Literature Analysis Questions: Jane Eyre

GENERAL LITERARY ANALYSIS

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

• Jane Eyre starts off as an orphan living with Mrs. Reed and her three cousins at Gateshead Hall. They mistreat Jane and the moment she stands up for herself, Jane is locked in the red-room by herself. Jane finds courage and decides it's time to stand up to her cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed. She later attends Lowood, a place where orphans get sent for some schooling. The sad part is the girls are treated harsh and Helen Burns, Jane's best friend, and Miss Temple, a teacher, are the only good people at Lowood. Helen dies because something broke out at school leaving Jane alone, but she did make another friend, Mary Ann. Jane stays at Lowood until she's 16 then becomes a teacher and remains there until she's 18. She later accepts a job as a governess for Adele Varens at Thornfield. Jane moves in so she could tutor Adele and finds out mysterious things happen on the third floor. She soon meets Mr. Rochester and finds out more about the third floor, but not enough to understand what's going on. Jane saves Mr. Rochester's life while the sneaky Grace Poole supposedly sets his curtains on fire. He has guests over and a man named Mr. Mason enters the third floor, but gets bitten by someone. Not being able to find out more, Jane leaves to tend to her sick aunt Mrs. Reed. Jane returns to Thornfield and they decide to get married. On the day of their wedding, two men come saying Mr. Rochester is already married. They find out that his wife is Bertha Mason, the one who's been doing crazy things at night. He explains how they met and why he's kept her a secrete for so long. (Insanity ran in her family, and he was tricked into marrying her for money.) He tells Jane to live with him in France, but they'll have to pretend to be married. She refuses to be another mistress and runs away. She moves in with the River's family and becomes a teacher. Her Uncle, Mr. Eyre, passes away and leaves his fortune to Jane. St. John tries to make a move on Jane, and decides they should go live in India together. Jane agrees but only as his cousin and not his wife. She's about to say yes to St. John's marriage proposal when she apparently hears Mr. Rochester's voice calling her. The next day, she leaves and returns to Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester had kicked everyone out because he wasn't able to find Jane and Jane finds out that Bertha did some terrible things. Jane returns offering to be Mr. Rochester's housekeeper or nurse, but instead they end up getting married.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

• I'll admit, I had trouble trying to choose the theme of Jane Eyre because the book mentioned so much, but I decided that it's main focus was on the social class and the role she plays throughout the novel. Jane was viewed as a servant and treated harsh by her cousins who were of "higher class." Jane's character gained courage and underwent changes after her argument with Mrs. Reed. As the story progresses, Jane undergoes situations that involve her social class. Like attending Lowood, where only orphans go to obtain an education; being the governess at Thornfield and falling in love with Mr. Rochester, who was of higher social class. The pressure's of her social class had it's peaks leading the reader to think she'll never find happiness in the world she lives in. The relations that were proposed lacked equality between social classes and it seemed like the rich could only associate with the rich, where the "help" had to hide behind the scenes unless called for. The fact she inherited money towards the end gave her character independence and freedom. She went from not having a family to creating one and her character was finally free from the "servant girl" mentality. 

3. Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

• The author's tone is romantic after you see her mature into a young lady and she encounter's Mr. Rochester. They're love grows and she explains to the reader how her feelings develop over time. The way she talks about him after each encounter helps the reader understand that she's falling in love. When he dresses up as a gypsy to trick everyone, he reveals himself to Jane showing the trust he has for her. He learns to rely on Jane whenever an incident happens. Like the night Bertha had set his curtains on fire trying to kill him, Jane was there to save his life. Then when Mr. Mason gets bit by Bertha, Jane is there again to help and keep Mr. Rochester's secrets a secrete. Bertha played a huge role in Jane and Mr. Rochester's first attempt to get married since it was because of her that Jane ran away. (Jane didn't want to be another one of his mistresses. Mr. Rochester couldn't divorce Bertha because of her mental illness.) Her romantic style sinks in once you notice her attempt to go back to Mr. Rochester. In the end they do get married showing that even they could fall in love, forgive and get married. 

4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthen your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts (for each element) that will help your reader understand each one.

• Symbolism: The red-room because throughout the novel she refers to it as an emotional piece. Whenever she feels insecure about herself or a decision she's about to make, the red-room is brought up as a reminder the struggles she'll have to face to find peace within herself.
  • "I shall remember how you thrust me back--roughly and violently thrust me back--into the red-room, and locked me up there, to my dying day; though I was in agony; though I cried out, while suffocating with distress, 'Have mercy! Have mercy, aunt Reed!' And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me--knocked me down for nothing." (Jane Eyre Ch. 4)
  • "Let her stand half an hour longer on that stool, and let no one speak to her during the ramainder of the day." That's exactly how Mrs. Reed treated her when she tried to get out of the red-room. (Mr Brocklehurst CH. 7)
  • "I dreamt I lay in the red-room at Gateshead; that the night was dark, and my mind impressed with strange fears. The light  that long ago had struck me into syncope, recalled in this vision, seemed glidingly to mount the wall, and tremblingly to pause in the centre of the obscured ceiling..." "It spoke to my spirit: immeasurably distant was the tone, yet so near, it whispered in my heart-" "My Daughter, flee temptation!" "Mother, I will."  (Ch. 23)
• Allusion: When visitor's come to Thornfield, they talk about how cruel they've been to their own governess. It's a reminder of what Jane's childhood was like under the watch of Mrs. Reed. The idea of higher class being dominate to the lower class is shown as they converse. 
  • "Am I a servant?" (Jane Eyre Ch. 2) "No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep." (Lady's-maid Ch. 2)
  • "What tricks Theodore and I used to play on our Miss Wilsons, and Mrs. Greys, and Madame Jouberts! Mary was always too sleep to join in a plot with spirit." (Blanche Eshton Ch. 17)
  • "No, never: we might do what we pleased; ransack her desk and her work-box, and run her drawers inside out: and she was so good-natured, she would give us anything we asked for." (Louisa Eshton Ch. 17)
• Plot Tension: The reader could tell that Jane is falling in love with Mr. Rochester, but Mr. Rochester pretends to be engaged to Miss Blanche. Jane witnesses the two as a "couple" and concludes that Jane's secrete love could never be because of their class. Tension rises as the reader picks up the two's interest for each other.
  • "He said something in praise of your eyes, did he? Blind puppy! Open their bleared lids and look on your own accursed senselessness! It does good to no women to be flattered by their superior, who cannot possibly intend to marry her, and it is madness in all women to let a secrete love kindle within them..." (Jane Eyre Ch. 16)
  • "You said it was not likely they should think of being married," said Jane,"but you see Mr. Rochester evidently prefers her to any of the other ladies." (Jane Eyre Ch. 17)
  • "..look how she leans her head towards him as if she were conversing confidentially; I wish I could see her face.."  (Jane Eyre Ch. 17)
• Emotional Appeal: Her situation is relatable because Jane expresses her feelings throughout the novel. The attitude towards Mrs. Reed, Mr. Rochester, Mrs. Fairfax, the upper class and the attitude they have towards Jane sinks into the reader's heart. Rejection plays a huge role in this story as well as forgiveness.
  • "Joan is not here: tell mama she is run out into the rain-bad animal!" (John Reed Ch. 1)
  • "I valued what was good in Mrs. Faux and what was good in Adele; but I believe in the existence of other and more vivid kinds of goodness and what I believed in I wished to behold" (Jane Eyre Ch.12)
  • “Do you think, because I’m poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you. And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth. I should have made it hard for you to leave me, as it is for me to leave you.” (Jane Eyre Ch. 23)
• Imagery: Helps the audience go more in dept with how Jane encounters and sees certain situations .
  • "I should have been afraid to touch a horse when alone, but when told to do it, I was disposed to obey. I put down my muff on the stile, and went up to the tall steed; I endeavored to catch the bridle, but it was a spiriting thing, and would not let me come near its head; I made effort on effort, though in vain; meantime, I was normally afraid of its trampling forefeet. The traveler waited and watched for some time, and at last he laughed." Mentions how she automatically obeys Mr. Rochester without knowing it was him. (Jane Eyre Ch. 12)
  • "Something creaked: it was a door ajar, and that door was Mr. Rochester's, and the smoke rushed in a cloud from thence. I thought no more of Mrs. Fairfax I thought no more of Grace Poole or the laugh; in an instant, I was within the chamber. Tongues of flame darted around the bed: the curtains were on fire. In the midst of blaze and vapour, Mr. Rochester lay stretched motionless, in deep sleep." (Jane Eyre Ch. 15)
  • "Here then I was in the third story, fastened into one of its mystic cells; night around me; a pale and bloody spectacle under my eyes and hands; a muderness hardly separated from me by a single door.." Mentions how she feels caring for Mr. Mason after being bit and unconscious. (Jane Eyre Ch. 20)

Here are my NOTES(: