Opinions of the book
Ken: some of the early chapters had dead wood and didn’t all add equal value to the novel.
John: I know someone who fit the description of Jane Eyre. Some of it was far fetched, like the lunatic wife with the purple face, but the plot kept me guessing. I expected that the insulted aunt wouldn’t let Jane go to school, but the school master relationship must have been strong enough to get her off the hook and demonize Jane.
Angie: perhaps Jane’s statement that “if my uncle knew what you did…” she must have pricked her conscience and allowed her to go to school.
Aunt didn’t like Jane because her mother married beneath herself. Jane’s Aunt was jealous of her sister-in-law (Jane’s mom).
Rochester’s excuse: I did all that to make you jealous.
The entire story turns on jealousy.
When he says “It will atone.” what does Rochester mean? Chapter 23. The author is keeping you believing that he would do something right by her (making atonement for his wrong doing), but in fact, it was the opposite, that he he is finally getting what he deserves in a wife he loves.
Wendy: I enjoyed listening to it more than reading it.
Angie: It was interesting how Rochester described his wanton life and she didn’t have much of a problem with that. It wasn’t dealt with at all. He was asking a lot to offer himself to her in terms of being faithful.
Jane even as a child has a sense of right and wrong. chapter 6, “the Bible bids us return good for evil.
Is Helen the only example of a sound Christian in the book. Or maybe a Christ figure: she dies so that others may live, or live better: Jane gets spiritual insight and strength from the situation.
On Helen’s death: Jane has everything against her early in the book. Is this just a literary device to get sympathy for a protagonist?
BRONTË AS WORDSMITH
Several places she has a way with words, describing a scene in vivid detail so you can feel what she feels, see what she sees, etc.
“The breeze was from the west: it came over the hills, sweet with scents of heath and rush; the sky was of stainless blue; the stream descending the ravine, swelled with past spring rains, poured along plentiful and clear, catching golden gleams from the sun, and sapphire tints from the firmament. As we advanced and left the track, we trod a soft turf, mossy fine and emerald green, minutely enameled with a tiny white flower, and spangled with a star-like yellow blossom: the hills, meantime, shut us quite in; for the glen, towards its head, wound to their very core.” from Chapter 34
As an exercise, describe a spot in your yard in 10 words or less. Then add 15 adjectives or adverbs to it.
hammock: swinging gently between the immovable treehouses on woven shaded yarn
She read historically, slowly placing each word into its context while swinging gently between the tall, immovable treehouses on woven shaded yarn.
What makes for good, descriptive writing? is it more adjectives and adverbs? Group consensus seems to be that we like more description when it comes to character development and insight into a character’s insight into self and other characters. But getting lots of more descriptions about the environment wear thin after a while. More is not always better.
Ken’s perspective: Chapters 2-4 are a waste of reader’s time because they spend lots of his time and don’t add much to his understanding of the story or really carry the narrative very far. An editor would ask to shorten this and leave more room for such passages as Jane’s take on St. John when she says, “I understood, as by inspiration, the trut nature of his love for Miss Oliver; I agreed with him that it was but a love of the senses…” in chapter 34.
Who is the most pitiable character?
John Seefried: John Reed. Why?
Pat: St. John because he should have known better
Lessons for Daughter:
Left with 2 choices: God’s work with a man who has no compassion.
The group had two responses to this book in the end. This was the most spirited and memorable part of the discussion:
Men: dissatisfied with the ending, thinking she was young and impressionable. She too easily overlooked his faults (willingness to engage in bigamy, willingness to take on mistresses), and didn’t have enough of a real connection. Can think of more positive endings. Processing this as a father to a daughter: wanting her to have a strong community to protect. Father to speak wisdom about what to look for in a match. Imagined having great conversations with a daughter about the themes in the book, but not recommending Jane’s path or decision in a mate.
Women: liked the ending, thought it was a good match, satisfied that Jane really loved him and got what she wanted/needed, and he really loved her.
Would you like a friend like Jane Eyre?
Most people would, but she can be a bit intense.