Reading Overview for Friday, July 23

Assigned Text: Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Ch. 18-20 (pp. 182-220)

Summary Information for Chapters 11-17 of Jane Eyre

Here is the link for the blog presented by Peter, Wes, and Marshall: Jane and Rochester

About Chapters 18-24 of Jane Eyre

The next section of the novel takes us through a romance for Mr. Rochester, Jane’s return to Gateshead, and some interesting disguises. Again, I don't want to ruin any of the plot for you, so we'll stick with questions.

Questions for Thinking and Discussion

• In today’s reading, we have yet another crisis in the middle of the night. How do the situation in Chapter 20 and the description of it compare with the fire in Rochester’s room in Chapter 15?
• Jane makes clear her developing feelings about Mr. Rochester. What do you think makes her attracted to him? How does Rochester seem to feel about Jane?
• What are your thoughts on Rochester’s visitors to Thornfield? Which ones are likeable? And which ones do you dislike? How do these visitors demonstrate differences in social classes?
• As you continue reading, keep thinking about some of the issues we discussed in class, including the Gothic elements, the development of the characters, the way Jane’s narrative strategies shape the text and our reading experience, and the importance of children in the text.

Questions from Friday’s Presenters

• Why would Rochester request Jane’s presence during the guest’s visits and in the charades game, even if she wasn’t involved?
• Do you think the way Jane interacted with the gypsy was any indication of her attitudes towards Rochester? Do you think she knew it was him? And if not then why was she not mad?
• Why would Rochester help Mason and also ask for Jane’s help?
• What examples of Gothic elements do you see in these chapters?
• Why do you think Aunt Reed would finally tell Jane about the inheritance?
• How do you feel Jane’s relationship has changed with her cousins since they were younger?
• What do you think draws Jane to Rochester?
• Can you find an example in this section where Jane has questioned Rochester’s integrity/morals/actions?
• What do you think of Rochester’s devious ways about the engagement?
• Do you think Jane is out of line with her request to her uncle?

Reading Overview for Thursday, July 22

Assigned Text: Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Ch. 11-13 (pp. 104-134)

Summary Information for Chapters 1-10 of Jane Eyre

Here is the link for the blog presented by Lindsey, Juan, and Howard: http://britishauthors.blogspot.com/

About Chapters 11-17 of Jane Eyre

The next section of the novel takes us into a new part of Jane’s life as she notes in the opening of chapter 11. Rather than giving more background on the text, I'll just ask a few questions to continue to guide your reading. Keep in mind the discussions we had about the different characters, the Victorian versions of the Gothic novel, and religion as you continue to read.

Questions for Thinking and Discussion

• To this point in the novel, Jane has already done some traveling, first from Gateshead to Lowood in our reading for Wednesday and then to Thornfield in today’s reading. How does this text compare with others we have discussed over the past few weeks that narrate the experience of traveling? How are Jane’s travels similar to those of the others? How are they different?
• As you’re reading, pay attention to the descriptions of Thornfield. In what ways does Thornfield sound like a typical Gothic setting? In what ways does it seem un-Gothic?
• Building on the descriptions of the characters in the earlier chapters we discussed in class, continue focusing on characterization in the reading for today. How are Adele, Mrs. Fairfax, Rochester described? What new details do we learn about Jane?  

Questions from Thursday’s Presenters

• How has Jane’s role/class in society changed since the beginning of the novel? What factors or experiences have contributed to this change?
• How is Jane’s initial impression of Rochester different or similar from her experiences at previous locations?
• Do you believe Rochester's claim that Adele is not his daughter? Why or why not?
• Do you think Rochester is as innocent as he appears to Jane after she saved his life from the fire? What kind of suspicions/feelings do you have concerning Rochester's relationship with Grace?
• What type of physical characteristics are given to describe the characters, such as Mr. Rochester and his guests?
• How did the guests react to Jane? Why did they react the way they did?

Reviews of Frankenstein

Here are the notes from your reading of the 19th-century reviews of Frankenstein on pages 185-201 in our text:

Reading Overview for Wednesday, July 21

Assigned Text: Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Ch. 1-4 (pp. 19-51)

Summary Information for Volume III of Frankenstein

Here are the links for the Facebook pages presented by Plunk and Michael: Victor and the Creature

About the Victorian Period

Read George P. Landow’s brief overview of the period here. We’ll talk in class on Wednesday about the Victorian novel and then next Wednesday about Victorian poetry.

About Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte grew up in an intellectual family where she and her siblings began writing plays, stories, and poems during their childhood. Her father was a clergyman, and her mother died when she was young. Her father took an interest in the education of the children, and because of his fondness for literature, he encouraged his children to read and to choose what texts the wanted to read from his library. Charlotte’s two eldest sisters both died from illnesses because they were neglected by officials at their boarding school. Charlotte attended a boarding school that she disliked (on which she partially based Lowood) before going to the much happier Roe Head School where she eventually taught before becoming a governess. After several setbacks, Bronte published Jane Eyre in 1847 under the gender-ambiguous pseudonym Currier Bell, which began her career as a writer. After the loss of most of her family members to illnesses, she married in 1854 and died nine months later. Bronte’s life straddled the Romantic and Victorian periods, and contemporary events (spread of the empire, gender roles, issues of race and class, etc.) clearly influenced her writing in a number of ways.

Questions for Thinking and Discussion

• Look closely at the physical description of John Reed (page 22) and the general descriptions of all three of the Reed children (page 27). What words stand out in those descriptions? How do those descriptions compare to the description of Mr. Reed (pages 28-29)? How do they compare with the description of Jane’s parents on page 37? Continue marking descriptions of these figures as you read. 
• Begin thinking about this text as an autobiography, which is, after all, the subtitle of the text. In these early chapters, our narrator and main character Jane is a young girl. In what ways does this appear to be the narrative of a child? In what ways does this appear to be a grown woman writing about her childhood? 
• Jane mentions religion some in these early chapters, especially in her meeting with Mr. Brocklehurst. How is Christianity portrayed in this section? 

Questions from Wednesday’s Presenters

• When Jane is living with the Reeds, do you think she acts ungrateful towards them? 
• Does your opinion change of Mr. Brocklehurst when we find out that he has a lot to do with the spread of typhus? 
• Even though we have only read the first 10 chapters of the book, where is there already evidence that this is considered a gothic novel? 
• How is the story affected when Jane is the narrator for the first few chapters? Are there any similarities between Ms. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst?

Reading Overview for Tuesday, July 20

Assigned Text: Shelley’s Frankenstein, Vol. III, Ch. 1-3 (pp. 103-120)

Summary Information for Volume II

Here are the links for the Facebook pages presented by Mike and Hailey: Victor Frankenstein and The Creature

About Volume III

I’m not going to say much in the way of introduction about this final section of Frankenstein because I would hate to ruin any of the suspense and excitement created in the events of this section. I’ll raise a few questions about the section you’re reading and about the novel as a whole.

Questions for Thinking and Discussion

• Continue thinking about the ways that the gothic, sentimentality, and the sublime appear in this novel. Mark specific passages that illustrate these terms. In particular, I would like for you to focus on a passage about Henry Clerval demonstrating his sensibility and experiencing the sublime at the end of chapter 1 (pp. 107-108). In this, Shelley quotes from Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey.” What is the effect of her incorporation of Wordsworth in this section? How does Henry fulfill the expectations of a Romantic poet?
• In this section, Victor grapples even more with the responsibility of creating life. How does he handle that responsibility?
• As the story continues to progress, what are your opinions of Victor? Have they changed since Volumes I and II? 

Questions from Tuesday’s Presenters

• In what way does Victor escape his depression and how does that tie into the Romantic period as talked about in class?
• What characters do you sympathize with most in Frankenstein?
• How does Frankenstein feel about Elizabeth? Is he more committed to her or to another?
• After reading the story, how could it apply or relate to the modern day?
• Who is the real monster in the story?