as Rochester promises Jane (265).
Samson
From the Bible in Judges 16, Samson reveals to his lover Delilah that his hair, the source of his strength, has never been cut; she uses this secret against him to bring about his destruction (265).
Marmion
A book of Romantic poetry written by Sir Walter Scott that is read by Jane while St. John examines her drawings (377).
Medusa
From a Greek myth, Medusa is the mortal Gorgon who is slain when decapitated by Perseus. A person would turn to stone if looking at her. The allusion is made in connection to Jane’s demeanor after she has learned that she is an heiress (389).
Paul and Silas’s Prison
Paul, the apostle, was thrown into prison with Silas for serving Jesus. After suffering severely, they were miraculously freed. Jane makes reference to this as she reflects on the voice she had heard that seems like an inspiration (429).
Nebuchadnezzar
The proud king of the Babylonian Empire who experienced a fall. His deterioration is described in The Bible as “he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.” Jane makes a reference to Nebuchadnezzar when she returns to Rochester and finds him in seclusion (444).
Apollo
The Greek god of sun and music. Rochester uses this reference in response to Jane’s description of St. John (449).
