NOTE: When you come to class on Wednesday, April 24th, you will be composing an in-class essay on your novel. Be prepared!
Reading Questions
1. What is the balance of power between Jane and Rochester when they marry? Does this balance change from the beginning of the marriage to the time ten years later that Jane describes at the end of the novel?
2. In a romantic relationship, does one partner inevitably dominate the other?
3. Should an individual who holds a position of authority be granted the respect of others, regardless of his or her character?
4. In Jane Eyre, nothing can better show a man's moral worth than the way in which he treats the women in his life. How is Rochester's character reflected in the way he treats Jane, Adele, Bertha Mason, and Miss Ingram, and in his reported treatment of Celine Varens? How is St. John's character reflected in the way he treats Jane, Miss Oliver, and Diana and Mary? Why does this serve as such a good gauge of a man's morality and worth? What other relationships serve similar functions in the novel?
5. Throughout the novel, questions of identity are raised. From her identity as an orphan and stranger in the hostile environment of Gateshead Hall to that of a ward of the church at Lowood; from her being a possible wife of Rochester, then of St. John, to being the cousin of Diana and Mary, Jane is constantly in transition. Trace these changes in identity and how they affect Jane's view of herself and the world around her. Describe the final discovery of her identity that becomes apparent in the last chapter of the novel and the events that made that discovery possible.
6. Throughout the novel, Charlotte Brontë uses biblical quotes and religious references. From the church-supported school she attended that was run by Mr. Brocklehurst to the offer of marriage she receives from St. John, she is surrounded by aspects of Christianity. How does this influence her throughout her development? How do her views of God and Christianity change from her days as a young girl to the end of the novel? How is religion depicted in the novel, positively or negatively?
7. Many readers of Jane Eyre feel that the story is composed of two distinct parts, different in tone and purpose. The first part (chapters 1-11) concerns her childhood at Gateshead and her life at Lowood; the second part is the remainder of the story. Is creating such a division justified? Is there a genuine difference of tone and purpose between the two sections as they have been described? Some critics and readers have suggested that the first part of Jane Eyre is more arresting because it is more directly autobiographical. Do you find this to be true?
8. Upon publication, great speculation arose concerning the identity of the author of Jane Eyre, known only by the pen name Currer Bell. Questions as to the sex of the author were raised, and many critics said that they believed it to be the work of a man. One critic of her time said, "A book more unfeminine, both in its excellence and defects, it would be hard to find in the annals of female authorship. Throughout there is masculine power, breadth and shrewdness, combined with masculine hardness, coarseness, and freedom of expression." Another critic of the day, Elizabeth Rigby, said that if it was the product of a female pen, then it was the writing of a woman "unsexed." Why was there such importance placed on the sex of the author and why was it questioned so readily? What does it mean that people believed it to be the product of a man rather than of a woman?
9. Scenes of madness and insanity are among the most important plot devices in Jane Eyre. From the vision Jane sees when locked in the bedroom at Gateshead to her hearing the "goblin laughter" she attributes to Grace Poole, to the insanity and wretchedness of Bertha Mason, madness is of central importance to the plot and direction of the story. Give examples of madness in the text, and show how they affect the reader's understanding of the character experiencing the madness and how these examples affect the reader's understanding of the characters witnessing it.
10. There is probably no single line in the whole of Jane Eyre that has, in itself, attracted as much critical attention as the first line of the last chapter: "Reader, I married him." Why is the phrasing of this line so important? How would the sense be different-for the sentence and for the novel as a whole-if the line read, "Reader, we were married"?
5. Throughout the novel, questions of identity are raised. From her identity as an orphan and stranger in the hostile environment of Gateshead Hall to that of a ward of the church at Lowood; from her being a possible wife of Rochester, then of St. John, to being the cousin of Diana and Mary, Jane is constantly in transition. Trace these changes in identity and how they affect Jane's view of herself and the world around her. Describe the final discovery of her identity that becomes apparent in the last chapter of the novel and the events that made that discovery possible.
6. Throughout the novel, Charlotte Brontë uses biblical quotes and religious references. From the church-supported school she attended that was run by Mr. Brocklehurst to the offer of marriage she receives from St. John, she is surrounded by aspects of Christianity. How does this influence her throughout her development? How do her views of God and Christianity change from her days as a young girl to the end of the novel? How is religion depicted in the novel, positively or negatively?
7. Many readers of Jane Eyre feel that the story is composed of two distinct parts, different in tone and purpose. The first part (chapters 1-11) concerns her childhood at Gateshead and her life at Lowood; the second part is the remainder of the story. Is creating such a division justified? Is there a genuine difference of tone and purpose between the two sections as they have been described? Some critics and readers have suggested that the first part of Jane Eyre is more arresting because it is more directly autobiographical. Do you find this to be true?
8. Upon publication, great speculation arose concerning the identity of the author of Jane Eyre, known only by the pen name Currer Bell. Questions as to the sex of the author were raised, and many critics said that they believed it to be the work of a man. One critic of her time said, "A book more unfeminine, both in its excellence and defects, it would be hard to find in the annals of female authorship. Throughout there is masculine power, breadth and shrewdness, combined with masculine hardness, coarseness, and freedom of expression." Another critic of the day, Elizabeth Rigby, said that if it was the product of a female pen, then it was the writing of a woman "unsexed." Why was there such importance placed on the sex of the author and why was it questioned so readily? What does it mean that people believed it to be the product of a man rather than of a woman?
9. Scenes of madness and insanity are among the most important plot devices in Jane Eyre. From the vision Jane sees when locked in the bedroom at Gateshead to her hearing the "goblin laughter" she attributes to Grace Poole, to the insanity and wretchedness of Bertha Mason, madness is of central importance to the plot and direction of the story. Give examples of madness in the text, and show how they affect the reader's understanding of the character experiencing the madness and how these examples affect the reader's understanding of the characters witnessing it.
10. There is probably no single line in the whole of Jane Eyre that has, in itself, attracted as much critical attention as the first line of the last chapter: "Reader, I married him." Why is the phrasing of this line so important? How would the sense be different-for the sentence and for the novel as a whole-if the line read, "Reader, we were married"?
Last Paused: p. 118. （请问，你们知道不知道她在说什么？我不学习法语。）(Entschuldigen Sie, wissen Sie, was sie sagt? Ich lerne kein Französisch.) (Excuse me, do you know what she's saying? I don't study French.)
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DeleteNever mind, I'll go get a bookmark.
Delete322 pages later, as indicated by a bookmark...Well, I pushed through this, as I said I would. After 8 years at Lowood, Jane Eyre is ready to escape this Puritanical oppression and do something completely different. She advertises in an unnamed newspaper, and soon gets a reply. "'If J. E. who advertised in the ****shire Herald of last Thursday, possesses the acquirements mentioned; and if she is in a position to give satisfactory references as to character and competency; a situation can be offered her where there is but one pupil, a little girl, under 10 years of age; and where the salary is £30/annum. J. E. is requested to send references, name, and address, and all particulars to the direction: "Mrs. Fairfax, Thornfield, near Millcote, ****shire"'"(91). She makes her way there, and eventually meets Edward Rochester, but after a while, something unexpected happens. Jane wakes up one night, and smells something burning. She discovers that Mr. Rochester's room is on fire, but when she puts it out, he think's she's up to something. "'In the name of all the elves in Christendom, is that Jane Eyre?' he demanded. 'What have you done with me, witch, sorceress? Who is in the room besides you? Have you plotted to drown me'"(158)? She honestly had nothing to do with this incident, but he doesn't believe her immediately. In spite of this, as time goes on they fall in love and are eventually engaged. That is, until he tells her that his original wife is still alive, but rather insane, and guarded by Grace Poole! So Adele is sent to school, and Jane and Edward break up.
DeleteJane wanders off, and is eventually taken in by some of her long-lost cousins, St. John, Diana, and Mary Rivers. St. John is going to do missionary work in India, and he isn't willing to bring her along unless they are married. She refuses, but he just tells her, "'It is the cause of God I advocate: it is under His standard I enlist you. I cannot accept on His behalf a divided allegiance: it must be entire'"(441). Why does this spiritual dictatorship seem to strike at every turn? Doesn't anyone apart from Jane Eyre agree with what Helen Burns said and did back there? Jane soon returns to Thornfield, only to find that when she was gone, the lunatic Bertha Rochester broke loose, burned down the house, and smashed herself to bits on the street. Jane finds Edward Rochester, who lost a hand and an eye in the incident, living in another building on his property. They are engaged again, and get married. St. John, meanwhile, has gone to India by himself, and "His own words are a pledge of this-
Delete'My Master,' he says, 'has forewarned me. Daily He announces more distinctly, 'Surely I come quickly!' and hourly I more eagerly respond, 'Amen; even so, come, Lord Jesus'"(493)! Well, don't let these restrictions stand in your way.
Jane Eyre is a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. From the beginning I thought it would be about a girl who has a rough upbringing but some rich guy takes a liking to her when she is older and she ends up marrying rich and is happy every after. Because that's how most Victorian novels end. And it does end that way. But the surprises and weird twists in the middle make it all the more exciting. For instance, as soon as Jane meets Mr. Rochester he is trying to not impress her but get her to like him. Or at least finds out if she likes him. In fact in one scene he is disguised as a fortune teller and is basically telling Jane to go after himself. But she doesn't know that the fortune teller is Mr. Rochester. He says she is "very near happiness; yes. within reach of it. The materials are all prepared; there only wants a movement to combine them." He is practically screaming at her to chase after love. I mean it gets a little complicated because she thinks that Rochester actually likes Blanche but in this same scene she sees Blanche lose feelings for him because the fortune teller (aka Mr. Rochester) says Mr. Rochester doesn't actually have that much money. Which is such a big lie. And also later says that he only brought up marrying Blanche to make Jane jealous. But anyways after many turns they end up getting married. BUT WAIT, THIS IS JUST WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING. BECAUSE AS THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED THIS GUY IS ALL LIKE HOLD UP, YOU ARE ALREADY MARRIED. So Rochester says that its true and they go up to his wife who is in the attic. After more trouble including Jane almost getting married away again and Rochester losing an eye and a hand in the fire that burned his estate, they do become happy ever after. I really appreciated the upfrontness of Rochester. How he was constantly trying to get Jane. It made it more interesting to read. Furthermore, by the end of the novel we see how much Jane has changed and how many different hats she has put on. She went form this abused little girl to the husband of a very wealthy man. Well, maybe less wealthy now that his house has burned down.
ReplyDelete^Haywood
DeleteI thought the novel was as decent as it could be for a novel thats not exactly my type. It had all of the basic elements that I saw in the rest of the novels, except it had a better sense of humor. This is why, for a novel that I would typically not like, Jane Eyre stood out to me with it's wit and funny situations. The only time I have ever actually been brought to an emotion by a novel was with this very one, when I actually laughed as Jane stated how "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you." First off, she states how she is no bird. My friends and I refer to birds as disliked people, so I found this very funny to start. Then, I laughed when she said she will use her free will to leave. The way that she stated it after her first line of a bird analogy was very funny. Also, this line was crucial to the novel as she states her independence, something that was obviously not seen often in this time period. She states her independence, and does so with style.
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre is fairly enjoyable. I liked here upbringing story even if it was dark. I enjoyed the orphan house part the most I think just because of how sad and oppressing it was yet Jane and Helen stayed strong.It was interesting to see Jane grow up and become a governess. I thought the relationship was fairly peculiar. Rochester kind of hid that he liked Jane out of fear or something . One thing in the book I really enjoyed was the sort of paranormal visions that are experienced in the book. It adds a mystery to the book and I really like that. I enjoyed Thorn field and thought it was a good setting for the novel to take place as well.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell, I feel like when they first meet it’s obvious to the reader that Rochester and Jane eventually would get married, but throughout the novel their relationship morphs as they both open up to each other.
DeleteAt the beginning of their relationship, Rochester is very conservative and polite. We don’t know much about him; he’s this mysterious man who owns the house; he always has his own agenda to tend to. He likes things to go how he envisions and has expectations for everyone in his life like when he ‘officially’ met Jane. “Miss Eyre, draw your chair still a little farther forward: you are yet too far back: I can not see you without disturbing my position in this comfortable chair, which I have no mind to do.”
Right before they get married, (the first time) Rochester is exposed and has to explain how his wife (the one who lives in the attic) is mentally insane while at the same time, he can't talk to her and have humanly interactions. Apparently, true human interaction is all he wants in his life.
"Come to my side, Jane, and let us explain and understand one another."
"I will never again come to your side: I am torn away now, and cannot return."
"But, Jane, I summon you as my wife: it is you only I intend to marry."
I was silent: I thought he mocked me.
"Come, Jane—come hither."
"Your bride stands between us."
He rose, and with a stride reached me.
"My bride is here," he said, again drawing me to him, "because my equal is here, and my likeness. Jane, will you marry me?" (8.80)
Rochester sees himself and Jane as equals, which was not the social norm at the time. Jane thinks he’s mocking her, but he’s not, he’s telling the truth.
Near the end of the novel, when the crazy wife burns the house and commits suicide, Rochester is now dependent on Jane because he lost his hand and eye and the other eye was blinded in the fire. Now they can be truly equals within their own home. “Mr. Rochester continued blind the first two years of our union; perhaps it was that circumstance that drew us so very near–that knit us so very close: for I was then his vision, as I am still his right hand.” All Rochester wanted was someone he could rely on. Jane changed her feelings from distrust to mutual, loving trust.
The balance of power in the relationship between Jane and Rochester becomes equaled when they are married. Although in a romantic relationship, there are times when one partner does dominate the other but it shouldn’t be the norm of one’s relationship. There should be a balance between both partners, which ultimately leads to a loving and healthy relationship. Based on the novel, Jane had described that she and Rochester both live as equals ten years after they’ve wed and even at the beginning of their marriage, telling the readers that “[she has] now been married ten years. [She knows] what it is to live entirely for and with what [sheloves] best on earth. [She holds herself] supremely blest—blest beyond what language can express; because [she is her] husband’s life as fully as he is mine.” (490-491) However at the beginning of their relationship, before they were married, they were both not on equals in the social hierarchy, for Jane was a mere governess who had little right except for the duties she was to fulfill with Adele’s education and Rochester was a man of wealth and a decently big estate. As the novel progresses, Rochester begins to pursues more of his affection towards Jane by saying sweet words to her, such as “I see genuine contentment in your gait and mien, your eye and face, when you are helping me and pleasing me—working for me, and with me, in, as you characteristically say, ‘all that is right,” (232) which ultimately makes Rochester the dominance in their relationship. However, when Mason burns the Rochester estate, Edward loses everything, in terms of his social status in society, his home, his fortune, and so much more, and is so broken and depressed with his life thus far. But as I do feel that nearing the end of the novel, as Jane finds Rochester in his despair mentally and physically, she takes the initiative for the first in a year and both continued their relationship as lovers and beloved friends. Even when Mr. Rochester “turns mechanically to see what [has happened in the room of Ferndean], he saw nothing,” (471) for he was blind from the fire incident at Thornfield, Jane starts to take care of him until he regained his vision and physical strength and still continues to take care of him throughout their marriage, and Rochester eventually does the same for Jane.
ReplyDeleteI felt that Jane Eyre was an interesting read as it wasn’t a romance novel but rather a novel with romance. It dealt in more than just conflicts between two love partners. The book began on a girl who was constantly being looked down upon and harassed by others around her. By meeting Helen, she learns that not everyone is cruel and develops a sense of care for others. Throughout Jane’s time at Thornfield there was an air of mystery on Rochester and his servant Grace. She was introduced first following a “clamorous peal that seemed to echo in every lonely chamber” and with an “apparition less romantic or less ghostly could be scarcely be conceived”. I think this made the book entertaining as it made it less predictable. The balance of power between Jane and Rochester changes a lot as events play out. When Rochester first proposes to Jane their relationship is still master and servant. Jane says to Rochester, “wherever you are is my home—my only home”. Jane is just following Rochester around and doesn’t seem to have any power in the relationship. When Rochester previous marriage is exposed the balance of power flips. Society sees him as a person trying to marry twice and his reputation tanks. Later on after the falling-out, Jane is again proposed marriage, this time by her cousin St. John. She responds to the proposal by saying “abandon your scheme of marriage - forget it”. Jane has grown a lot independently since then and has the courage to reject a man’s proposal which was rare back in this time period. When they meet again things have evened out as Rochester is injured and Bertha is dead. This makes me wonder how the ending would be if the fire did not happen. Would they still see each other as equals?
ReplyDeleteMany shocking revelations have appeared in this novel, like the mysterious things that have happened in the manor such as the: fire in Mr. Rochester's room, the man, who I forget the name of, who got stabbed, ETC... being shown that it was all done my the secret wife of Mr. Rochester, Bertha, who's mentally insane. Also the sudden death of Helen and the fact that was Jane's first true friend.
ReplyDeleteAfter the news was sent out of Mr. Rochester already being married, how he just dragged her and pushed everyone aside, such as Adele, was quite funny watching and reading.