10The Victorian Age (cont.)

Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre

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Objectives

• To cultivate an understanding of the development of English literature during this period
• To understand the texts from both literary and historical standpoints, including:as developing out of a new language and cultureas elaborating on previous texts and ideasas generating new language and ideasas sources for later literature, both as context and allusionthe poetic and thematic structures
• To be able to define key terms relative to the texts and period

Reading

• The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 2

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Brontë

Read Chapters 1-26
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What elements of the Gothic novel have you found in your reading of Jane Eyre thus far? Give two examples.

Why was the “red room” feared so superstitiously?

Who came to “examine” Jane and then later humiliated her before the school by calling her deceitful?

What happens to Helen Burns, Jane’s friend at Lowood?

How does Jane first meet Rochester? What job has she taken on?

Who is Adele?

Grace Poole has a special job at Thornfield Hall. What does she do?

Who is Blanche Ingram? What is she like? Give a brief description.

Why is Jane called back to her aunt (the Reeds)?

Characterize Jane, Rochester, St. John, and Brocklehurst. Write a short paragraph with textual support for each. (3 points each: 12 points total)

Choose ONE of the following symbols and discuss its meanings and importance to the text thus far: pictures (chapter 13), dreams of an infant (chapters 21, 25), dreams of ruin (chapter 25).

Notice the changes in tense in chapter 22 and chapter 23. Brontë changes from past to present tense. What might have been her purposes in doing this?

Support the statement that Rochester is a “Byronic hero.”