Jane Eyre

Adjunto:

• P4
• Jane Eyre

1. Characters
   1. Jane Eyre
      1. Pro Feminist
      2. Protagonist
      3. Married to Rochester
      4. Not very religious
         1. She wasn't like the typical Victorian wife
      5. She stands up to Mrs Reed
      6. Quotes
         1. 'Reader I married him'
         2. 'The very thought of you disgusts me'
      7. Possibly a reminder for women that it is okay to stand up for your rights
      8. Relation to Charlotte Brontë
         1. Jane's story has hints of Brontë's life
            1. Jane went to a school for clergy mens daughters
               1. Charlotte went to a school for clergy mens daughters
            2. Jane lost family members to tuberculosis
               1. Charlotte Brontë lost family members to TB
            3. Jane was a governess
               1. Charlotte was a governess
   2. Edward Rochester
      1. Jane's husband
         1. Bertha's ex-husband
      2. Has money
         1. But not much
            1. Likes to travel
               1. He's hardly at Thornefield hall
      3. He lies a lot
         1. Lied to Jane about Bertha
         2. Lied to Jane about the impediment
            1. Lied to Jane about being the gypsy
         3. Lied about Adele not being his daughter
         4. Lied about marrying Blanche Ingram
            1. Lied to Blanche Ingram about not being wealthy
      4. He likes to put women in their place
         1. Buys Adele gifts to mute her

            Nota:

            • similarly he does exactly the same thing to Adele's mum and tries to do it to Jane 
      5. Typical Victorian man
         1. Tries to be the alpha male
            1. Jane challenges that
   3. St John Rivers
      1. Jane's cousin
      2. Attempts to marry Jane and move to India with her
      3. He wants to go to heaven and sit on Gods right hand side
      4. In love with another woman but she isn't religious enough
      5. we think he dies at the end of the novel
      6. He goes to India but he never returns
      7. his feature contrast to Rochester's

         Nota:

         • Rochester's features are more rugged and 'beast' like whereas St Johns' features are more handsome 
   4. Helen Burns
      1. Janes best friend in Lowood
      2. Died of tuberculosis
      3. Holy figure

         Nota:

         • She can be seen as a Jesus figure as Brontë writes 'Resurgam' (i shall rise again) to show Helen is a Jesus and a holy figure 
      4. Jane's first friend
         1. Believed in Jane when Mr Brocklehurst labelled Jane as a liar
      5. Jane's spark, she gives Jane the confidence she needs
         1. Her death sparked it in Jane
      6. Gave Jane love in Lowood
   5. Bertha Mason
      1. Jane's alter ego
         1. Antagonist
      2. 'Mad Women in the attic'
         1. Can be seen as a symbol
         2. Perhaps her family are to blame for her mental health
            1. Maybe Rochester was showing his love to her by locking her in the attic and not sending her an asylum
      3. Relation to Charlotte Brontë
         1. Intentionally wrote Bertha as mentally unstable
            1. Shows what society does to women
         2. Wrote the character of Bertha similarly to Brontë herself
            1. Possessive fathers
            2. Were in isolated areas their whole lives
            3. Not many people knew about them
               1. But when people did find out about them it was a shock
      4. Quotes
         1. 'Mirthless laugh'
         2. On all fours
         3. 'Half human half animal'
      5. Commits suicide
   6. Mrs Reed
      1. Jane's aunt
         1. abusive
            1. Turns a blind eye on the abuse that Jane faces
         2. Locks Jane in the Red Room
         3. Doesn't forgive Jane before she dies
         4. She was the breadwinner of Gateshead Hall
      2. Cares about her 'darlings' more than Jane
      3. Breaks her promise to Mr. Reed about looking after Jane

         Nota:

         • Mrs Reed promises Mr Reed before he dies that she will look after Jane like one of her children. She clearly breaks the promise as she locks Jane in the red room and lets John Reed (her son) beat Jane 
2. Main themes
   1. Love
   2. Betrayal
      1. Mr Rochester betrays Jane with the impediment

         Nota:

         • Rochester was about to get married to Jane whilst being married to Bertha, resulting in an impediment this led to Jane feeling betrayed and this resulted in Jane leaving Thornefield 
      2. Bertha's family

         Nota:

         • Bertha's family betrays Bertha off whilst having knowledge of her mental health issue. Due to Bertha being mentally unstable the Mason family locked her in a room for a third of her life, then they married Bertha off to a man who hadn't treated her right and locked her in the attic for another twenty years
         • Bertha's brother also did nothing to stop Rochester from locking Bertha up in the attic, Bertha's brother was able to stop Rochester from getting married to Jane whilst he was married to Bertha, so why couldn't he stop Rochester form locking Bertha up in the attic 
         • Also brothers (older or younger) are supposed to be protective over their sisters. Bertha's brother didn't play the big brother role till the impediment*
         • *but maybe he only announced the impediment as soon as he realised that if Rochester was put in prison for being married to two people then the Mason family wouldn't get any money.  Perhaps he had decided to crash the wedding on purpose to prevent Jane from marrying Rochester so the Mason family are still provided with the money 
      3. Mrs Reed to Mr Reed

         Nota:

         • Mrs Reed promised Mr Reed that she'd look after Jane when Mr Reed dies. She clearly doesn't look after Jane 
      4. Jane to St John Rivers

         Nota:

         • When St John offers Jane to marry him and move to India with him, she declines  and this may have made him feel betrayed as he offered Jane a house, a Job, a family. 
      5. Bertha and Mr Rochester

         Nota:

         • Bertha sets Mr Rochester's bed on fire because she felt betrayed by his as did he of her 
         1. Mr Rochester frequently feels betrayed not only by Bertha by his family too

            Nota:

            • Rochester was married to a woman against his will. his family had hidden the fact that she had  a mental illness from him, this led him to feel betrayed 
            1. Bertha feels betrayed by Mr Rochester as he locks her in the attic

               Nota:

               • Marriage vows are 'to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse' and he did not look after Bertha whilst she was ill as he locked her in the attic
               • this may have led her to feel betrayed and it may have led her to want revenge so she burns his bed 
   3. Supernatural
      1. The Red Room
      2. Bertha