11. Introduction to life at Thornfield
12. Mystery man falls off horse
13. Jane meets Rochester- interrogation
14. Conversation with Rochester
15. Adele's connection to Rochester explained and FIRE
Themes
- kindness in unexpected places
- isolation
- foreign places, people and feelings
- ghosts, preternatural
- superiority and inferiority, classes and stations
- love; passionate, false, shallow, friendship
Characters
Jane
Jane is now an adult and her character is now quite different from how she was as a child. She is far more restrained. Almost overtly so to the modern reader. Jane's thoughts are just as passionate and colourful as before but this is no longer reflected in her behaviour. Instead Jane is plain, modest and humble. The perfect model of a Lowood student.
Mrs Fairfax
The housekeeper. Jane sees her as a kind old lady.More of a neccessary character for placing mystery and answering questions than anything else.
Adele
Jane's student. She brings in much energy into the book and is a catalyst for many of Jane and Rochesters conversations.
Mr Rochester
Mr Rochester is introduced as a humbled man. Jane pities him and offers assistance that Mr R has to accept. Jane even mentions that in another context she would have been afraid 'Had he been... i should not have dared to stand thus questioning him against his will, and offereing my services unasked.' He is described as stern, stubborn, unhandsome and has a tendency to interrogate, he seems a tad eccentric or not of the norm. None the less he at least seems to treat Jane fairly (for the times) and eventually affords Jane tenderness, especially after the fire.
Grace Poole
A character of mystery... ghostly associations...a rumoured drunk.
Motifs
- Fire (less in the language and more as a physical symbol- i think this is a symbol that janes emotions are being subdued. Only actual fire rouses her to action)
- Exotic physicalisations in Rochesters furniture.
- Ghosts and gothicism
Place
Thornfield- gothic in its descriptions, suggests inherent mystery. A haven for Jane, but more down to the people who reside within.
Narrative Voice
Jane is just as passionate in her language but is far more subdued in her actions, she no longer acts how she feels. She has become more analytical of situations and tends to go against her instincts. This is particularly evident when she is around Mr R, who is the only person who can excite her inbuilt eccentricities out.
Interesting Phrase
' it was a curious laugh; distinct, formal, mirthless. I stopped: the sound ceased...it passed off in a clamourous peal that seemed to wake an echo in every lonely chamber...' Grace Pooles laugh pg 107
' women are supposed to be very calm generally; but women feel just as men feel; they need....to that they ought to confine themselves...than custom has pronounced necessay for their sex.' feminist outpourings pg 109
'The man, the human being, broke the spell at once...' Supernatural humbleing pg 112 in man falls off horse chapter
'your language is enigmatical, sir: but though i am bewildered, i am certainly not afraid' pg 138 Jane on Rochester
'And was Mr Rochester ugly in my eyes? No, reader...'pg 146
' i tried again to sleep... i was chilled with fear' pg 147 fire chapter
'There was a demioniac laugh... My first impulse was to rise and fasten the bolt; my next, again to cry out ' who is there?'' pg 147 fire chapter
'baptized the couch... and by gods aid, succeeded in extinguishing the flames that were now devouring it' pg 148
2 comments:
I like your identification of motifs - When you say fire is a physical symbol do you mean metaphorical? It's a good point. Actually, i think you mean literal because the fire within her is subdued. Either way, you are making good comments about her.
'Exotic physicalisations in Rochesters furniture' is a good one. Can you elaborate? And I can certainly see the ghosts and gothicism motif.
Also, I like the way you see Jane as changing her view so that she is more analytical. Does she reain like this? When does she lose her powers of analysis? What causes her loss of rational grip?
Good, concise comments.
i'd say that the fire is both literal and metaphorical. As well as various references to fire in the language fire also starts to manifest physically (e.g when thornfield is on fire)
when jane first describes Thornfield she describes heavily factors from all over the world. whether these objects are actually from these parts of the world or simply a metaphor from Jane to contrast with lowood is unclear but it certainly associates rochester and thornfield with the positive exotic imagery of the earlier chapters.
Jane seems to me to lose her powers of analysis when the situation becomes too intensely emotional for her to stand or when an emotion builds up in her and has to explode from its prison of suppression.
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