1.) Author Background
Charlotte Bronte wrote this book in 1847.English fiction during this time period fell into one of three categories: comedy, grief/sentiment, and romance.Charlotte had five siblings and her mother died when she was a child.The four eldest daughters went to Cowan Bridge School where Maria, the eldest sister (whom appears as Helen Burns), died.Elizabeth, the second eldest, also died and Charlotte and Emily came back to Haworth in Yorkshire.Charlotte and Branwell, her brother, wrote little books about Angria for Emily and Anne.Charlotte and Anne became governesses after studying at the Pensionnat Heger, where Charlotte fostered feelings for M. Heger.The three sisters created pseudonyms: Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell.Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Anne’s Agnes Grey were all published around the same time.Branwell, followed by Emily and Anne, died from tuberculosis.Charlotte published Shirley in 1849 and Villette in 1853.She married Arthur Nicholls in 1854 and died in 1855 from tuberculosis.
2.) Main Characters:
Jane Eyre: The restless young lady seeking individuality and freedom throughout the novel. Jane Eyre's journey begins with leaving Mrs. Reed and Gateshead to Lowood and finally finding her way to Thornfield. She finds herself falling deep in love with her master, Mr. Rochester, but her strength and integrity results in moral struggles of settling in romantic happiness. Mr. Rochester: Initially revealed as a cold and pompous rich man, Mr. Rochester witholds many secrets that have kept him locked in his past. Although not specifically handsome, the presence of Jane Eyre reveals a softer, more heart-warming side of Mr. Rochester as he plays the game of love. Mr. Rochester's vulnerability is revealed with the knowledge of his wife, Bertha Mason, and moral conflict comes into play between him and Jane Eyre. St. John: Jane Eyre discovers St. John's relation to her uncle and that he is her cousin who lost a great amount of money that Jane was to inherit. This ambitious and austere man asks Jane her hand in marriage and to accompany him on a missionary trip in contribution to the world far greater than her. Although, St. John is seen to be the principle man for marriage, she refuses a marriage without love and passion.
5.) Plot Summary:
Jane Eyre lives with Mrs. Reed and her three children at the novels start.Mrs. Reed isolates and punishes Jane for being unhappy, unsociable, and odd.After falling ill in the Red Room, Jane comforts Mrs. Reed about her hatred of her Benefactor.A major break occurs when Jane travels to Lowood School for girls to further her education.She meets Helen Burns, Miss Temple, and Mr. Brocklehurst.Here she learns about death, friendship, and education.When she realizes that life extends beyond Lowood she discovers self-independence by gaining employment from Mrs. Fairfax, the manager of Thornfeild for Mr. Rochester.Jane discovers love, jealousy and heartbreak when she falls in love with Mr. Rochester.Mr. Rochester’s existing wife is exposed as being the crazy culprit of homicidal outbursts at Thornfield.Jane leaves Thornton.Janes leaves Thornfield and the love of her life, creating a huge shift in the book.After several days spent penniless, hungry, and rejected, Jane is taken in by St. John Rivers and his sisters.Another shift occurs as Jane discovers true autonomy when she becomes mistress of a school for in Morton.The attainment of significant wealth and true family comprises a huge transition in Jane’s life.A marriage proposal by St. John forces Jane to seek Mr. Rochester again.Upon finding Mr. Rochester, whom is blind and missing one hand after the fire and accident that Bertha Mason died in, Jane realizes true happiness.Life, independence, love, family, wealth, and happiness all fall into place for her by the novels end.
4.) Settings: Lowood: Lowood is the first step for Jane to freedom and independence, receiving an education and forming friendships. Jane's time at Lowood marks a significant span of growth and understanding of life. Although the charity school is not well-funded, Lowood becomes a first real-home for Jane Eyre, where her challenge was to earn respect and a sense of belonging. Thornfield: Thornfield marks the second half of Jane's journey, where she meets the true love of her life. This setting represents a higher social class for Jane earning respect and a hint of authority as the governess. When her unyielding love for Mr. Rochester causes inner turmoil, Jane resolves to leave Thornfield as it becomes a reminder of her vulnerability.
3.) Minor Characters: Bertha Mason:The crazed, animalistic wife of Mr. Rochester with shaggy hair and a purple swollen face.She is watched by the odd servant, Grace Poole, and commits homicidal mischief at Thornfield.She laughs like a homicidal, half-starved hyena and eventually lights Thornfield on fire and makes a lunatic leap from the roof to her death. Mrs. Fairfax:The gentle-hearted elderly woman who manages Thornfield for Mr. Rochester.She has a kind, simple, lonely heart.She warmly welcomes Jane to Thornfield and proves herself to be a solid, reliable friend.
6.) Symbols/References/Motifs:
-The red room at Gateshead symbolizes Jane's imprisonment and fear in life. Locked in this room as a child, the memory haunts significant conflicting events throughout the novel, as she feels trapped in her solitary life. This memory serves as a difficult challenge for Jane to overcome as a child, paralleling various challenges she encounters as an adult.
-Throughout the novel, references to religion essentially indicates the development of Jane Eyre's morality. In the beginning, before getting accepted to Lowood, Mr. Brocklehurst condemns Jane for her views on the book of psalms--he defines her to be selfish and ignorant. Religion grows on Jane and develops her morality as seen in her decision to not marry the married Mr. Rochester or to follow St. John's hand in marriage on a missionary trip.
7.) Style/Effect:
Charlotte Bronte’s elaborate syntax breaks up her dense, intellectually stimulating language to allow readers to digest the writing more easily.Bronte focuses much of the style on the development of the characters, particularly Jane Eyre, in order to create a stronger connection between the audience and the characters.The effect of her style personalizes the novel and draws the audience into the characters.
8.) Philosophy/Theme/Ideas:
A major theme in this novel observed to be the significance of social class and gender. Jane Eyre rises from a low social class of no power and authority at Gatehead, to a middle class indifferent in society as a teacher at Lowood, and finally rises above her job title as a governess in her involvement with Mr. Rochester. The change in behavior and attitude of Jane compared to other members of each social class represents the emphasis of position in the mid-1800s.
9.) Discussions:
In book discussions we often focused on the evolving characters.Because Jane Eyre has so many rich characters and such excellent character development, there were extensive opportunities to explore these structures within the novel.We discussed the style and language Charlotte Bronte incorporates, comparing them to Emily Bronte’s writing in Wuthering Heights.The relationship between the characters of Blanche Ingram and Bertha Mason inspired us to compare and contrast their roles within the novel.We often clarified relationships and events while making predictions.The separation of chapters as a means of signaling a transition sparked our interest and allowed us to explore the contribution of these shifts to the novel as a whole.The plotline and emotionally packed language came into conversation as well.Charlotte Bronte’s life and style of writing greatly intrigued us.
10.) Unanswered Questions:
-The ambiguity of Miss Temple and how her role was so significant to Jane, yet short in time as she disappears to get married.
-Why didn't Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre take in Adele after the fire and care for her as their own child?
-Was the phrase "Plain Jane" derived from this novel?
-How does the dull personality and simplicity of Jane's character significantly influence the book?
11.) Quotations:
“‘[Mrs. Reed] has been unkind to you, no doubt; because, you see, she dislikes your cast of character, as Miss Scatcherd does mine…Life appears to me too short to spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs…I hold another creed; which no one ever taught me…with this creed revenge never worries my heart, degradation never too deeply disgusts me, injustice never crushes me too low: I live in calm, looking to the end’” (59).
“I felt he had not given her his love, and that her qualifications were ill adapted to win from him that treasure…I should have had one vital struggle with two tigers—jealousy and despair: then, my heart torn out and devoured, I should have admired her” (174).
“‘I have for the first time found what I can truly love—I have found you.You are my…better self—my good angel—I am bound to you…my heart…kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one”’ (290).
“‘God has given us…the power to make our own fate; and when our energies seem to demand a sustenance they cannot get—when our will strains after a path we may not follow…we have but to seek another nourishment for the mind, as strong as the forbidden food it longed to taste…for the adventurous foot a road as direct and broad as the one Fortune has blocked up against us, if rougher than it”’ (232).
12.) AP Prompts/Mini-outlines:
Overall Themes: Social class, social gender, religion/morality, independence, love.
Thirty Years of AP Open Questions General: Particular social attitudes of traditions that the authory appraently wishes changed. Intro:
-Thesis: Bronte portrays the significance of social class in the mid-1800s, yet accentuates feminist views of society through Jane's independence in the novel. Body 1:
-the traditional social class system represented by Mrs. Reed, characters at Lowood (Helen Burns), Mr. Rochester, Blanche Ingram, etc. Body 2:
-Jane Eyre's change in social status throughout the novel; rising to a governess, achieving influence in Rochester's house and the effect Jane has on Mr. Rochester's class. Conclusion:
-Bronte's effect of contrasting Jane and Mr. Rochester's inconsistent social position with those of the servants and the rich, such as Ingram.
Character: Character who's mind is pulled in conflicting direction by two compelling desires or influences. Intro:
-Thesis: Jane Eyre experiences a cognitive dissonance caught between her unyielding desire for love and the need to follow her moral influences. Body 1:
-All her life, Jane had a solitary life; develop an intimate relationship with Mr. Rochester, following her heart. Mr. Rochester offers the love she has never been able to experience. Body 2:
-Religion/moral aspects of her life. Jane knows it is wrong to marry someone who is already married, no matter the circumstances. The vision of her mother pulls her away from Rochester, running away from Thornfield. Conclusion:
-Jane's journey in finding the balance between desire and morality. Although she follows her morals, Fate determines the outcome of the situation.
1.) Author Background
Charlotte Bronte wrote this book in 1847. English fiction during this time period fell into one of three categories: comedy, grief/sentiment, and romance. Charlotte had five siblings and her mother died when she was a child. The four eldest daughters went to Cowan Bridge School where Maria, the eldest sister (whom appears as Helen Burns), died. Elizabeth, the second eldest, also died and Charlotte and Emily came back to Haworth in Yorkshire. Charlotte and Branwell, her brother, wrote little books about Angria for Emily and Anne. Charlotte and Anne became governesses after studying at the Pensionnat Heger, where Charlotte fostered feelings for M. Heger. The three sisters created pseudonyms: Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Anne’s Agnes Grey were all published around the same time. Branwell, followed by Emily and Anne, died from tuberculosis. Charlotte published Shirley in 1849 and Villette in 1853. She married Arthur Nicholls in 1854 and died in 1855 from tuberculosis.
2.) Main Characters:
Jane Eyre: The restless young lady seeking individuality and freedom throughout the novel. Jane Eyre's journey begins with leaving Mrs. Reed and Gateshead to Lowood and finally finding her way to Thornfield. She finds herself falling deep in love with her master, Mr. Rochester, but her strength and integrity results in moral struggles of settling in romantic happiness.
Mr. Rochester: Initially revealed as a cold and pompous rich man, Mr. Rochester witholds many secrets that have kept him locked in his past. Although not specifically handsome, the presence of Jane Eyre reveals a softer, more heart-warming side of Mr. Rochester as he plays the game of love. Mr. Rochester's vulnerability is revealed with the knowledge of his wife, Bertha Mason, and moral conflict comes into play between him and Jane Eyre.
St. John: Jane Eyre discovers St. John's relation to her uncle and that he is her cousin who lost a great amount of money that Jane was to inherit. This ambitious and austere man asks Jane her hand in marriage and to accompany him on a missionary trip in contribution to the world far greater than her. Although, St. John is seen to be the principle man for marriage, she refuses a marriage without love and passion.
5.) Plot Summary:
Jane Eyre lives with Mrs. Reed and her three children at the novels start. Mrs. Reed isolates and punishes Jane for being unhappy, unsociable, and odd. After falling ill in the Red Room, Jane comforts Mrs. Reed about her hatred of her Benefactor. A major break occurs when Jane travels to Lowood School for girls to further her education. She meets Helen Burns, Miss Temple, and Mr. Brocklehurst. Here she learns about death, friendship, and education. When she realizes that life extends beyond Lowood she discovers self-independence by gaining employment from Mrs. Fairfax, the manager of Thornfeild for Mr. Rochester. Jane discovers love, jealousy and heartbreak when she falls in love with Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester’s existing wife is exposed as being the crazy culprit of homicidal outbursts at Thornfield. Jane leaves Thornton. Janes leaves Thornfield and the love of her life, creating a huge shift in the book. After several days spent penniless, hungry, and rejected, Jane is taken in by St. John Rivers and his sisters. Another shift occurs as Jane discovers true autonomy when she becomes mistress of a school for in Morton. The attainment of significant wealth and true family comprises a huge transition in Jane’s life. A marriage proposal by St. John forces Jane to seek Mr. Rochester again. Upon finding Mr. Rochester, whom is blind and missing one hand after the fire and accident that Bertha Mason died in, Jane realizes true happiness. Life, independence, love, family, wealth, and happiness all fall into place for her by the novels end.
4.) Settings:
Lowood: Lowood is the first step for Jane to freedom and independence, receiving an education and forming friendships. Jane's time at Lowood marks a significant span of growth and understanding of life. Although the charity school is not well-funded, Lowood becomes a first real-home for Jane Eyre, where her challenge was to earn respect and a sense of belonging.
Thornfield: Thornfield marks the second half of Jane's journey, where she meets the true love of her life. This setting represents a higher social class for Jane earning respect and a hint of authority as the governess. When her unyielding love for Mr. Rochester causes inner turmoil, Jane resolves to leave Thornfield as it becomes a reminder of her vulnerability.
3.) Minor Characters:
Bertha Mason: The crazed, animalistic wife of Mr. Rochester with shaggy hair and a purple swollen face. She is watched by the odd servant, Grace Poole, and commits homicidal mischief at Thornfield. She laughs like a homicidal, half-starved hyena and eventually lights Thornfield on fire and makes a lunatic leap from the roof to her death.
Mrs. Fairfax: The gentle-hearted elderly woman who manages Thornfield for Mr. Rochester. She has a kind, simple, lonely heart. She warmly welcomes Jane to Thornfield and proves herself to be a solid, reliable friend.
6.) Symbols/References/Motifs:
-The red room at Gateshead symbolizes Jane's imprisonment and fear in life. Locked in this room as a child, the memory haunts significant conflicting events throughout the novel, as she feels trapped in her solitary life. This memory serves as a difficult challenge for Jane to overcome as a child, paralleling various challenges she encounters as an adult.
-Throughout the novel, references to religion essentially indicates the development of Jane Eyre's morality. In the beginning, before getting accepted to Lowood, Mr. Brocklehurst condemns Jane for her views on the book of psalms--he defines her to be selfish and ignorant. Religion grows on Jane and develops her morality as seen in her decision to not marry the married Mr. Rochester or to follow St. John's hand in marriage on a missionary trip.
7.) Style/Effect:
Charlotte Bronte’s elaborate syntax breaks up her dense, intellectually stimulating language to allow readers to digest the writing more easily. Bronte focuses much of the style on the development of the characters, particularly Jane Eyre, in order to create a stronger connection between the audience and the characters. The effect of her style personalizes the novel and draws the audience into the characters.
8.) Philosophy/Theme/Ideas:
A major theme in this novel observed to be the significance of social class and gender. Jane Eyre rises from a low social class of no power and authority at Gatehead, to a middle class indifferent in society as a teacher at Lowood, and finally rises above her job title as a governess in her involvement with Mr. Rochester. The change in behavior and attitude of Jane compared to other members of each social class represents the emphasis of position in the mid-1800s.
9.) Discussions:
In book discussions we often focused on the evolving characters. Because Jane Eyre has so many rich characters and such excellent character development, there were extensive opportunities to explore these structures within the novel. We discussed the style and language Charlotte Bronte incorporates, comparing them to Emily Bronte’s writing in Wuthering Heights. The relationship between the characters of Blanche Ingram and Bertha Mason inspired us to compare and contrast their roles within the novel. We often clarified relationships and events while making predictions. The separation of chapters as a means of signaling a transition sparked our interest and allowed us to explore the contribution of these shifts to the novel as a whole. The plotline and emotionally packed language came into conversation as well. Charlotte Bronte’s life and style of writing greatly intrigued us.
10.) Unanswered Questions:
-The ambiguity of Miss Temple and how her role was so significant to Jane, yet short in time as she disappears to get married.
-Why didn't Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre take in Adele after the fire and care for her as their own child?
-Was the phrase "Plain Jane" derived from this novel?
-How does the dull personality and simplicity of Jane's character significantly influence the book?
11.) Quotations:
“‘[Mrs. Reed] has been unkind to you, no doubt; because, you see, she dislikes your cast of character, as Miss Scatcherd does mine…Life appears to me too short to spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs…I hold another creed; which no one ever taught me…with this creed revenge never worries my heart, degradation never too deeply disgusts me, injustice never crushes me too low: I live in calm, looking to the end’” (59).
“I felt he had not given her his love, and that her qualifications were ill adapted to win from him that treasure…I should have had one vital struggle with two tigers—jealousy and despair: then, my heart torn out and devoured, I should have admired her” (174).
“‘I have for the first time found what I can truly love—I have found you. You are my…better self—my good angel—I am bound to you…my heart…kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one”’ (290).
“‘God has given us…the power to make our own fate; and when our energies seem to demand a sustenance they cannot get—when our will strains after a path we may not follow…we have but to seek another nourishment for the mind, as strong as the forbidden food it longed to taste…for the adventurous foot a road as direct and broad as the one Fortune has blocked up against us, if rougher than it”’ (232).
12.) AP Prompts/Mini-outlines:
Overall Themes: Social class, social gender, religion/morality, independence, love.
Thirty Years of AP Open Questions
General: Particular social attitudes of traditions that the authory appraently wishes changed.
Intro:
-Thesis: Bronte portrays the significance of social class in the mid-1800s, yet accentuates feminist views of society through Jane's independence in the novel.
Body 1:
-the traditional social class system represented by Mrs. Reed, characters at Lowood (Helen Burns), Mr. Rochester, Blanche Ingram, etc.
Body 2:
-Jane Eyre's change in social status throughout the novel; rising to a governess, achieving influence in Rochester's house and the effect Jane has on Mr. Rochester's class.
Conclusion:
-Bronte's effect of contrasting Jane and Mr. Rochester's inconsistent social position with those of the servants and the rich, such as Ingram.
Character: Character who's mind is pulled in conflicting direction by two compelling desires or influences.
Intro:
-Thesis: Jane Eyre experiences a cognitive dissonance caught between her unyielding desire for love and the need to follow her moral influences.
Body 1:
-All her life, Jane had a solitary life; develop an intimate relationship with Mr. Rochester, following her heart. Mr. Rochester offers the love she has never been able to experience.
Body 2:
-Religion/moral aspects of her life. Jane knows it is wrong to marry someone who is already married, no matter the circumstances. The vision of her mother pulls her away from Rochester, running away from Thornfield.
Conclusion:
-Jane's journey in finding the balance between desire and morality. Although she follows her morals, Fate determines the outcome of the situation.