Post a quotation (or passage reference) to support your envelope items. One for each item # is fine, and be sure to explain why you chose each quotation.
Category Three Need for Love vs. Independence The entire page in which Jane confronts Mrs. Reed about her accusations regarding her conduct to Mr. Brocklehurst. It begins with “ I am not deceitful; if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you…..she was lifting up her hands, rocking herself to and fro, and even twisting her face as if she would cry.” This entire paragraph would fall under this category for several reasons. Rather than subsuming to the lies that Mrs. Reed is saying about her, Jane decides to forge the only form of love ever presented to her in terms of sending her to school ( even if the motivation was selfish on Mrs. Reed’s part it was still one of the only decent things ever done for Jane) and calls her out on everything that she has bottled up over the years. She declares her independence and becomes her own person by breaking the silence she has kept out of fear and necessity when it comes to how she has been treated. Jane decides that the self-affirmation and sovereignty she gains from confronting her aunt is worth the loss of any minimal affection or even tolerance held by the latter. Independence in this example, beats out love. Category Four Supernatural/dreams/ghosts/gothic “ And I thought Mr. Reed’s spirit, harassed by the wrongs of his sister’s child, might quit its abode… and rise before me in this chamber.” As Jane is locked in the red room, she is overwhelmed with superstition and paranoia of her uncle’s spirit. She becomes completely overwhelmed with the fact that this the very room in which a dead body (Gothic in itself) laid. She is without light and night is coming upon her. She begins to fashion a ghost after her uncle because of the justifications given to her before she was thrown into the room. Jane was told that she is wicked and bad; after a while if you are told something repeatedly you began to believe it. Jane thinks that her uncle will seek vengeance against her for her “bad” conduct, since his last wishes are not being followed. This consists of both supernatural aspects, the appearance of a ghost, and a gothic undertone that only a dark red (think of the devil and blood) room which used to harbor the dead body of a “disturbed” soul can accomplish. This quote is a representation of all the aspects of this category and truly underlines the morose supernatural aspects of the novel, thus far.
5. “‘You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant, mamma says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mamma’s expense.’” (7) The quote clearly represents Jane’s disaffection and estrangement from the rest of the household, spelling out that she is simply not a part of the affairs of the others in the house. The emotion is embodied here by John Reed and his consistent abuse.
6. “…I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse,…” (3) This quote combines a setting – the time and mood as well as the emotion attached to it – that this portion of the story can be surrounded by. By describing Jane’s view of this setting as “dreadful,” and expanding on the deficiencies, both physical and mental, the weather brings, an abundant sense of drabness is conveyed to the reader.
5.) “‘She reclined on a sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her…Me, she had dispensed from the group, saying ‘She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that until she heard from Bessie, and could discover by her own observation that I was endeavoring in good earnest to acquire a more sociable and childlike disposition, a more attractive and sprightly manner – something lighter, franker, more natural, as it were – she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy little children.” Pg.3 This quote not only reveals Jane’s obvious exclusion from the group, but the insulting manner in which Mrs. Reed treats her; pushing Jane’s alienation even further and making it harshly clear that she is unwanted. Mrs. Reed degrades Jane by claiming that she needs to make an effort to become more “attractive” and “natural”, and even goes so far as to say that love and affection are “privileges” only given to “contented, happy little children”. She is insinuating that Jane, a young girl who has lost her parents and tries her best to obey orders despite constant abuse, has to impossibly earn the right to be loved and cared for like the rest of the children.
6.) “Yet it was one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion. A bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask, stood out like a tabernacle in the centre, the two large windows, with their blinds always drawn down…This room was chill, because it seldom had a fire; it was silent, because remote from the nursery and kitchens; solemn, because it was known to be seldom entered.” Pg. 11 The room nearly parallels Jane’s own feelings of desolation and emptiness. It has such grand potential, yet it is “solemn” and vacant because it never gets the attention and use that it deserves. The room is also secluded from other major areas, just as Jane is isolated from the occupants of the house. The gloomy depictions of the chamber itself also present an ominous and rather haunting setting, which reflects the fear and distress that Jane feels about living with the Reed family in general.
5. "I was a discord in Gateshead Hall; I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage." (pg. 14) Jane realizes that she has nothing in common with the occupants of Gateshead Hall. She attributes her treatment to her plain looks and average intelligence.
6. "Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near, a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast." (pg. 4) The beginning of the book takes place in a bleak winter setting. The surrounding landscape is pale and devoid of color. This adds to Jane's feeling of isolation.
7. (Pride) page 67 "And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose." This quote shows how Jane was not only an independent and outspoken girl but how those characteristics transposed to her prideful disposition. It goes hand in hand with her place in society; constantly trying to make something more out of herself and proving her worth. No matter how ridiculous or out of bounds it may seem to the "norm".
8. (Social Class): page 26 "No, I should not like to belong to poor people," was my reply. "Not even if they were kind to you?" I shook my head; I could not see how poor people had the means of being kind, and then to learn to speak like them, to adopt their manners, to be uneducated, to grow up like one of the poor women I saw sometimes nursing their children or washing their clothes at the cottage doors of the village of Gateshead: no, I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste." I love this quote because it shows how, despite Jane's own low place on the social hierarchy, how she has been conditioned to despise those below her or even like her; those who try to make something more out of their situation and become educated. Jane is obviously a headstrong girl, who despite all of these "free thoughts" reflects just how brainwashing society was at the time and just how important social class was to the people of nineteenth century England.
7. “Helen heard me patiently to the end; I expected she would then make a remark but she said nothing./ ‘Well’, I asked impatiently, ‘is not Mrs. Reed a hard-hearted woman?’” (Ch. 6, pg. 70) This quote emphasizes Jane’s pride because she wants so badly for someone to agree with her about Mrs. Reed’s character. Jane feels that she is all alone in her accusations toward Mrs. Reed, saying she is bitter, harsh, and unforgiving. Jane yearns for the approval of others and in this case she does not receive it from Helen who believes Jane should love her enemies and “do good to them”.
8. “You are aware that my plan in bringing up these girls is, not to accustom them to habits of luxury and indulgence, but to render them hardy, patient, self-denying.” (Ch. 7, pg. 76) Mr. Brocklehurst is being hypocritical as he scrutinizes Miss Temple for feeding the children and extra meal. He wishes to teach the girls at his “institution” not to get used to being privileged and living luxuriously, yet when his own wife and daughter walk in they are described as “splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs.” Mrs. And Misses Brocklehurst have “elaborately curled hair”; the girls at Lowood are punished for having naturally curly hair by being forced to shave it off, underscoring the large gap between these two social classes.
I found passages that apply to both topics, so instead of separating them, I thought I’d explore the aspects of pride and social class in each.
7. Pride (not just Jane’s) 8. Social Class (hypocrisy ect.) complication ect.
“I reflected. Poverty looks grim to grown people; still more so to children: […] no, I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste.” (32)
- This passage predominantly displays Jane’s pride in her social standing, which is ironic since she dislikes the patronizing Reed family and is hypocritically belittling lower classes. Although Jane hates living in the Reed house, it is interesting to note that she’d rather maintain the prestige of a higher class in a state of unhappiness than to be degraded to a lower caste status with potential happiness. In addition to indicating pride, this excerpt demonstrates the magnitude of importance associated with class, revealing the reality of trading possible happy relations for higher social standing.
“"I am glad you are no relation of mine: […] "Deceit is not my fault!" I cried out in a savage, high voice.” (46)
- In this part of the novel, Mrs. Reed’s pride and social reputation are explored through Jane’s threatening argument. Mrs. Reed’s social status may be jeopardized if Jane follows through on her claim to reveal Mrs. Reed as a benefactress fraud (as doing good for the less fortunate was looked favorably upon in this time period). This revelation would deteriorate Mrs. Reed’s good reputation amongst the higher members of society, consequently threatening her false sense of pride in her own good character. Jane’s defensive response to Mrs. Reed’s statements also reveal Jane’s pride as she attempts to protect her honest values.
"I know that had I been a sanguine, brilliant, careless, exacting, handsome, romping child- though equally dependent and friendless- Mrs. Reed would have endured my presence more complacently; her children would have entertained for me more of the cordiality of fellow-feeling; the servants would have been less prone to make me scapegoat of the nursery.”
This quote highlights the dichotomy between Jane wanting to be loved and accepted within the Reed household and her need to be an independent person and thinker. She acknowledges that were she to act in a specific way, the residents of Gateshead Hall would be more agreeable towards her. Jane also realizes that in order to do it, she must compromise her character in more ways than one. This presents a major issue, because although Jane is unhappy, she longs for the affection that she has never known. But, she also knows that in order to have that affection granted, she must behave the way Mrs. Reed wants her to behave. It reveals Jane as a strong-willed character with an independent spirit she refuses to change, even if that means she is alone.
#4 Supernatural /dreams/ghosts/Gothic “No; moonlight was still, and this stirred; while I gazed, it glided up to the ceiling and quivered over my head. I can now conjecture readily that this streak of light was, in all likelihood, a gleam from a lantern carried by someone across the lawn; but then, prepared as my mind was for horror, shaken as nerves were by agitation, I thought the swift-darting beam was a herald of some coming vision from another world.”
This quote absolutely embodies superstition. Jane is already shaken, as she was left alone in the red room (the room Mr. Reed had died in many years before), but she was locked in without any light to ease her worries. She is frightened that a ghost might be wandering the grounds of Gateshead Hall. She is also quite scared about being punished harshly for her actions by this apparent spirit. This introduces the fear that was associated with just being in the red room. Because of the prior events that had taken place there, Jane naturally became more jumpy and completely superstitious of her surroundings. The frightened tone suggests how ominous the “streak of light” was, and introduces the overall Gothic feeling of the novel.
#3 (Need For Love vs Independence) " With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy: happy at least in my way. I feared nothing but interruption..." (p.8) - It was in this selection of the novel that displayed Jane's desire to love and be loved, but exhibited her sense of independence as well. Instead of seeking affection from people she's surrounded by, a task that would most likely have been a lost cause, Jane takes solace in the books she reads and seems to enjoy the books as objects with the ability to show her love by making her happy without her needing anyone else interfering, or interrupting as Jane put it. This, I feel, shows that Jane preferred her independence, and although wanted to feel love, didn't necessarily need it since she could find other things in her solitude to satisfy that void.
#4 (Supernatural/Dreams/Ghosts/...) "... and the strange little figure there gazing at me, with a white face and ... glittering eyes of fear moving where all else was still, had the effect of a real spirit: I thought it like one of the tiny phantoms, half fairy, half imp..." (p.13) - Knowing that the room she's been locked in is the same room where her uncle died, Jane begins to get paranoid of the objects around her. She felt as if her uncle's spirit were present and silently watching/haunting her as a phantom or imp would.
1. Moral Duty "If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should – so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again." (Chapter 6, pg 57)
This is the responce that Jane gave to Helen Burns when she was explaining why she never rebelled or protested to the punishment that Miss Scatcherd gave her; because the Bible says that he should love her enemies and "turn the other cheek". Jane didn't understand why because she felt like why be kind if you don't recieve kindness in return. This quote is an example of how she has to decide between her passion to follow "an eye for an eye" policy and her moral responsibility of following what the Bible says.
2. Binaries "I can remember Miss Temple walking lightly and rapidly along our drooping line, her plaid cloak, which the frosty wind fluttered, gathered close about her, and encouraging us, by precept, and example, to keep up our spirits, and march foward, as she said, "like stalwart soldiers." (Chapter 7, pg 60)
This exemplifies binaries because Miss Temple was just as cold and broken as the other teachers and students, but she was warm enough on the inside to motivate the girls to keep moving.
1. Moral duty vs passion “A child cannot quarrel with its elders, as I had done--cannot give its furious feelings uncontrolled play, as I had given mine--without experiencing afterwards the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction.” P. 34 Jane realized that she shouldn’t have reacted to Mrs. Reed’s actions, yet she seems to always let her feelings get the best of her, thus her constant conflict with Mrs. Reed and her children.
Binaries
“Miss Temple is very good, and very clever; she is above the rest, because she knows far more than they do.” P.53 Throughout the first chapters the teachers are introduced as the binary of good/bad. Miss Temple is regarded as the good teacher, even motivating the girls during the excruciating walk to church.
5) “As yet I had spoken to no one, nor id anybody seem to take notice of me; I stood lonely enough, but to that feeling of isolation I was accustomed: it did not oppress me much.” Page 61
I found this quote particularly salient to the issue of Jane as an outsider because it shows not only that she is aware that she is in some sense removed from everyone else, but that she has reconciled herself to this fact. That a little child could be capable of identifying themselves as a loner is depressing, and makes the point that Jane has lived a wretched life where she has been continually forced to the outside even more potent.
6) “ This pleasure consisted in noble summits girdling a great hill-hollow, rich in verdure and shadow; in a bright beck, full of dark stones and sparkling edges. How different this scene looked when I visited it laid out beneath the iron sky of winter, stiffened in frost, shrouded with snow! – when mists as chill as death wandered to the impulse of east winds along hose purple peaks, and rolled down ‘ing’ and holm till they blended with the frozen fog of the beck!” Pages 100-101
I think this quote regarding setting is interesting on two levels. First, it uses beautiful imagery and somewhat odd, archaic diction to describe the landscape, and thus lends the reader a vision of the area that is almost ethereal and otherworldly. Second, the way that this passage describes the change in the area surrounding Lowood from its wintery destitution to its springtime beauty is reflective of the way that Jane changes over this same period of time. When she initially arrived at Lowood, she was cold, hungry and generally miserable, but as winter melts away and reveals the garden’s true beauty, so to does Jane come to love Lowood more then she had ever loved Gateshead.
Category 3: Need for love v. independence “I had nothing to say to these words: they were not new to me: my very first recollections of existence included hints of the same kind. This reproach of my dependence had become a vague sing-song in my ear; very painful and crushing, but only half intelligible.” (pg 12) This quote incorporates both her need to love because she doesn’t have a loving mother or father, and makes everyday a struggle to be loved. It also displays her need to be independent because she needs Mrs. Reed in order to not go to the poor house. This shows both in how she wants to love and be loved and be an independent person, not having to count on other people, causing her inner turmoil.
Category 4: Supernatural/dreams/ghost/gothic “Mr. Reed had been dead nine years; it was in this chamber he breathed his last; here he lay in state; hence his coffin was borne by the undertaker’s men; and, since that day, a sense of dreary consecration had guarded it from frequent intrusion.” (pg 13) This quote incorporates both supernatural connotations as to the “sense of dreary consecration” and the nonphysical guard stated that is present reveals the meaning of a dark and gothic tone because of the idea that life still exists after death, as is what the author is trying to portray in this quote.
1. “my terror had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded. "Wicked and cruel boy!" I said. "You are like a murderer--you are like a slave-driver--you are like the Roman emperors!"” pg.15 In this seen, Jane’s passion gets the better of her and over takes her morals. She knows that she should not have yelled at John, but she could not control herself. In this situation, passion over takes morals and has a negative outcome. Jane is sent to the red room as a punishment. 2. “"You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen's children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mama's expense. Now, I'll teach you to rummage my bookshelves: for they ARE mine; all the house belongs to me, or will do in a few years. Go and stand by the door, out of the way of the mirror and the windows." pg.15 This shows the binary of rich versus poor. The rich, represented by John control the poor, represented by Jane. Jane is abused and put down by John and is not expected to become anything in life.
3. Chapter 3 " Ere long, I became aware that some one was handling me; lifting me up and supporting me in a sitting posture, and that more tenderly, than I had ever been raised or upheld up." - This occurs while Jane is in the red room, greatly revealing the gothic tone of the novel. This Jane experiences a supernatural encounter in a room wherein her Uncle Reed died. It allows the reader to understand a haunting atmosphere that is present in the house, emphasizing Jane's discomfort in living there.
4. Chapter 4 " You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so; and you have no pity."
- Jane tells this to Aunt Reed when she finds that she is being sent away to school. This is significant because she demonstrates her need for love while she's being sent away to live independently from family. Happening simultaneously underlines that all though she is gaining her independence from t family she still longs for love and affection.
3. Need for love v. Independence "No; I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough: if others do not love me, I would rather die than live- I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest,"- (p.69-70) I choose this quote because it shows that the abusive childhood truly took a toll on Jane Eyre's mental and emotional state. It also shows that because her benefactress, Mrs. Reed, showed her so much hatred, she seems to be looking for love in anyone that will give it to her. Eyre at this point in the novel is less independent on herself and is more dependent on the love and affection from others, such as Helen Bruns and Miss Temple.
4. Supernatural/dreams/ghosts/gothic "I began to recall what I had heard of dead men, troubled in their in their graves by the violation of their last wishes, revisiting the earth to punish the perjured and avenge the oppressed; and I thought Mr. Reed's spirit, harassed by the wrongs of his sister's child, might quit its abode-whether in the church vault or in the unknown world of the departed-and rise before me in this chamber." (p.16) I choose this quote from the novel, because it shows just about every characteristic for a gothic novel. It has ghostly spirits, graves, a damsel in distress, and a dead man. This quote sets an ominous setting in the red room.
1. “I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough: if others don't love me, I would rather die than live--I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest.” Ch. 8
This exhibits moral duty versus passion because it has become one of Janes passions to be loved, because she feels that she hasn't been, but knows within, that her moral duty is to achieve this love without inflicting harm upon herself in the process.
2. “The said Eliza, John, and Georgianna were now clustered round their mamma in the drawing room: she lay reclined in the sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her looked perfectly happy. Me, she had dispensed from joining the group, saying “She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that ...she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy little children.”
This excerpt could be a binary of wealthy and poor, and even “happy” and “sad,” because Jane is an orphan, obviously from that she is not rich, because her parents were not of wealth, but her aunt is living lavishly. So Mrs. Reed is content and “happy” with her life, while Jane feels unloved, and unhappy with her life.
#2&8) "Such is the imperfect nature of man! such spots are there and the disc of the cledarest planet; and eyes like Miss Scatcherd's can only see those minute defects, and are blind to the full brightness of the orb." (Ch. 7 pg 68) This quote shows the binary between the little details and the big picture as well as the hipocrisy of the social classes in the way Miss Scatcherd, a higher up, views both Jane and Helen as naughty children because of their faults.
#6&1) "We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner... the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating that further out-door exercise was now out of the question." (Ch. 1 pg 6) This setting illustrates the harsh and glum conditions winter brings in this time period. The setting also symbolizes the dreariness and the oppression underscoring the inner passion of Jane's mind as the rain represents the emotional turmoil of Jane's mind. The snow, in turn, represents the cold heartnedness of Mrs. Reed, a force that dampens Jane's inner passion. #1,3,5&7) "You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannt live so: and you have no pity." (Ch. 4 pg 36) Jane speaks this to Mrs. Reed in a fit of passion declaring her need for some for of human kindness yet rejecting Mrs. Reed because of her cruelty. Jane is also referencing the alienation Mrs. Reed subjected her to during the remainder of Jane's stay at Gateshead Hall. Jane's fit shows that her pride has been hurt and her need for human interaction has broken her spirits yet awakened her passionate distaste of Mrs. Reed and her son John which is against the moral values that children should have: to not disobey or talk back to an adult.
4.) "I began to recall what I had heard of dead men, troubled in their graves by the violation of their last wishes, revisiting the earth to punish the perjured and avenge the oppressed"(pg. 15)
The passages sepulchral tone crates the sense of the gothic setting in which Jane feels haunted and trapped by. Fearing the ghost of her father who may reappear to punish her for the "wrong doings" she is forced to believe in, she becomes overwhelmed by emotions through her "tears" and "sobs". I choose this passage due to the ghostly aspect that Jane is terrorized by.
3.) "Yet I thought I ought to have been happy, for none of the Reeds were there - they were all gone out in the carriage with their mamma. Abbot, too, was sewing in another room, and Bessie, as she moved higher and thither, putting away toys and arranging drawers, addressed to me every now and then a word of unwonted kindness. This state of things should have been to me a paradise of peace, accustomed as I was to a life of ceaseless reprimand and thankless fagging; but, in fact, my racked nerves were now in such a state that no calm could soothe, and no pleasure excite them agreeably."
I choose this passage as an example of isolation vs. want for love because it reveals that even when she is alone and should be happy from the escape of tyranny, she is still not happy. Her isolation, no matter how brief, makes Jane feel uneasy about what she can do and unhappy due to the lack of care and love. She feels as if her soul was tarnished and love and happiness is nonexistent.
1) "I wiped my tears and hushed my sobs, fearful lest any sign of violent grief might waken a preternatural voice to comfort me, or elicit from the gloom some haloed face, bending over me with strange pity". pg 16
-Jane suddenly realizes, that she is not at wrong and should not feel any pity. She is afraid of hearing her inner thoughts on how to deal with this.
2) "I can remember Miss Temple walking lightly and rapidly along our drooping line, her plaid cloak, which the frosty wind fluttered, gathered close about her, and encouraging us, by precept, and example, to keep up our spirits, and march forward, as she said, "like stalwart soldiers." pg 60
-I also really liked this one for a binary, because Miss Temple plaid,"plain cloak", which could be an metaphor for her normality that she tries to hide. Also when she encourages the kid, it contradicts her coldness.
I especially liked the conversion between Jane and Mrs. Reed on Page 37. Jane exclaims "Deceit is not my fault!" and Mrs. Reed replies "But you are passionate, Jane, that you must allow;.....Something of vengeance I had tasted for the first time; as aromatic wine it seemed, on swallowing, warm and racy: its after-flavour, metallic and corroding, gave me a sensation as if I had been poisoned."
I chose this excerpt because it reveals Jane's elation at finally standing her ground with Mrs. Reed, but the moment is bittersweet because she becomes torn about lashing out in such an ungrateful way. In her mind she is right for speaking the truth but also conflicted about her rude remarks. As a child she shouldn't speak to an adult in such a way, yet her passion could no longer be suppressed.
On pg. 38, after Jane spits angry words toward Mrs. Reed the scene is described as it being "a very grey day; a most opaque sky, "onding on snaw" which means 'appearing ready to snow'. Also when Jane says "I stood, a wretched child enough" I chose these two excerpts because the description contributes to the sour mood that is left behind from Jane and Mrs. Reed's conversation. The imagery created by this diction emphasizes how Jane must've been feeling and show how isolated she truly is.
Jane says --> "And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose."
I chose this quotation because it shows that Jane doesn't like authority and sees herself to be above what everyone else receives as punishment or her definition of bad treatment.
#8. Jane to Helen "... if other don't love me, I would rather die than live-I cannot bear to be solitary an hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love,, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest-"
I chose this quote because Jane shows clear hypocrisy. She is willing to go to certain extents to gain love from certain people, but she is not willing to show love to everyone. The way Mrs. Reed treats her is not only a result from her own dislike of Jane, but Jane's lack of love for her, causing Mrs. Reed to be treated even worse.
4. "All looked cold and darker in that visionary hollow than in reality: and the strange little figure there gazing at me, with a white face and arms specking the gloom, and glittering eyes of fear moving where all else was still, had the effect of a real spirit: I thought it like one of the tiny phantoms, half fairy, half imp.." pg 13
This embodied the supernatural aspect of the novel to me because it illustrates not only the belief of a ghost, of Mr. Reed's ghost, but of a lighter aspect that is not quite so threatening with the fairies and the imps. They are playful creatures and the spirit, though assumed to be dark, may actually be just as playful.
5)' "Besides," said Ms. Abbot, "God will punish her: he might strike her dead in the midst of her tantrums, and then where would she go? Come, Bessie, we will leave her:wouldn't have her heart for anything. Say your prayers Miss Eyre, when you are by yourself; for if you don't repent something bad might be permitted to come down the chimney and fetch you away." -pg 12
This exemplifies Jane's alienation because it shows how much her "family" truly hates her. They are her caretakers and they think she is the devil. To say such evil things to someone who has done no wrong that the reader knows of clearly shows that she is alone and unloved, alienated from the world most know so well.
Daylight began to forsake the red room; it was past four o'clock and the be cloudedafternoon was tendingto drear twilight. I heard the rain still beating continuously on the staircase windowand the wind howling in the grove behind the hall; I grew bydegrees cold as stone and then my courage sank. This shows the darkening environment that is starting across janes world. All said I was wicked and perhaps I might be so what thought had I been but conceiving of starving myself... This is janes burgeoning depression that is starting to take hold and in commission with the environment one can see the horrors that she has to experience
#6 " ... the snow got into our shoes , and melted there; our ungloved hands became numbed and covered with chilblains , as were our feet . I remember well the distracting irritation I endured from this cause every evening , when my feet inflamed , and the torture of thrusting the swelled , raw , and stiff toes into my shoes in the morning . " - This shows the terrible conditions of Lowood and the contrast of what Jane thought it would be like . Jane was slowly realizing that this place was nothing like she thought and this weather reflected this . #5 " not a member of the true flock , but evidently an interloper and an alien . You must be on guard against her ; you must shun her example - if necessary , avoid her company , exclude her from your sports , and shut her out from your converse. " ( Page 41 ) - I thought that this was the perfect quote to describe Jane as an outsider because here she is being diminished as a person and others are being instructed to shun her . They are receiving orders to alienate her , exclude her , to MAKE her a misfit . The reaction of the students only serves to make this point all the more clear . They are taking these words to heart and are shocked that such a person among them
Gothic Elements: p.3 (Opening scene description) The quotes like "cold winter rain" and the description of the "somber clouds" and the "penetrating rain" reveal the gothic elements of the book. Also, Jane's fit in the red-room after seeing the specter of Mr. Reed relates to the gothic ambiance of the novel, a vast and gross distinction from other novels of its day.
Need for Love p.7 Jane's "fight" with John Reed reveals how unloved she is at Gateshead. Her quiet, solitude reading after being banished from Aunt Reed and her children expresses the whole family's discontent for having her with them. Even the actions of Eliza and Georgiana later on reveal how the other children think of Jane. John Reed's outburst of anger and then Jane being blamed is the main realization that Jane is hated. They do not look at her, help her, talk to her, or even care for her. She is the outcast, "lower than all the servants" because of her unfortunate past.
Need for love v. Independence: Quote: The page where Jane fights with Mrs. Reed after Mr. Brocklehust comes. This pertains to the conflict between Jane’s need for love and her desire for independence because Jane states that she would never lie, because if she did she would tell Mrs. Reed that she loved her. This shows how Jane need some form of love, but her desire for independence overrides this need. She repeatedly overrides her need for love and I think that this page really embodies this part of her personality.
Supernatural Quote: “And I thought Mr. Reed’s spirit,… and rise before me in this chamber.” This quote obviously displays the gothic aspects of the novel. The appearance of a ghost to seek vengeance against Jane is without a doubt a very gothic occurrence in the novel. This quote/scene involves the supernatural, ghosts, darkness, death, etc, all very gothic characteristics, therefore this quote is a very good fit, in my eyes, for the category.
Dakota Edelstein (Thank god I saved this to my lap top because I just realized it was deleted!!!!) Block 4
#8 social class: "I shook my head: I could not see how poor people had the means of being kind; and then to learn to speak like them, to adopt their manners, to be uneducated, to grow up like one of the poor women I saw sometimes nursing their children or washing their clothes at the cottage doors of the village of Gateshead: no, I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste". This quotation from Jane represents the hypocrisy of social class. Jane, as an orphan and as a belittled outsider within her own family's home, who has no inheritance from her parents, is relatively close to the lower end of society, despite the fact that she resides in a prominent residence. Jane is in no position to comment on the caste system since she has even less than her potential poor relatives. "I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of freedom"- the irony of Jane using the word purchase is also prevalent of the hypocrisy.
"Don't talk to me about her, John: I told you not to go near her; she is not worthy of notice; I do not choose that either you or your sisters should associate with her." ..... "They are not fit to associate with me" Jane's retort in response to Mrs. Reed's self-righteousness displays her own sense of pride in how she views herself. But in Jane's situation her sense of pride isn't vanity as Mrs. Reed's. Jane states this in order to offer a retaliation for once for the abuse she suffers. This pride represents a sort of dignity she is trying to hold on to. Mrs. Reed is pompous which is the reasoning for vanity and pride of herself, her household, and her family. She refuses to accept Jane into her home lovingly because of the shame her father brought to the family and also because the family sees Jane as a troublesome child.
Category 5: Jane as an outsider--alienation, misfits, exclusion. Category 6: Setting: "houses" season, weather, time. “I was bewildered by the terror he inspired, because I had no appeal whatever against either his menaces or his inflictions; the servants did not like to offend their young master by taking my part against him, and Mrs. Reed was blind and deaf on the subject: She never saw him strike or heard him abuse me…” Jane is considered an outsider based on the fact that she is not related to John, Lizzy and Georgy Reed. Especially John treats her very poorly, he hits her and no one is there to rid her of this nemesis. Even the servants turn the left cheek because standing in John’s way might cause them their job. So Jane feels as if she stands alone and no one is there to safe her from this terrible fate of being John’s “punching bag.” “the moon was set, and it was very dark; Bessie carried a lantern, whose light glanced on wet steps and gravel road soddened by a recent thaw. Raw and chill was the winter morning: my teeth chattered as I hastened down the drive.” For the setting, Jane described the morning she’s leaving as very dark and unappealing. She leaves in the darkness and uses misty and grey to describe the rest of the day and scenery, which is not a good omen for Jane to start a new life to. Georgette Taluy Block 4
1. Moral Duty v. Passion Pg. 8) The cut bled, the pain was sharp: my terror had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded. “Wicked and cruel boy!” I said. “You are like a murderer-you are like a slave-driver-you are like the Roman emperors!” Here Jane’s passion has overcome her moral duty to be reserved and behaved in the Reed household after her experience with John Reed’s most recent abuse. I chose this passage because it illustrates that passion does overpower moral duty, even in a suppressive time period such as this.
2. Binaries pg. 59) "The stronger among the girls ran.. sundry pale and thin ones herded together." This is obviously a binary between strong and weak, which seems to be an important theme in the novel so far. I chose this passage because the idea of a strong person coming out on top of a "weak" person, not necessarily physically, seems to be something that is held over Jane's head in the Reed house because of her lack of money.
Category Three Need for Love vs. Independence
ReplyDeleteThe entire page in which Jane confronts Mrs. Reed about her accusations regarding her conduct to Mr. Brocklehurst. It begins with “ I am not deceitful; if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you…..she was lifting up her hands, rocking herself to and fro, and even twisting her face as if she would cry.” This entire paragraph would fall under this category for several reasons. Rather than subsuming to the lies that Mrs. Reed is saying about her, Jane decides to forge the only form of love ever presented to her in terms of sending her to school ( even if the motivation was selfish on Mrs. Reed’s part it was still one of the only decent things ever done for Jane) and calls her out on everything that she has bottled up over the years. She declares her independence and becomes her own person by breaking the silence she has kept out of fear and necessity when it comes to how she has been treated. Jane decides that the self-affirmation and sovereignty she gains from confronting her aunt is worth the loss of any minimal affection or even tolerance held by the latter. Independence in this example, beats out love.
Category Four Supernatural/dreams/ghosts/gothic
“ And I thought Mr. Reed’s spirit, harassed by the wrongs of his sister’s child, might quit its abode… and rise before me in this chamber.” As Jane is locked in the red room, she is overwhelmed with superstition and paranoia of her uncle’s spirit. She becomes completely overwhelmed with the fact that this the very room in which a dead body (Gothic in itself) laid. She is without light and night is coming upon her. She begins to fashion a ghost after her uncle because of the justifications given to her before she was thrown into the room. Jane was told that she is wicked and bad; after a while if you are told something repeatedly you began to believe it. Jane thinks that her uncle will seek vengeance against her for her “bad” conduct, since his last wishes are not being followed. This consists of both supernatural aspects, the appearance of a ghost, and a gothic undertone that only a dark red (think of the devil and blood) room which used to harbor the dead body of a “disturbed” soul can accomplish. This quote is a representation of all the aspects of this category and truly underlines the morose supernatural aspects of the novel, thus far.
5. “‘You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant, mamma says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mamma’s expense.’” (7)
ReplyDeleteThe quote clearly represents Jane’s disaffection and estrangement from the rest of the household, spelling out that she is simply not a part of the affairs of the others in the house. The emotion is embodied here by John Reed and his consistent abuse.
6. “…I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse,…” (3)
This quote combines a setting – the time and mood as well as the emotion attached to it – that this portion of the story can be surrounded by. By describing Jane’s view of this setting as “dreadful,” and expanding on the deficiencies, both physical and mental, the weather brings, an abundant sense of drabness is conveyed to the reader.
Matt Brown
Block 2
5.) “‘She reclined on a sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her…Me, she had dispensed from the group, saying ‘She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that until she heard from Bessie, and could discover by her own observation that I was endeavoring in good earnest to acquire a more sociable and childlike disposition, a more attractive and sprightly manner – something lighter, franker, more natural, as it were – she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy little children.” Pg.3
ReplyDeleteThis quote not only reveals Jane’s obvious exclusion from the group, but the insulting manner in which Mrs. Reed treats her; pushing Jane’s alienation even further and making it harshly clear that she is unwanted. Mrs. Reed degrades Jane by claiming that she needs to make an effort to become more “attractive” and “natural”, and even goes so far as to say that love and affection are “privileges” only given to “contented, happy little children”. She is insinuating that Jane, a young girl who has lost her parents and tries her best to obey orders despite constant abuse, has to impossibly earn the right to be loved and cared for like the rest of the children.
6.) “Yet it was one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion. A bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask, stood out like a tabernacle in the centre, the two large windows, with their blinds always drawn down…This room was chill, because it seldom had a fire; it was silent, because remote from the nursery and kitchens; solemn, because it was known to be seldom entered.” Pg. 11
The room nearly parallels Jane’s own feelings of desolation and emptiness. It has such grand potential, yet it is “solemn” and vacant because it never gets the attention and use that it deserves. The room is also secluded from other major areas, just as Jane is isolated from the occupants of the house. The gloomy depictions of the chamber itself also present an ominous and rather haunting setting, which reflects the fear and distress that Jane feels about living with the Reed family in general.
Piper Miller
Block 4
5. "I was a discord in Gateshead Hall; I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage." (pg. 14)
ReplyDeleteJane realizes that she has nothing in common with the occupants of Gateshead Hall. She attributes her treatment to her plain looks and average intelligence.
6. "Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near, a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast." (pg. 4)
The beginning of the book takes place in a bleak winter setting. The surrounding landscape is pale and devoid of color. This adds to Jane's feeling of isolation.
Eric Marshall
Block 2
7. (Pride) page 67 "And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose."
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows how Jane was not only an independent and outspoken girl but how those characteristics transposed to her prideful disposition. It goes hand in hand with her place in society; constantly trying to make something more out of herself and proving her worth. No matter how ridiculous or out of bounds it may seem to the "norm".
8. (Social Class): page 26 "No, I should not like to belong to poor people," was my reply. "Not even if they were kind to you?" I shook my head; I could not see how poor people had the means of being kind, and then to learn to speak like them, to adopt their manners, to be uneducated, to grow up like one of the poor women I saw sometimes nursing their children or washing their clothes at the cottage doors of the village of Gateshead: no, I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste."
I love this quote because it shows how, despite Jane's own low place on the social hierarchy, how she has been conditioned to despise those below her or even like her; those who try to make something more out of their situation and become educated. Jane is obviously a headstrong girl, who despite all of these "free thoughts" reflects just how brainwashing society was at the time and just how important social class was to the people of nineteenth century England.
^^ Maria Savarese Block 4 =)
ReplyDelete7. “Helen heard me patiently to the end; I expected she would then make a remark but she said nothing./ ‘Well’, I asked impatiently, ‘is not Mrs. Reed a hard-hearted woman?’” (Ch. 6, pg. 70)
ReplyDeleteThis quote emphasizes Jane’s pride because she wants so badly for someone to agree with her about Mrs. Reed’s character. Jane feels that she is all alone in her accusations toward Mrs. Reed, saying she is bitter, harsh, and unforgiving. Jane yearns for the approval of others and in this case she does not receive it from Helen who believes Jane should love her enemies and “do good to them”.
8. “You are aware that my plan in bringing up these girls is, not to accustom them to habits of luxury and indulgence, but to render them hardy, patient, self-denying.” (Ch. 7, pg. 76)
Mr. Brocklehurst is being hypocritical as he scrutinizes Miss Temple for feeding the children and extra meal. He wishes to teach the girls at his “institution” not to get used to being privileged and living luxuriously, yet when his own wife and daughter walk in they are described as “splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs.” Mrs. And Misses Brocklehurst have “elaborately curled hair”; the girls at Lowood are punished for having naturally curly hair by being forced to shave it off, underscoring the large gap between these two social classes.
Amy Marshall
Block 2
I found passages that apply to both topics, so instead of separating them, I thought I’d explore the aspects of pride and social class in each.
ReplyDelete7. Pride (not just Jane’s)
8. Social Class (hypocrisy ect.) complication ect.
“I reflected. Poverty looks grim to grown people; still more so to children: […] no, I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste.” (32)
- This passage predominantly displays Jane’s pride in her social standing, which is ironic since she dislikes the patronizing Reed family and is hypocritically belittling lower classes. Although Jane hates living in the Reed house, it is interesting to note that she’d rather maintain the prestige of a higher class in a state of unhappiness than to be degraded to a lower caste status with potential happiness. In addition to indicating pride, this excerpt demonstrates the magnitude of importance associated with class, revealing the reality of trading possible happy relations for higher social standing.
“"I am glad you are no relation of mine: […] "Deceit is not my fault!" I cried out in a savage, high voice.” (46)
- In this part of the novel, Mrs. Reed’s pride and social reputation are explored through Jane’s threatening argument. Mrs. Reed’s social status may be jeopardized if Jane follows through on her claim to reveal Mrs. Reed as a benefactress fraud (as doing good for the less fortunate was looked favorably upon in this time period). This revelation would deteriorate Mrs. Reed’s good reputation amongst the higher members of society, consequently threatening her false sense of pride in her own good character. Jane’s defensive response to Mrs. Reed’s statements also reveal Jane’s pride as she attempts to protect her honest values.
(From the Barnes and Noble Classics edition)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete#3 Need for love versus independence
ReplyDelete"I know that had I been a sanguine, brilliant, careless, exacting, handsome, romping child- though equally dependent and friendless- Mrs. Reed would have endured my presence more complacently; her children would have entertained for me more of the cordiality of fellow-feeling; the servants would have been less prone to make me scapegoat of the nursery.”
This quote highlights the dichotomy between Jane wanting to be loved and accepted within the Reed household and her need to be an independent person and thinker. She acknowledges that were she to act in a specific way, the residents of Gateshead Hall would be more agreeable towards her. Jane also realizes that in order to do it, she must compromise her character in more ways than one. This presents a major issue, because although Jane is unhappy, she longs for the affection that she has never known. But, she also knows that in order to have that affection granted, she must behave the way Mrs. Reed wants her to behave. It reveals Jane as a strong-willed character with an independent spirit she refuses to change, even if that means she is alone.
#4 Supernatural /dreams/ghosts/Gothic
“No; moonlight was still, and this stirred; while I gazed, it glided up to the ceiling and quivered over my head. I can now conjecture readily that this streak of light was, in all likelihood, a gleam from a lantern carried by someone across the lawn; but then, prepared as my mind was for horror, shaken as nerves were by agitation, I thought the swift-darting beam was a herald of some coming vision from another world.”
This quote absolutely embodies superstition. Jane is already shaken, as she was left alone in the red room (the room Mr. Reed had died in many years before), but she was locked in without any light to ease her worries. She is frightened that a ghost might be wandering the grounds of Gateshead Hall. She is also quite scared about being punished harshly for her actions by this apparent spirit. This introduces the fear that was associated with just being in the red room. Because of the prior events that had taken place there, Jane naturally became more jumpy and completely superstitious of her surroundings. The frightened tone suggests how ominous the “streak of light” was, and introduces the overall Gothic feeling of the novel.
1. Moral Duty
ReplyDelete"What thought had I been but just conceiving, of starving myself to death! That certainly was a crime; and was I fit to die?" (pg. 22)
This quote exemplifies Jane Eyre's dilemma between her passion to resist injustice and her sense of morality about suicide.
2. Binaries
"It was the hardest battle I had fought" (pg. 46)
There are several binaries in the quote including: adult/child, conformity/nonconformity, respect/disrespect.
"The stronger among the girls ran...sundry pale and thin ones herded together" (pg. 59)
This quote contrasts the strong and the weak which seems to become a bigger question when Helen and Jane discuss resistance.
Ayanna Spencer
B. 4
#3 (Need For Love vs Independence)
ReplyDelete" With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy: happy at least in my way. I feared nothing but interruption..." (p.8)
- It was in this selection of the novel that displayed Jane's desire to love and be loved, but exhibited her sense of independence as well. Instead of seeking affection from people she's surrounded by, a task that would most likely have been a lost cause, Jane takes solace in the books she reads and seems to enjoy the books as objects with the ability to show her love by making her happy without her needing anyone else interfering, or interrupting as Jane put it. This, I feel, shows that Jane preferred her independence, and although wanted to feel love, didn't necessarily need it since she could find other things in her solitude to satisfy that void.
#4 (Supernatural/Dreams/Ghosts/...)
"... and the strange little figure there gazing at me, with a white face and ... glittering eyes of fear moving where all else was still, had the effect of a real spirit: I thought it like one of the tiny phantoms, half fairy, half imp..." (p.13)
- Knowing that the room she's been locked in is the same room where her uncle died, Jane begins to get paranoid of the objects around her. She felt as if her uncle's spirit were present and silently watching/haunting her as a phantom or imp would.
1. Moral Duty
ReplyDelete"If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should – so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again." (Chapter 6, pg 57)
This is the responce that Jane gave to Helen Burns when she was explaining why she never rebelled or protested to the punishment that Miss Scatcherd gave her; because the Bible says that he should love her enemies and "turn the other cheek". Jane didn't understand why because she felt like why be kind if you don't recieve kindness in return. This quote is an example of how she has to decide between her passion to follow "an eye for an eye" policy and her moral responsibility of following what the Bible says.
2. Binaries
"I can remember Miss Temple walking lightly and rapidly along our drooping line, her plaid cloak, which the frosty wind fluttered, gathered close about her, and encouraging us, by precept, and example, to keep up our spirits, and march foward, as she said, "like stalwart soldiers." (Chapter 7, pg 60)
This exemplifies binaries because Miss Temple was just as cold and broken as the other teachers and students, but she was warm enough on the inside to motivate the girls to keep moving.
Vashti Powell
Block 4
1. Moral duty vs passion
ReplyDelete“A child cannot quarrel with its elders, as I had done--cannot give its furious feelings uncontrolled play, as I had given mine--without experiencing afterwards the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction.” P. 34
Jane realized that she shouldn’t have reacted to Mrs. Reed’s actions, yet she seems to always let her feelings get the best of her, thus her constant conflict with Mrs. Reed and her children.
Binaries
“Miss Temple is very good, and very clever; she is above the rest, because she knows far more than they do.” P.53
Throughout the first chapters the teachers are introduced as the binary of good/bad. Miss Temple is regarded as the good teacher, even motivating the girls during the excruciating walk to church.
Cinthya Castro
Block 4
5) “As yet I had spoken to no one, nor id anybody seem to take notice of me; I stood lonely enough, but to that feeling of isolation I was accustomed: it did not oppress me much.” Page 61
ReplyDeleteI found this quote particularly salient to the issue of Jane as an outsider because it shows not only that she is aware that she is in some sense removed from everyone else, but that she has reconciled herself to this fact. That a little child could be capable of identifying themselves as a loner is depressing, and makes the point that Jane has lived a wretched life where she has been continually forced to the outside even more potent.
6) “ This pleasure consisted in noble summits girdling a great hill-hollow, rich in verdure and shadow; in a bright beck, full of dark stones and sparkling edges. How different this scene looked when I visited it laid out beneath the iron sky of winter, stiffened in frost, shrouded with snow! – when mists as chill as death wandered to the impulse of east winds along hose purple peaks, and rolled down ‘ing’ and holm till they blended with the frozen fog of the beck!” Pages 100-101
I think this quote regarding setting is interesting on two levels. First, it uses beautiful imagery and somewhat odd, archaic diction to describe the landscape, and thus lends the reader a vision of the area that is almost ethereal and otherworldly. Second, the way that this passage describes the change in the area surrounding Lowood from its wintery destitution to its springtime beauty is reflective of the way that Jane changes over this same period of time. When she initially arrived at Lowood, she was cold, hungry and generally miserable, but as winter melts away and reveals the garden’s true beauty, so to does Jane come to love Lowood more then she had ever loved Gateshead.
Nari Kretschmer
Block 4
Category 3: Need for love v. independence
ReplyDelete“I had nothing to say to these words: they were not new to me: my very first recollections of existence included hints of the same kind. This reproach of my dependence had become a vague sing-song in my ear; very painful and crushing, but only half intelligible.” (pg 12)
This quote incorporates both her need to love because she doesn’t have a loving mother or father, and makes everyday a struggle to be loved. It also displays her need to be independent because she needs Mrs. Reed in order to not go to the poor house. This shows both in how she wants to love and be loved and be an independent person, not having to count on other people, causing her inner turmoil.
Category 4: Supernatural/dreams/ghost/gothic
“Mr. Reed had been dead nine years; it was in this chamber he breathed his last; here he lay in state; hence his coffin was borne by the undertaker’s men; and, since that day, a sense of dreary consecration had guarded it from frequent intrusion.” (pg 13)
This quote incorporates both supernatural connotations as to the “sense of dreary consecration” and the nonphysical guard stated that is present reveals the meaning of a dark and gothic tone because of the idea that life still exists after death, as is what the author is trying to portray in this quote.
Francheska Periche
Block 4
1. “my terror had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded. "Wicked and cruel boy!" I said. "You are like a murderer--you are like a slave-driver--you are like the Roman emperors!"” pg.15
ReplyDeleteIn this seen, Jane’s passion gets the better of her and over takes her morals. She knows that she should not have yelled at John, but she could not control herself. In this situation, passion over takes morals and has a negative outcome. Jane is sent to the red room as a punishment.
2. “"You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen's children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mama's expense. Now, I'll teach you to rummage my bookshelves: for they ARE mine; all the house belongs to me, or will do in a few years. Go and stand by the door, out of the way of the mirror and the windows." pg.15
This shows the binary of rich versus poor. The rich, represented by John control the poor, represented by Jane. Jane is abused and put down by John and is not expected to become anything in life.
3. Chapter 3 " Ere long, I became aware that some one was handling me; lifting me up and supporting me in a sitting posture, and that more tenderly, than I had ever been raised or upheld up."
ReplyDelete- This occurs while Jane is in the red room, greatly revealing the gothic tone of the novel. This Jane experiences a supernatural encounter in a room wherein her Uncle Reed died. It allows the reader to understand a haunting atmosphere that is present in the house, emphasizing Jane's discomfort in living there.
4. Chapter 4 " You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so; and you have no pity."
- Jane tells this to Aunt Reed when she finds that she is being sent away to school. This is significant because she demonstrates her need for love while she's being sent away to live independently from family. Happening simultaneously underlines that all though she is gaining her independence from t family she still longs for love and affection.
-Jalina Pittman Blk 2
3. Need for love v. Independence
ReplyDelete"No; I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough: if others do not love me, I would rather die than live- I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest,"- (p.69-70)
I choose this quote because it shows that the abusive childhood truly took a toll on Jane Eyre's mental and emotional state. It also shows that because her benefactress, Mrs. Reed, showed her so much hatred, she seems to be looking for love in anyone that will give it to her. Eyre at this point in the novel is less independent on herself and is more dependent on the love and affection from others, such as Helen Bruns and Miss Temple.
4. Supernatural/dreams/ghosts/gothic
"I began to recall what I had heard of dead men, troubled in their in their graves by the violation of their last wishes, revisiting the earth to punish the perjured and avenge the oppressed; and I thought Mr. Reed's spirit, harassed by the wrongs of his sister's child, might quit its abode-whether in the church vault or in the unknown world of the departed-and rise before me in this chamber." (p.16)
I choose this quote from the novel, because it shows just about every characteristic for a gothic novel. It has ghostly spirits, graves, a damsel in distress, and a dead man. This quote sets an ominous setting in the red room.
Danielle Malcolm
Blk 4
1. “I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough: if others don't love me, I would rather die than live--I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest.” Ch. 8
ReplyDeleteThis exhibits moral duty versus passion because it has become one of Janes passions to be loved, because she feels that she hasn't been, but knows within, that her moral duty is to achieve this love without inflicting harm upon herself in the process.
2. “The said Eliza, John, and Georgianna were now clustered round their mamma in the drawing room: she lay reclined in the sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her looked perfectly happy. Me, she had dispensed from joining the group, saying “She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that ...she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy little children.”
This excerpt could be a binary of wealthy and poor, and even “happy” and “sad,” because Jane is an orphan, obviously from that she is not rich, because her parents were not of wealth, but her aunt is living lavishly. So Mrs. Reed is content and “happy” with her life, while Jane feels unloved, and unhappy with her life.
-Brandon Richards
Block 2
#2&8) "Such is the imperfect nature of man! such spots are there and the disc of the cledarest planet; and eyes like Miss Scatcherd's can only see those minute defects, and are blind to the full brightness of the orb." (Ch. 7 pg 68)
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the binary between the little details and the big picture as well as the hipocrisy of the social classes in the way Miss Scatcherd, a higher up, views both Jane and Helen as naughty children because of their faults.
#6&1) "We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner... the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating that further out-door exercise was now out of the question." (Ch. 1 pg 6)
This setting illustrates the harsh and glum conditions winter brings in this time period. The setting also symbolizes the dreariness and the oppression underscoring the inner passion of Jane's mind as the rain represents the emotional turmoil of Jane's mind. The snow, in turn, represents the cold heartnedness of Mrs. Reed, a force that dampens Jane's inner passion.
#1,3,5&7) "You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannt live so: and you have no pity." (Ch. 4 pg 36)
Jane speaks this to Mrs. Reed in a fit of passion declaring her need for some for of human kindness yet rejecting Mrs. Reed because of her cruelty. Jane is also referencing the alienation Mrs. Reed subjected her to during the remainder of Jane's stay at Gateshead Hall. Jane's fit shows that her pride has been hurt and her need for human interaction has broken her spirits yet awakened her passionate distaste of Mrs. Reed and her son John which is against the moral values that children should have: to not disobey or talk back to an adult.
Vanessa Whitney
Block 4
4.) "I began to recall what I had heard of dead men, troubled in their graves by the violation of their last wishes, revisiting the earth to punish the perjured and avenge the oppressed"(pg. 15)
ReplyDeleteThe passages sepulchral tone crates the sense of the gothic setting in which Jane feels haunted and trapped by. Fearing the ghost of her father who may reappear to punish her for the "wrong doings" she is forced to believe in, she becomes overwhelmed by emotions through her "tears" and "sobs". I choose this passage due to the ghostly aspect that Jane is terrorized by.
3.) "Yet I thought I ought to have been happy, for none of the Reeds were there - they were all gone out in the carriage with their mamma. Abbot, too, was sewing in another room, and Bessie, as she moved higher and thither, putting away toys and arranging drawers, addressed to me every now and then a word of unwonted kindness. This state of things should have been to me a paradise of peace, accustomed as I was to a life of ceaseless reprimand and thankless fagging; but, in fact, my racked nerves were now in such a state that no calm could soothe, and no pleasure excite them agreeably."
I choose this passage as an example of isolation vs. want for love because it reveals that even when she is alone and should be happy from the escape of tyranny, she is still not happy. Her isolation, no matter how brief, makes Jane feel uneasy about what she can do and unhappy due to the lack of care and love. She feels as if her soul was tarnished and love and happiness is nonexistent.
second passage (pg. 20)
ReplyDelete1) "I wiped my tears and hushed my sobs, fearful lest any sign of violent grief might waken a preternatural voice to comfort me, or elicit from the gloom some haloed face, bending over me with strange pity". pg 16
ReplyDelete-Jane suddenly realizes, that she is not at wrong and should not feel any pity. She is afraid of hearing her inner thoughts on how to deal with this.
2) "I can remember Miss Temple walking lightly and rapidly along our drooping line, her plaid cloak, which the frosty wind fluttered, gathered close about her, and encouraging us, by precept, and example, to keep up our spirits, and march forward, as she said, "like stalwart soldiers." pg 60
-I also really liked this one for a binary, because Miss Temple plaid,"plain cloak", which could be an metaphor for her normality that she tries to hide. Also when she encourages the kid, it contradicts her coldness.
Category 1: Moral duty versus Passion
ReplyDeleteI especially liked the conversion between Jane and Mrs. Reed on Page 37. Jane exclaims "Deceit is not my fault!" and Mrs. Reed replies "But you are passionate, Jane, that you must allow;.....Something of vengeance I had tasted for the first time; as aromatic wine it seemed, on swallowing, warm and racy: its after-flavour, metallic and corroding, gave me a sensation as if I had been poisoned."
I chose this excerpt because it reveals Jane's elation at finally standing her ground with Mrs. Reed, but the moment is bittersweet because she becomes torn about lashing out in such an ungrateful way. In her mind she is right for speaking the truth but also conflicted about her rude remarks. As a child she shouldn't speak to an adult in such a way, yet her passion could no longer be suppressed.
Category Two: Binaries (hot/cold, fire/ice, darkness/light)
On pg. 38, after Jane spits angry words toward Mrs. Reed the scene is described as it being "a very grey day; a most opaque sky, "onding on snaw" which means 'appearing ready to snow'. Also when Jane says "I stood, a wretched child enough" I chose these two excerpts because the description contributes to the sour mood that is left behind from Jane and Mrs. Reed's conversation. The imagery created by this diction emphasizes how Jane must've been feeling and show how isolated she truly is.
#7. Pride
ReplyDeleteJane says --> "And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose."
I chose this quotation because it shows that Jane doesn't like authority and sees herself to be above what everyone else receives as punishment or her definition of bad treatment.
#8. Jane to Helen
"... if other don't love me, I would rather die than live-I cannot bear to be solitary an hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love,, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest-"
I chose this quote because Jane shows clear hypocrisy. She is willing to go to certain extents to gain love from certain people, but she is not willing to show love to everyone. The way Mrs. Reed treats her is not only a result from her own dislike of Jane, but Jane's lack of love for her, causing Mrs. Reed to be treated even worse.
4. "All looked cold and darker in that visionary hollow than in reality: and the strange little figure there gazing at me, with a white face and arms specking the gloom, and glittering eyes of fear moving where all else was still, had the effect of a real spirit: I thought it like one of the tiny phantoms, half fairy, half imp.." pg 13
ReplyDeleteThis embodied the supernatural aspect of the novel to me because it illustrates not only the belief of a ghost, of Mr. Reed's ghost, but of a lighter aspect that is not quite so threatening with the fairies and the imps. They are playful creatures and the spirit, though assumed to be dark, may actually be just as playful.
5)' "Besides," said Ms. Abbot, "God will punish her: he might strike her dead in the midst of her tantrums, and then where would she go? Come, Bessie, we will leave her:wouldn't have her heart for anything. Say your prayers Miss Eyre, when you are by yourself; for if you don't repent something bad might be permitted to come down the chimney and fetch you away." -pg 12
This exemplifies Jane's alienation because it shows how much her "family" truly hates her. They are her caretakers and they think she is the devil. To say such evil things to someone who has done no wrong that the reader knows of clearly shows that she is alone and unloved, alienated from the world most know so well.
-Tatiana Becker
Block 4
Daylight began to forsake the red room; it was past four o'clock and the be cloudedafternoon was tendingto drear twilight. I heard the rain still beating continuously on the staircase windowand the wind howling in the grove behind the hall; I grew bydegrees cold as stone and then my courage sank. This shows the darkening environment that is starting across janes world. All said I was wicked and perhaps I might be so what thought had I been but conceiving of starving myself... This is janes burgeoning depression that is starting to take hold and in commission with the environment one can see the horrors that she has to experience
ReplyDelete#6 " ... the snow got into our shoes , and melted there; our ungloved hands became numbed and covered with chilblains , as were our feet . I remember well the distracting irritation I endured from this cause every evening , when my feet inflamed , and the torture of thrusting the swelled , raw , and stiff toes into my shoes in the morning . " - This shows the terrible conditions of Lowood and the contrast of what Jane thought it would be like . Jane was slowly realizing that this place was nothing like she thought and this weather reflected this .
ReplyDelete#5 " not a member of the true flock , but evidently an interloper and an alien . You must be on guard against her ; you must shun her example - if necessary , avoid her company , exclude her from your sports , and shut her out from your converse. " ( Page 41 ) - I thought that this was the perfect quote to describe Jane as an outsider because here she is being diminished as a person and others are being instructed to shun her . They are receiving orders to alienate her , exclude her , to MAKE her a misfit . The reaction of the students only serves to make this point all the more clear . They are taking these words to heart and are shocked that such a person among them
Evan Jackson
ReplyDeleteBlock Two :)))
Gothic Elements:
p.3 (Opening scene description)
The quotes like "cold winter rain" and the description of the "somber clouds" and the "penetrating rain" reveal the gothic elements of the book. Also, Jane's fit in the red-room after seeing the specter of Mr. Reed relates to the gothic ambiance of the novel, a vast and gross distinction from other novels of its day.
Need for Love
p.7
Jane's "fight" with John Reed reveals how unloved she is at Gateshead. Her quiet, solitude reading after being banished from Aunt Reed and her children expresses the whole family's discontent for having her with them. Even the actions of Eliza and Georgiana later on reveal how the other children think of Jane. John Reed's outburst of anger and then Jane being blamed is the main realization that Jane is hated. They do not look at her, help her, talk to her, or even care for her. She is the outcast, "lower than all the servants" because of her unfortunate past.
Need for love v. Independence:
ReplyDeleteQuote: The page where Jane fights with Mrs. Reed after Mr. Brocklehust comes.
This pertains to the conflict between Jane’s need for love and her desire for independence because Jane states that she would never lie, because if she did she would tell Mrs. Reed that she loved her. This shows how Jane need some form of love, but her desire for independence overrides this need. She repeatedly overrides her need for love and I think that this page really embodies this part of her personality.
Supernatural
Quote: “And I thought Mr. Reed’s spirit,… and rise before me in this chamber.”
This quote obviously displays the gothic aspects of the novel. The appearance of a ghost to seek vengeance against Jane is without a doubt a very gothic occurrence in the novel. This quote/scene involves the supernatural, ghosts, darkness, death, etc, all very gothic characteristics, therefore this quote is a very good fit, in my eyes, for the category.
Dakota Edelstein
(Thank god I saved this to my lap top because I just realized it was deleted!!!!)
Block 4
#8 social class:
ReplyDelete"I shook my head: I could not see how poor people had the means of being kind; and then to learn to speak like them, to adopt their manners, to be uneducated, to grow up like one of the poor women I saw sometimes nursing their children or washing their clothes at the cottage doors of the village of Gateshead: no, I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of caste".
This quotation from Jane represents the hypocrisy of social class. Jane, as an orphan and as a belittled outsider within her own family's home, who has no inheritance from her parents, is relatively close to the lower end of society, despite the fact that she resides in a prominent residence. Jane is in no position to comment on the caste system since she has even less than her potential poor relatives.
"I was not heroic enough to purchase liberty at the price of freedom"- the irony of Jane using the word purchase is also prevalent of the hypocrisy.
"Don't talk to me about her, John: I told you not to go near her; she is not worthy of notice; I do not choose that either you or your sisters should associate with her."
.....
"They are not fit to associate with me"
Jane's retort in response to Mrs. Reed's self-righteousness displays her own sense of pride in how she views herself. But in Jane's situation her sense of pride isn't vanity as Mrs. Reed's. Jane states this in order to offer a retaliation for once for the abuse she suffers. This pride represents a sort of dignity she is trying to hold on to. Mrs. Reed is pompous which is the reasoning for vanity and pride of herself, her household, and her family. She refuses to accept Jane into her home lovingly because of the shame her father brought to the family and also because the family sees Jane as a troublesome child.
Cassie
Category 5: Jane as an outsider--alienation, misfits, exclusion.
ReplyDeleteCategory 6: Setting: "houses" season, weather, time.
“I was bewildered by the terror he inspired, because I had no appeal whatever against either his menaces or his inflictions; the servants did not like to offend their young master by taking my part against him, and Mrs. Reed was blind and deaf on the subject: She never saw him strike or heard him abuse me…”
Jane is considered an outsider based on the fact that she is not related to John, Lizzy and Georgy Reed. Especially John treats her very poorly, he hits her and no one is there to rid her of this nemesis. Even the servants turn the left cheek because standing in John’s way might cause them their job. So Jane feels as if she stands alone and no one is there to safe her from this terrible fate of being John’s “punching bag.”
“the moon was set, and it was very dark; Bessie carried a lantern, whose light glanced on wet steps and gravel road soddened by a recent thaw. Raw and chill was the winter morning: my teeth chattered as I hastened down the drive.”
For the setting, Jane described the morning she’s leaving as very dark and unappealing. She leaves in the darkness and uses misty and grey to describe the rest of the day and scenery, which is not a good omen for Jane to start a new life to.
Georgette Taluy
Block 4
1. Moral Duty v. Passion
ReplyDeletePg. 8) The cut bled, the pain was sharp: my terror had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded. “Wicked and cruel boy!” I said. “You are like a murderer-you are like a slave-driver-you are like the Roman emperors!”
Here Jane’s passion has overcome her moral duty to be reserved and behaved in the Reed household after her experience with John Reed’s most recent abuse. I chose this passage because it illustrates that passion does overpower moral duty, even in a suppressive time period such as this.
2. Binaries
pg. 59) "The stronger among the girls ran.. sundry pale and thin ones herded together."
This is obviously a binary between strong and weak, which seems to be an important theme in the novel so far. I chose this passage because the idea of a strong person coming out on top of a "weak" person, not necessarily physically, seems to be something that is held over Jane's head in the Reed house because of her lack of money.