English – Jane Eyre essay plans Flashcard Example #49853

Byronic Hero – excitingly romantic, dark, brooding
High social + economic status
Gothic fiction – he conforms to characteristics in g fiction (b.hero)

Bronte presents Rochester as an archetypal byronic hero, with strong morals and conforming to the contemporary expectations held by society.

relate extract to context

Byronic hero – gothic element, his characteristics. b.hero often features in gothic fiction – romance + darkness

Morality – raises Adele. Looks after Bertha = good and bad – tries to remarry = immoral
Victorian reader = villain – religion was very important
modern reader = more sympathetic – marriage was arranged – does his best – doesn’t love Bertha

His change physically and emotionally – goes blind, thinks he is superior to Jane in beginning, then realises her itelligence and personality are more important. become equal

conclusion

“a dark face with stern features and a heavy brow” “raven hair” ” his roughness of the traveler set me at my ease”- J about R = b.hero
“Miss Eyre” – she works for him. he is superior
“my equal is here, my likeness” – now equal
“a bride already courted for me” – contrasting opinions of modern and Victorian readers.
“his presence in the room was more cheering than the brightest fire” – equal. love. fire imagery

Female independence – Jane conflict to contemporary expectations of women
Jane’s’ similarity to Bronte – governess
social inferiority to Rochester

Bronte presents Jane with strong morals, independence and passion, and as a conflict to the contemporary expectations of women, perhaps portraying her own views towards issues of the time.

relate extract to context

Jane’s independence + conflict to contemporary views – travels alone between all destination. doesn’t rely on others. more comfortable when she can fend for herself, has money, doesn’t need others

morals – won’t go as a missionary’s wife to India. Rochester marriage to Bertha – disagrees, wont marry him. her unfair treatment at Gateshead – leaves to Lowood.

passion – values passion over reason

conclusion – include structure

“i am not bird and no net ensnares me” – independence, freedom
“do you think i am an automaton with no feelings?”
“gingham” “silk” – differences in statuses
“women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men do” – passion
“i know what it is like to live entirely for and with what you love best on earth” – passion
“i am torn away and cannot return”

mixed race/creole – more racist during Vic. era
supernatural – gothic
psychiatric illness

Bronte uses the character of Bertha Mason to develop the gothic horror throughout the novel by presenting her with animalistic traits, creating a supernatural atmosphere. The fact that she is a creole woman, combined with her psychiatric illness leaves her subject to prejudice and inferiority.

relate extract to context

Supernatural + gothic – demon, laughter, haunting, danger, threat, possessed

Animalistic traits – gender neutral “it” etc. prejudice, racism + illness “it” – dehumanised

Bertha’s violence + unpredictability – lit fire to kill Rochester etc.

conclusion – helps to convey gothic horror

“unnatural sound”
“demoniac laugh” “goblin-laughter”
“possessed with the devil”
“something gurgled and moaned”
“it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal”
“the lunatic sprang”
“despair added, farewell forever”

inequality – men had authority over women
social + economic status – great importance during Elizabethan era. R = higher status than J

Throughout Jane Eyre, love is perceived as a conflict between passion, and convenience and duty.

relate extract to context
compare relationships between Jane and R and Blanche Ingram and R
compare relationships between St. John and Jane and St. John and Rosamund Oliver
conclude outcomes – which is seen as more important in the end? passion or convenience? Rochester = passion. St. John = convenience.

“my equal is here and my likeness” – R values J’s intelligence + personality over status. “my” possessive pronoun – admits his love for her. passion
“in the shape of Miss Ingram; a noble and beautiful woman – your bride” – name, Blanche, connotations to white, plain, pure. views of time, R should marry of the same status = duty not passion
“enough of love will follow” – St. John values duty over passion. dedicated to religion, no time for passion. contrasts to Jane
St. John love Rosamund “wildly” and with “intensity”, but feels she would “not make a good wife” and she is not the partner suited to him”. – marriage mainly decided by man, chooses duty over passion.

Christianity was prominent during the Vic. era
religion had strong influence on peoples morals and way of life

Religion is presented in Jane Eyre as either a means of moral guidance or harsh regime through the portrayal of different character who are influenced by religion in different ways.

Relate extract to context
Moral guidance – Helen Burns = angelic, innocent, full faith in religion, the ideal Christian.
Harsh regime – Mr. Brocklehurst = punishes Lowood girls, uses religion as excuse. go to hell for their sins. Ironic as his daughters do what Lowood girls are punished for
Dedication – St. John = puts religion before everything else. dies as a missionary.

“love your enemies; bless them that curse you” – H.B
“universal parent” “i rely implicitly on his power” – H.B, relies on religion, influences Jane.
“not to accustom them to habits of luxury and indulgence” Mr. B “graceful headdress” “elaborately curled” – his daughters. IRONIC, double standards
“should you like to fall into that pit and be burning there forever?” – scares children into being religious by making them fearful of hell and sinning. condescending language.
“i claim you – not for my pleasure, but for my sovereign service” – St. J. passion + pleasure = irrelevant. only his duty to religion matters.

Gothic genre
Expectations on women – Bertha represents Jan’es hidden emotion – trapped and locked away.

Bronte uses elements of supernatural imagery instead of real supernatural events to create a mood and tone of gothic horror whilst still maintaining social realism throughout.

relate extract to context
supernatural events that occur are always explained – e.g. Bertha, or decided not real
Bertha is a representation of what Jane is forced to hide.
conclusion – supernatural creates gothic horror whilst also giving critical undertones.

“it glided up to the ceiling and quivered over my head was, in all likelihood, a gleam from a lantern”
“laugh was repeated in it’s low, syllabic tone” “it snatched and growled like some change wild animal” – Bertha
“Jane!…Jane!…Jane!
“forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low” – J must keep passion hidden

women’s independence – controlled by men, must marry of equal status, must marry in order to succeed
Jane does not conform to these expectations

relate extract to context
Jane’s independence at Gateshead/Lowood = minimal
Jane’s independence at Thonfield = gain some independence
Jane’s independence at Moorhouse/Ferndean = more independence. got inheritance, so more money
conclusion – her increasing independence throughout, is happier when financially independent

Independence is presented in Jane Eyre through Jane’s continual struggle to find her ideal balance of independence and love.

“you have no business to take out books; you are dependent”
“i will never call you aunt again as long as i live”
“i am no bird and no net ensnares me”
“the more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained i am, the more i will respect myself
“forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low…would be unendurable”
“i am ready to go to India, if i may go free”
“twenty thousand pounds!”