Novel Lec 5
Page 2: Charlotte Bronte
Charlotte Bronte was born in 1816 and died in 1855
She is the eldest of the three Bronte sisters
She wrote under the pseudonym Currer Bell
She worked as a governess
Her novel Jane Eyre was published in 1847
Page 3: Feminism in the Victorian Era
Victorian women novelists sparked ideas of social change
Women sought equal social and legal rights
Writing was a way for women to make their voices heard
Feminism gained momentum due to unfair social and political situation
Page 4: Pseudonyms
Many women published their work anonymously or under pseudonyms
Female novelists used gender ambiguous pseudonyms
The Bronte sisters used pseudonyms: Acton Bell, Currer Bell, Ellis Bell
Page 5: The New Woman
The idea of the "New Woman" was popular in the Victorian Era
The New Woman was independent, educated, and self-supporting
New Woman novels focused on rebellious women and redefining gender roles
They aimed to support women's professional aspirations
Page 7: Charlotte Bronte and the new woman
Charlotte Bronte created strong female heroines in her novels
She wrote for oppressed women such as teachers, governesses, and spinsters
Bronte spoke out for these women in her writing
The rise of the governess novel explored a woman's role in society
Page 10: Summary of Jane Eyre
Jane is an orphan who faces mistreatment from her uncle's family
She attends Lowood Institution and gains courage and strength
Jane becomes a nanny at Thornfield Hall and falls in love with Rochester
Rochester is already married to Bertha Mason, preventing their marriage
Page 11: Jane's journey
Rochester proposes to Jane, but she learns about his existing marriage
Jane leaves Thornfield and is taken in by her cousins
St. John proposes marriage and suggests going to India as a missionary
Jane initially accepts but rejects the proposal and returns to Thornfield
Page 12: Jane and Rochester's reunion
Thornfield has been destroyed by fire, and Rochester is blinded
Jane and Rochester reunite and get married
Rochester partially regains his vision, and they have a son
Page 13
Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte both started their lives as governesses
Jane Eyre's experience as a governess was more pleasant than Bronte's
Anne Bronte also worked as a governess and wrote about her disillusionment in her novel Agnes Gray
Page 14
Charlotte Bronte read her sister's novel Agnes Gray before becoming a governess herself
Bronte knew the drawbacks and problems of being a governess
Bronte discussed the dark side of human nature that governesses experience with Elizabeth Gaskell
Page 15
Charlotte Bronte's first job as a governess was in 1839
She took care of a young girl and her brother in the Sidgwick family
Bronte found the position of governess in a wealthy family to be intolerable and felt ignored and disrespected
Page 16
Mrs. Sidgwick, the woman of the house where Bronte worked as a governess, was indifferent to her as a person
Bronte felt like an employee and was expected to work as much as possible
Mrs. Sidgwick scolded Bronte and showed disdain when one of the children expressed affection for her
Page 17
Bronte's feelings of alienation as a governess are reflected in Jane Eyre
Bronte often sat alone with needlework, feeling isolated from the noisy house-party below
Bronte always looked at the mansion and its inhabitants from the outside, just like Jane at Thornfield
Page 18
Bronte's personal experience as a governess was reflected in Jane Eyre
Jane's life as a governess at Thornfield is more promising than Bronte's personal experience
Bronte depicts the sufferings of governesses at large when describing Jane's miserable state at Gateshead Hall
Page 19
Jane's friend Helen Burns's death from tuberculosis recalls the deaths of Charlotte's sisters at Cowan Bridge
The hypocritical religious fervor of Mr. Brocklehurst is based on the Reverend Carus Wilson, who ran Cowan Bridge
Bronte used her poor treatment at Cowan Bridge as inspiration for the fictional Lowood
Page 20
Jane Eyre is a bildungsroman, a book that narrates a child's development into maturity
The plot of Jane Eyre is structured into five stages of Jane's development
Jane develops from an abused girl into an experienced lady throughout the novel
Page 21
Jane Eyre has elements of a gothic novel
Jane encounters ghosts, dark secrets, fire, eerie laughs, and sinister plots
Jane's first gothic experience is being locked in the Red Room and seeing herself as a supernatural creature in the mirror
Page 22: Jane Eyre: A Gothic Novel
Jane sees a ghostly light in the red room, believes it's her uncle's ghost
Reflects on her unjust treatment by her "family"
Realizes she must defend herself and grow her self-esteem
Gothic features in the scene show Jane's growth
Page 23: Jane Eyre: A Gothic Novel
Jane confronts her family, declares she does not love them
Marks Jane's transformation into a stronger, more mature character
Prepares readers for more complicated confrontations at Lowood and Thornfield
Page 24: Jane Eyre: A Gothic Novel
Jane arrives at Thornfield Hall, encounters gothic elements
Finds the old rooms and dark staircases fascinating
Disappointed when her own chamber is ordinary and welcoming
Hears a mysterious laugh in the attic, disappointed when it's revealed to be Grace Poole
Page 25: Jane Eyre: A Gothic Novel
Rochester is presented as a Byronic hero
Byronic heroes have different character traits than traditional heroes
Often committed to their own self-interest or combating social and political establishments
Rarely succeed in fully attaining their desires or needs
Page 26: Features of a Byronic Hero
Byronic heroes are psychologically tortured and reluctant to see themselves as heroic
Exhibit traits such as cynicism, arrogance, disrespect for authority, past trauma, and dark humor
Drawn to violence, self-doubt, and self-annihilation or defeat
Page 27: Byronic Heroes
Committed to their own self-interest or combating oppressive establishments
Rarely fully succeed in their battles or desires
Consumed and destroyed by their passions and egos
Page 28: How far does Rochester fit the Byronic hero model?
Rochester is shrouded in mystery and has a dark past
Described as cold, quiet, troubled, moody, and arrogant
Jane is intrigued by his intellectualism and quietness
Gothicism plays a role in the development of their romance
Page 29: Jane Eyre: A Gothic Novel
Jane hears a mysterious laugh and follows it to Mr. Rochester's chamber
Rescues him from a fire and waits in the dark for him
Jane feels an attraction towards Mr. Rochester
Page 30: Jane Eyre: A Gothic Novel
Mr. Rochester reveals his connection with Jane and holds her hand
Jane feels something special and cannot sleep after their encounter
Gothic features around the fire show the attraction between Jane and Mr. Rochester
Page 31: Another Gothic Feature
A mysterious gypsy woman reads the fortune of Mr. Rochester's guests
Nobody knows where she comes from or how she knows things about the guests
Mr. Rochester dresses up as the gypsy woman to enter Jane's thoughts and reveal her feelings
Mr. Rochester crosses boundaries of class and gender to gain access to female discourse
Page 32: Gothic Features in Jane Eyre
Lightning strikes the chestnut tree, symbolizing the love between Jane and Mr. Rochester
Jane expresses her love for Mr. Rochester when she passes the tree after the lightning strike
Bertha Mason, Rochester's violent and insane wife, burns Jane's wedding dress and later burns the house
Bertha's actions free Rochester to marry Jane
Bertha throws herself off the roof during the fire, causing Rochester to become blind while trying to save her
Bertha's devilish laugh and savage behavior contribute to the gothic atmosphere
Gothicism plays a vital role in uniting Jane and Rochester
Page 33: Jane Eyre as a Feminist Novel
Jane Eyre is a feminist novel by Charlotte Bronte
Jane is an embodiment of the New Woman, striving for equality with superior social classes and genders
Jane is courageous, independent, and speaks her mind in daunting situations
She is financially independent and refuses to compromise her ethics and principles
Jane refuses to marry for convenience and follows her heart, mind, and instincts
She challenges the Victorian code of conduct
Page 34: Conclusion
The narrator, Charlotte Gronné, marries Mr. Rochester
They have a quiet wedding with only the parson and clerk present
After the wedding, the narrator goes into the kitchen
The story ends with the phrase "And they lived happily