Jane Eyre Psychological Approach

A. What forces are motivating the characters?
One force which motivates the characters is Jane and Mr. Rochester's love for each other and also Jane discretion to do what she thinks is right.

B. Which behaviors of the characters are conscious ones?
A conscious behavior is Jane's leaving Thornfield because she had to think about it.

C. Which are unconscious?
An unconscious behavior is Jane and Mr. Rochester's love because it comes without consideration.

D. What conscious or unconscious conflicts exist between the characters?
A conscious conflict between Jane and Mr. Rochester is that Mr. Rochester's wife is still alive and is stopping them from getting married.

E. Given their backgrounds, how plausible is the characters' behavior?
The characters' behaviors are plausible because it is understandable that Jane would have mixed feellings about Mr. Rochester after realizing that his wife is still alive.

H. What roles do psychological disorders and dreams play in this story?
Mr. Rochester developed something along the lines of a psychological disorder when Jane left Thornfield; he was devistated by her departure and would think of her every day.

J. How might a psychological approach account for different responses is female and male readers?
When reading this novel, guys might think that Jane was being cruel by suddenly leaving Mr. Rochester, but girls would understand why Jane felt that she should leave.

K. How does the work reflect the writer's personal psychology?
The complicated love between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester shows that Charlotte Bronte had a psychological state of mind that things can work out alright if you listen your heart.

L. What do the characters' emotions and behaviors reveal about their psychological states?
I think that Jane is seen to have a strong psychological state because she does not dwell over Mr. Rochester when she leaves but gets on with her life.

M. How does the work reflect the unconscious dimensions of the writer's mind?
The writer unconsciously showed that it is always better to think decisions over.

N. How does the reader's own psychology affect his response to the work?
Based on a person's individual psychology, the person could be able to understand how a character would feel when something happens.

I think that a possible thesis could be that life can get confusing and messed-up sometimes, but if you listen to you heart and soul you will know what to do.

Why Read the Classics- Author's authority

"Why Read the Classics" is written by Italo Carvino, who seems to be an exceptional author. By reading this essay, you can easily tell that Carvino is not only an excelent writer but also a dedicated reader. In his essay, he writes short summaries of many of his favorite books and also gives his input on them. Some of these books include: The City as Novel in Balzac (139), Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens (145), Trois Contes by Gustave Flaubert (151), and Two Hussars by Leo Tolstoy (155). These are just a few examples, however, in Italo Carvino's whole book, he wrote about 35 books in total. Since he has read and written about all of the books, it shows that the author is a well-educated man with a deep respect for literature. Since he is writing about reasons why people should read the classics when he himself has read and understands many, this gives him a high authority as an author. If you look closely at the words "author" and "authority", you will probably notice that "authority" begins with the word "author". This could be thought of as- an author needs to have authority when writing a book by making sure that he or she fully understands whatever it is that the book is supposed to be about. Upon reading his essay, it is clear that Calvino did just that.

Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics. New York: Vintage, 1991. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Why Read the Classics- Reaction

My reaction to "Why Read the Classics?" by Italo Calvino was "Wow, this essay was actually a lot more interesting than I thought it would be". The first chapter had several points which caught my attention and advice which seemed to be potentially useful. This essay was particularly interesting to me because, like my classmates, I have read a few classics already and I think that helped me to understand what it was talking about. For example, Italo wrote that when someone reads a classic for a second time, they will see things in the story that they had not noticed before (4). When I would go back to re-read a few chapters of different classical books, I could get a whole different perspective of what was being said, especially since I knew how the story ends. Going back to read the book again gives people an opportunity to pay more attention to the smaller details. In addition, I agreed with Italo when he said that trying to read a book which does not appeal to you is under most cases pointless (6). When I tried reading books before which seemed boring, it felt like I was getting nowhere in the story. Finally, the author's recommendation seems to be a very good and useful idea which I had not considered before. My reaction to this essay was clearly logical since I thought that it was interesting and useful.

Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics. New York: Vintage, 1991. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Why Read the Classics- Organized

"Why Read the Classics?" by Italo Calvino uses good organization in order to make a point to the reader. The first chapter, "Why Read the Classics?", gives you several definitions of the word "classics". The passages begin by giving about a paragraph or so of information concerning the classics. For example, Italo Calvin wrote that you should not be embarrassed if you have not read a famous book because no one on the entire earth can read all of them (3). He also wrote that when we re-read a classic, it should surprise us as we compare what we now see in the story to what we had remembered the previous time it was read (5). After describing these and many more, the author summarized all of that information into a single sentenced definition all referring to the word "classics". The passages proceeding the fourteenth and final definition act as the concluding paragraphs by talking a little more about the classics and giving practical advice. Each following chapter is used to give a brief summary of different classics as well as Italo Calvino's input of the book. These classics were apparently some of Italo's favorites. However, I am not sure how he had organized the chapters based on the book, since they were not in alphabetical order.

Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics. New York: Vintage, 1991. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Why Read the Classics- Passages that capture attention

One passage which captures my attention is "The interactive prefix 're' in front of the verb 'read' can present a small act of hypocrisy on the part of people ashamed to admit they have not read a famous book" (Calvino 3). I thought that this was funny because there are too many "famous" books to be able to read all of them. Other passages which stood out were all of the definitions which Italo Calvino gave to the word "classics". It was amazing to see that someone could give that many meanings to a single word. In addition, "Of course this happens when...it establishes a personal relationship with the reader. If there is no spark, the exercise is pointless: it is no use reading classics out of a sense of duty or respect, we should only read them for love" (Calvino 6). This passage captured my attention because I have read several books which I did not really care for and I agree with Calvino: reading books solely out of a sense of duty will not do the reader any good. Finally, and other passage that seemed interesting was "All that can be done is for each one of us to invent our own ideal library of our classics; and I would say that one half of it should consist of books we have read and that have meant something for us, and the other half of books which we intend to read and which we suppose might mean something to us. We should also leave a section of empty spaces for surprises and chance discoveries" (Calvino 9). This caught my attention because it seems like good advice and I would like to try it someday.

Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics. New York: Vintage, 1991. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Why Read the Classics- Tone

In "Why Read the Classics?" by Italo Calvino, his tone throughout the essay was that the classics are very good and useful books which can be used to better our understanding of the world. He thinks that these books will be best understood when the reader is mature, but they can still be important for the younger generations to introduce them to some concepts which they would understand better when they grow older (6). For this reason, it would be practical to re-read these books when you become an adult. Italo Calvino also had a disposition that you should only read classics if it is something that truly interests you, otherwise there is no reason; you will not learn much, if anything from it because you may not understand it so well and it would be boring (4). Everyone has certain topics and styles of writing which appeal to them, perhaps because something from the story reminds them of themselves, a friend, or a personal experience and Italo recognized this. For whatever reason it may be the reader feels a connection between the book and this is what can arouse the interest which would allow you to understand and learn from the book.

Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics. New York: Vintage, 1991. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Why Read the Classics- Thesis

The thesis in "Why Read the Classics?" by Italo Calvino is that people should read the classics because they want to. As Italo says on page six, "Of course this happens when it establishes a personal relationship with the reader. If there is no spark, the exercise is pointless: it is no use reading classics out of a sense of duty or respect, we should only read them for love. Except for school.." (6). Basically, Italo Calvino is saying that to read a book that you are not particularly interested in would just be a waste of time. When someone is obliged to read a book which does not capture their imagination or make them enthusiastic about what will happen causes the reader to lose their interest, become distracted and not fully understand the meaning behind the book. He goes on to say however that it is important to read the classics in school and this is to introduce students to these books so they can be able to find their own favorites when they become older (6). Calvino made his thesis implicit. Although it was clearly stated and seemed to reflect much of what he wrote, it was not found in the beginning of his introduction as they usually do.

Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics. New York: Vintage, 1991. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Good Readers and Good Writers- Organized

In "Good Readers and Good Writers", Vladimir Nabokov used the first part of the essay to talk about what makes a good reader. He then uses the second part of the essay to talk about what makes a good reader. He then uses the second part of his essay to describe writers and what it takes to be a good writer. The author uses about three pages to talk about readers, whereas he only has one page reserved on the subject of writers. This is probably telling us that this essay was intended to be viewed mainly by those people who enjoy reading but do not write books themselves. On the other hand, this ratio could tell us that what writers really need for a good story is a good idea. For reading, however, one should see the story through a certain perspective, not trying to guess what will happen all of the time, let it surprise you, have patience, passion, etc..(1-3). On each page, Vladimir Nabokov would have several paragraphs, each with their own topic on the theme of either good readers or good writers. All of these paragraphs are in block format. At the beginning of the description for a good writer, the author also uses the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" as an example (3).

Navokov, Vladimir. Good Readers and Good Writers. 1948. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Good Readers and Good Writers- Reaction

My reaction to "Good Readers and Good Writers" by Vladimir Nabokov went something like "Huh, this guy did a pretty good job of coming up with generalizations; I wish that I could be as smart as him". I thought that the author had several good points which made this essay in particular interesting. First of all, the author had several good points which made this essay in particular interesting. First of all, I thought that it was interesting how when given a quiz on what defines a good reader, the majority of the college students tested answered emotional identification, action, and the social-economic or historic angle instead of the correct answers: imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense. Something else which also caught my attention was that apparently when reading a book, a person should imagine himself or herself to be in it instead of the character (3). This caught my attention because whenever I read a book before, I would always pretend to be a certain character. So, depending on exactly what he meant by that statement, I could have been reading the wrong way all of my life. The final statement which I thought was interesting was "In order to bask in that magic a wise reader reads the book of genius not with his heart, not so much with his brain, but with his spine" (4). This sentence stood out because I never heard of anyone ever reading with their spine and at first it sounds kind of strange. My reaction was a logical one because it was based on thoughts.

Navokov, Vladimir. Good Readers and Good Writers. 1948. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Good Readers and Good Writers- Passages that capture attention

Several passages captured my attention from Vladimir Navokov's essay "Good Readers and Good Writer". The first of which is the definitions of a good reader: memory, imagination, a dictionary, and some artistic sense (2). I agree with this, so it was interesting to see that on a quiz, college students mostly answered that a good reader should focus on emotional identification, action and the social-economics or historic angle. Something else that caught my attention is that when reading a book, the person should identify the book with himself or herself in the stead of the book's character (3). I thought that this was interesting because many of the books that I have read I would read I would read the story imagining that I was the protagonist. This told me that I have been reading books the wrong way all of my life...great. Another thing that I thought was interesting, mainly because I know it to be true is that a reader needs both patience and passion in order to enjoy literature. When reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, I had the passion but sometimes lacked the patience. However, when I had both, the novel was much more enjoyable. The final phrase that caught my attention is "In order to bask in that magic a wise reader reads the book of genius not with his heart, not so much with his brain, but with his spine" (4). This stood out to me because the idea of someone reading with their spine sounded strange to me. I believe that this phrase could be an element of language and the ones before it were ideas.

Navokov, Vladimir. Good Readers and Good Writers. 1948. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Good Readers and Good Writers- Tone

Vladimir Nabokov, the author of "Good Readers and Good Writers" had a similar tone throughout the essay. One of his tones was that writing and even sometimes reading can be a difficult task. He says that in order to be a good writer, one should know how to properly engage the different audiences who will read the book (4). The writer may be able to do whatever he or she deems with the story, but if it does not arouse attention from the reader, it would be pointless. Nabokov also says that in order to enjoy great literature, the reader needs passion and patience (3). These are some of a few qualities which Vladimir Nabokov says a good reader should have. Another thing he says that good readers would do is begin reading with no connection to "other worlds", but to look at that book separately from everything else (1). Also, the author says that a person should read a book more than once so that the story can be better understood each time it is read (2). Finally, Nabokov says that a good reader should read with their spine instead of their brain or heart (4). I took this to mean that we should not try to figure the book out before we even read it, but instead let it surprise us.

Good Readers and Good Writers- Thesis

The thesis in "Good Readers and Good Writers" by Vladimir Nabokov is "My course among other things is a kind of detective investigation" (1). This thesis is located, like many others, in the first sentence. This sentence is the thesis of the essay because it relates to the information given in the body paragraphs later on. Vladimir Nabokov had to "investigate"several books in order to form his generalizations which were presented in his essay. For example, Vladimir wrote that to be a good reader, a person should have imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense. In addition, he also wrote that a good writer combines the roles of storyteller and teacher as well as the most important role- enchanter (4). It is noticeable that in order for Vladimir Nabokov to have been able to reach these conclusions, he had to pay close attention to and "study" several books. It is this realization which reflects back to the thesis in the beginning of the essay. I think that the thesis from "Good Readers and Good Writers is explicit. One reason for this is that it is stated in the first sentence of the essay, so the reader does not have to search for it. Also, after reading the body paragraphs, they seem to compliment that statement well.

Navokov, Vladimir. Good Readers and Good Writers. 1948. Web. July-Aug. 2011.

Jane Eyre- Helen Burns

Helen Burns is a character from the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte who always remains in a cheerful mood no matter what the world throws at her. She serves as Jane's best friend while at Lowood Institution, and I think that she even helped make Jane the kind of person that she becomes when she is grown up. Even when teachers would throw insults upon insults against her, she would not make a sound (80). One day, when Helen forgot to arrange her drawers, Miss Scatcherd noticed and made Helen wear a pasteboard on her forehead with the word "Slattern" written upon it the next day as a punishment (111). It is because of Helen's faith in God and Heaven that she was able to easily bear the burden of her punishment and scoldings. Another day, while Helen is seriously ill with typhus fever, Jane asks Helen if she is going home, and she replies "Yes; to my long home- my last home" (123). Before she dies, Helen is able to share her beliefs with Jane about God and Heaven, and this most likely lead to Jane becoming a Christian (482).

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Mr. Rochester

Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a very interesting character. From the moment that he is introduced into the story, he is seen as mysterious. At first, the reader does not know who he is except for a guy who fell off of his horse late at night (176). Later, when his identity is discovered, he often comes and leaves Thornfield for unknown reasons (240). The reader does, however receive several hints concerning Mr. Rochester's personality. He is well educated, traveled around the world, and can play the piano and sing very well (242). He also enjoys having someone to talk to (203). Another character trait which was noticeable was Mr. Rochester's mood changes. One minute he could be seemingly happy and the next minute he may be upset and act somewhat rude (224). Once in a while, Mr. Rochester also appears to be sad and troubled about something (376). As the story goes on, Mr. Rochester and Jane fall in love. It is later revealed that Mr. Rochester never had a true love before Jane, although he was already married (464). His wife, Bertha Mason, is a lunatic who tried several times to kill him (226). Finally, he is seen as caring. When the fire is destroying Thornfield, he does not get out until he is sure that everyone else is safe (653). In addition, ever since Jane left he would miss her and think about her every day (652).

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Jane

Jane Eyre, the protagonist i the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte has several characterizations. First off, she is honest. When Mr. Rochester asks Jane "Am I hideous, Jane?" she would reply "Very, sir; you always were you know" (669). Jane is also fairly-well educated. She can draw, play the piano and received a basic education at Lowood Institution. She had a desire to excel in her classes and to please her teachers (127). Jane also seems to have a difficult time forgiving others. When Jane arrived at Whitcross, she had nowhere to go and was starving and freezing. Jane felt that if she could not find a warm place with food fast, then she would die (502). Eventually, she arrives at a house which just so happens to belong to her cousins (586). When she knocks on the door, the maid, Hannah, refuses to let her in (511). When Jane is finally allowed in by St. John Rivers, she gives Hannah grief about not letting her in (521). It also took a while for Jane to forgive Mr. Rochester for not telling her that he is married (455). Finally, Jane could be talkative, but only if she was welcome in a conversation and if she did not have to choose the subject (222). The rest of the time she is pretty quiet (267).

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Irony

In the beginning of the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane started as a young lady who had no family or money and she was the one who needed Mr. Rochester so that she would get paid for being a governess to Adele and have a place to stay. However, after Jane Eyre leaves Thornfield Hall and goes to Whitcross and stays with a family which she later finds out to be her cousins she inherits a large sum of money. Her cousin, St. John Rivers informs Jane that her uncle had passed away and he left his fortune to her (582). Jane does not feel that she needs all of this money and she wants to show her appreciation to her cousins for taking her in, so she gives each of them a fraction of the money (589). While Jane was gone, Bertha Mason set Thornfield on fire and then jumped off the building to her death (654). Everyone else managed to get out in time and they survived, but Thornfield was destroyed (654). The irony in this is that now Jane does have money and family and she is independent. Mr. Rochester by now has lost all of his fortune along with his mansion in the fire and became blind (655). All of these these things made him dependent on John and Mary and later Jane to survive (655).

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Universal Themes

One universal theme in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is the endless love between Jane and Mr. Rochester. Even after Jane finds out that Mr. Rochester's wife is still alive, she still loves him although trying to convince herself that she does not (608). Likewise, after Jane left for Whitcross, Mr. Rochester still loved her and would think about her every day (653). This could also fall under the theme of concern. When Jane left, she would sometimes wonder if Mr. Rochester was still alive and how he was doing. On thee same hand, Mr. Rochester would worry about what had become of Jane. Another universal theme is hatred. When Jane was younger and would live with her Aunt Reed, her aunt would give her u
nfair punishments and was clearly trying to get rid of her. When Jane came back all grown up to see her aunt one last time before she would die, her Aunt Reed could still not bring herself to like Jane (365). The next theme found in this novel is distrust. When Mr. Rochester and Jane first met, Mr. Rochester did not trust Jane because he thought that she had put a spell on his horse and made him fall over (186). Not trusting someone is common when things happen under strange circumstances. The final theme is death. No matter who you are or where you live, everyone (except a select few, but that's a different subject) will at some point of time die. In this story, Helen, Bertha Mason, Mrs. Reed, and Jane's uncle die.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Physical beauty and vanity

It was interesting to see how Charlotte Bronte used physical beauty and vanity to create conflict which ended up being beneficial to the protagonists. One person who Mr. Rochester invited to the party at Thornfield was Blanche Ingram (465). She is characterized as being pulchritudinous, but also proud, inconsiderate, and stuck up. Blanche would put Jane down because she is a governess as if she is any better than Jane. Mr. Rochester seemed to like Blanche Ingram by the way he would sit next to her, talk to her, and even sing with her (242). This was not the best news for Jane since she was beginning to like Mr. Rochester more and more. Jane, no doubt, thought that Mr. Rochester would marry Blanche Ingram because of her beauty and wealth. Since she herself is plain looking and possesses no large fortune, Jane thought that Blanche would be the obvious choice (244). However, Mr. Rochester, who had and ordinary appearance as well, saw the beauty inside of Jane in addition to Blanche Ingram's true personality. In this novel, some of the kindest people are those who appear plain on the outside. Their true beauty lies in their soul. This was a good point made by Charlotte Bronte. When people become so absolved in how they look, they can become stuck-up with themselves and their personality begins to change for the worse.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Childhood experiences influencing philosophies

One childhood experience which Jane grew up with that affected her personality later in life is that for much of her life, she had no contact with any men since Lowood Institution was composed of only girls (49). Since there were no boys at Lowood, Jane never even had and opportunity to fall in love. When she met Mr. Rochester, it seemed that since she never felt love before, she fell too fast. Also, when Jane was younger, her aunt would give her punishments which seemed harsh to her for no good reason (13). Something that I noticed while reading Jane Eyre is that Jane was never cruel, rude, or impatient with Adele. She would never put Adele down and lock her in a room as Jane's aunt did. It is possible that little Adele reminded Jane of herself when she was younger, and thus being so, Jane did not want to mimic the part of her aunt, which made her so upset. Also, when Jane becomes older, if Mr. Rochester would ask her to do something, she would say "If it is right" (330). When Jane was growing up, she was treated unfairly by her aunt and she recognized this. Something which Jane learned from this is to always be fair to everyone.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Character Revealed

Jane Eyre's character is revealed by what she does and says throughout the novel. One of the first things we learn about her character is when John Reed is picking on Jane and wrestling with her and in return, Jane fights back (12). This says that even as a young child, Jane believed in justness and she would stand up for herself. Her quality of being kind and caring is shown when Mr. Rochester falls off his horse and Jane offers to help him in any way she can so that he could get back on his horse (172). Another trait which Jane possessed is that she would always speak her mind. When Mr. Rochester asks Jane if she thinks that he is hideous, she says "Very, sir: you always were, you know" without hesitation or fear (668). Yet, she does show a couple signs of timidity. When Jane would go to talk with Mr. Rochester in the evenings, at first, she did not feel so compelled to stay and converse (203). Also, during the party, Jane made sure to stay out of the way, not say a word, and even tried to leave early (267). It also seemed as if Jane was arrogant about love. She grew up with a mean aunt and cousins, strict teachers, a best friend who died, and she never knew her parents. Initially, I think that Jane was trying to fill a void in her life. Mr. Rochester made her feel loved like no one else had before and she fell in love with him (376).

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Conflict

In my opinion, the conflict in Jane Eyre is primarily based on the existence of Bertha Mason. The conflict is already set, although unknown, by the time that the story begins. Mr. Rochester marries Bertha Mason and shortly afterwards, she becomes a lunatic (Bronte 466). Since he was unable to divorce her according to the law at the time, he had her living upstairs and taken care of by a servant (Bronte 472). Years later when Jane comes to be the governess at Thornfield, she falls in love with Mr. Rochester- being unaware that he is already married (401). The conflict is increased when in the middle of Jane and Mr. Rochester’s wedding ceremony, it is revealed that Mr. Rochester’s wife is still alive (446). This realization causes Jane to feel confused, distrustful, and eventually pushes her to leave Thornfield Hall (453). The conflict is finally lost one night when Bertha Mason set the mansion on fire (652). She then jumped from the building and fell to her death (654). When Jane finally returns too Thornfield, she is informed of Bertha’s death as well as Mr. Rochester’s current position. Since Mr. Rochester’s wife is dead and he can now remarry, Jane and Mr. Rochester get married and live happily together (684).

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Author's values and attitudes

One message that I believe Charlotte Brontë’s book revealed about her attitude is that bad things do not only happen to bad people but good people too. When Jane was young, everyone seemed to think that she was a naughty and wicked child (20). From the lack of love that she received from living with her aunt, she was later sent to Lowood Institution where proper clothing and food were inadequate (66). Another example of this occurs when Jane’s friend at Lowood, Helen, dies of typhus fever (125). Helen was described as having traits like that of an angel. She was a Christian, she would never talk back- saying that what ever punishment she received is what she deserved, and she was always kind and helpful to Jane (111). Another idea which the author values is being honest. In the story, Jane would always give her honest opinion no matter if it might offend someone. For instance, when Mr. Rochester asks Jane if she thinks that he is handsome she says “No” (668). A third value is standing up for yourself and what you believe is right. When Mr. Rochester asked Jane again to marry him, she said that she would not, even though she still loved him, because he already had a wife (387). Secondly, Jane would keep telling St. John Rivers that she would not marry him because he did not love her (616). The final attitude is that if you did something that you regret or hurt someone you can still go back and make things better. Jane had remorse about her leaving Thornfield, which hurt Mr. Rochester (486). In the end of the story, she decides to return to Thornfield to see Mr. Rochester (640). Although it had been a year since her departure, Jane felt hopeful that everything could be made better.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Techniques

In making Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë used both mystery and suspense to make the story effective. The first mysterious figure was Mr. Rochester. At the beginning of the story, the reader was unaware about Mr. Rochester’s life. He would come and leave from Thornfield without notice and would have mood swings occasionally (196). Another mysterious figure that is introduced is the lunatic living upstairs who was later revealed to be Bertha Mason, Mr. Rochester’s wife. Although she was hardly ever seen, her malicious laughs could be heard (225). One night, Bertha came to Jane’s room and in a fit of blind rage she tore Jane’s vale and brought her candle close to Jane's face (433). However, what really made her mysterious is that the reader was unaware that such a person even existed. Throughout most of the book, Jane believed that the person mentioned was actually a woman who worked at Thornfield Hall named Grace Poole. It is not until the first wedding ceremony when Jane (and the reader) finds out that Grace Poole was only hired to watch over and keep Bertha out of mischief (446). The main use of suspense was when Jane was living at Whitcross and she heard a voice which she knew to be Mr. Rochester’s call out “Jane!, Jane!” (640). After having been away from Thornfield for about a year, the reader does not know what became of Mr. Rochester.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Why do we still read this book?

We still read Jane Eyre tody because it is one of the best love stories ever written. The book keeps readers interested by making them wonder if Jane and Mr. Rochester will end up together. It has an inspiring message to follow your heart. This message is timeless because everyone faces hard choices from time to time where they have to choose which road they want to take in their life. The characters are timeless because most people in their lifetime find someone that they love. If that person goes away, or maybe even dies, then it is common that the other one would grieve over their lost lover. By reading this novel, one thing that we can learn is to be honest and open to our friends. Jane was distraught when she found out that Mr. Rochester’s wife was still alive and he did not tell her (Bronte 451). Another lesson we can learn is to think twice before you make an important decision. Jane left Thornfield because she felt that she had to and later ended up wishing that she had stayed (Bronte 608). The final lesson is to not always do something for someone only to make them happy. If Jane would have married St. John Rivers, it would only have been for him since Jane did not want to marry him (Bronte 633).

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- Hero

I think that Jane is the romantic hero in Jane Eyre. A romantic hero, who is usually the protagonist, is described as being turned down from society; the emphasis is placed on his or her thoughts instead of actions, he or she avoids social conversations, is downhearted, and has a regret for his or her actions which keeps the character from having a tragic ending (Romantic Hero). Jane, the protagonist in the story, was made to go to an institution by her aunt who hated her (Brontë 38) and throughout most of the story she did not seem completely happy. While at Thornfield Hall, she would be to herself most of the time by restraining from talking too much. At the parties, Jane would sit in the back and not talk to anyone except Adele unless she needed to (Brontë 150). In addition, most of the passages in the book were to tell about Jane’s views of a certain matter. Finally, when Jane had left Thornfield Hall (and even while she was still leaving) she kept thinking about Mr. Rochester and how she should go back (Brontë 288). When she eventually returns, she and Mr. Rochester get married and are happy together (Brontë 404). Whereas is Jane had stayed at Whitcross, she probably would have either married St. John Rivers or stayed to be the school teacher. Either way she would not have been content (Brontë 371, 322). What Jane accomplishes is finally letting her heart decide what path she should take in life. She is portrayed as a young woman who is ignorant about making the best choices concerning herself. Jane represents the abstract idea of goodness because she would not go against her conscience and would only do what she felt was right.

Romantic Hero." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 20 June 2011. Web. 20 June 2011. .

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Jane Eyre- History and Significance

Jane Eyre was written in the earlier part of the 19th century and published in 1847 (4). One idea that the novel reflects from history is the age gap at marriages. During this era, it would be more common for an older man to marry a much younger woman. For example, Jane married Mr. Rochester, who was forty-years-old, when she was only nineteen (401). Marriages between such different age groups would be rarer in today's society. Secondly, in that period of time divorces were not possible if the other spouse was considered insane. This is why Mr. Rochester was unable to divorce Bertha Mason and marry Jane. A few months after their marriage, Bertha's attitudes changed into that of a lunatic and there was nothing that Mr. Rochester could do. Another event from the story which is portrayed from history is the outbreak of typhus fever at Lowood Institution. This disease spread the hardest around the years of 1837 and 1838 (Health and Hygiene in the Nineteenth Century), probably either before or while Charlotte Brontë was writing the book.
A symbolic significance is how Bertha Mason twice tried to set fire to Thornfield Hall (226, 652). Fire is an element that destroys. I think that the fire in this case represents how she herself was “destroyed” by becoming mad. The thematic value of the book is the love between Jane and Mr. Rochester.

Douglas, Laurelyn. "Health and Hygiene in the Nineteenth Century." The Victorian Web. 11 Oct. 2002. Web. 12 June 2011. .

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Reader's Digest, 1984. Print.

Wuthering Heights- Nelly

Nelly Dean is the main narrator of Wuthering Heights by Charlote Bronte. She is sensible, caring, intelligent, and also very hard working. When Catherine Earnshaw was younger, she would sometimes get lonely and talk to Nelly just to have someone to talk to and be able to express her feelings on a particular matter (98). Nelly would always be willing to listen to her and offer Catherine her best advice on the subject (103). Nelly is able to foresee what will happen (103). In addition, Nelly is seen as a hard worker. She does her job of being the maid at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. She even takes it upon herself to raise little Hareton after his mother dies and his father becomes a drunk (82). This also shows that Nelly Dean is caring towards others. When Catherine Linton married Linton, Nelly asked Heathcliff if she would be able to work as a maid at Wuthering Heights again because she wanted to be able to see, talk to, and and take care of the young Catherine. Nelly had been like a mother to Catherine all of her life since her mother died.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Catherine Earnshaw

Catherine Earnshaw from the book Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte has a few different character traits. Sometimes she can be as kind as an angel while other times she could become extremely angry. One day, while Edgar Linton was visiting Catherine at Wuthering Heights, she began yelling at Nelly for not leaving the room and even shook her nephew, slapped Nelly and even Edgar on accident (90). Catherine, however, is also beautiful and it is her beauty which makes Edgar Linton stay after she had struck him. In addition, Catherine Earnshaw also has an independent mind so that she will not heed advice from someone in a position of authority. Catherine tells Nelly that Linton has asked her to marry him and that she has accepted (98). Nelly is against the idea because she knows how Catherine's heart really belongs to Heathcliff (103). Unfortunately, Catherine refuses to see what Nelly is saying will be the consequences and she goes ahead and married Edgar Linton anyway (115). Finally, although Catherine is already married to Edgar, she becomes even closer in a relationship with Heathcliff (207). It seemed as if she would sometimes go into an imaginary world where she and Heathcliff were the only ones who existed.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Hero

In my opinion, the "hero" in Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte is not a person but an idea, and that idea is death. When I read this novel, what struck me as the conflict was Heathcliff, which of course did not end until he had died. It may sound strange to say that death was the hero in any given book. However, the only things which could have stopped Heathcliff's cruel behavior towards others were either that somehow he would just miraculously change or he would die, and thus bring see whatthe conflict to a close. While Heathcliff was alive, he hurt several of people adn even changed their lives. Catherine Earnshaw would have had a much better chance of living longer if Heathcliff would not have kept visiting her and telling her how he loves her while Catherine was married to Edgar Linton (207). If Heathcliff would not have forced Hareton to stay at Wuthering Heights as a worker, he could have become an educated gentleman. In addition, Heathcliff married Isabella Linton so that he could be mean to her since he could not fight her brother (185). Later, he makes his son live with him instead of letting him get a good education (257). Finally, he forced Catherine Linton to marry Linton in order to get his hands on the Linton fortune (357). I do not think that any abstract ideas fit with Heathcliff's death.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Edgar Linton and Heathcliff comparison

Edgar Linton is described as being a handsome, wealthy, kind, relaxed, and supportive gentleman. He is so kind hearted that when he sees and hears Catherine Earnshaw mistreat Nelly, Hareton, and even himself, he can not believe that she is actually behaving in such a manor and he begins to leave (90). Throughout the book's timeline, Edgar does not get in a fit of rage but instead he stays decently calm. He is described as being supportive when Catherine Earnshaw becomes very sick by staying by her all day and taking care of her (171). Heathcliff, on the other hand is rough looking (67) and not as kind as Edgar Linton usually is. Even Edgar had a few moments when he slightly lost control of his behavior such as when he told Catherine Earnshaw that if she were to marry Heathcliff it would degrade her. In general, though, Edgar Linton was much nicer than Heathcliff. Heathcliff was inconsiderate of how he was affecting others lives. The only thing that mattered to him was if it would benefit him and hurt the Lintons, Edgar in particular. He would make his nephew stay at Wuthering Heights as a worker, he was rude to his own son (264) and made him marry his own cousin (344), Catherine Linton, in order to take control of the Linton fortune after Edgar Linton dies. Although Edgar and Heathcliff had very different personalities, they did have one thing in common- their love for Catherine Earnshaw.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Techniques

One of the first techniques that I noticed the author using in Wuthering Heights is mystery. In the beginning of the story, when Mr. Lockwood was spending the night at Wuthering Heights, he noticed three names carved on his bedpost; those names were: Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Linton, and Catherine Heathcliff (24, 25). The name carvings left me to wonder who Catherine was, who carved her multiple names, and why. When Mr. Lockwood arrived back at Thrushcross Grange, his housekeeper, Nelly, informed him of who Catherine was in a series of stories (41). Suspense was used as well when Heathcliff locked Catherine Linton and Nelly in Wuthering Heights until Catherine would marry Linton (342). This scene was so suspenseful because Catherine wanted to return home to her dying father (347) and if she did marry Linton, it would change the rest of her life. I was not sure if Catherine might try to find a way to escape, marry Linton, or refuse. I also felt suspense when Catherine Earnshaw died because it was unclear how he would react to his best friend and love's death. Finally, there was also suspense when Heathcliff vanished for three years after hearing Catherine say that she would not marry him (115). During which time, no one knows if Heathcliff had moved far away, made a fortune, or even died.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Why do we still read this book?

One reason why we still read Wuthering Heights is because it teaches an important lesson to follow your heart. Catherine and Heathcliff were in love, but Catherine decided to marry Edgar Linton instead so that she would not be lowered to Heathcliff's social class (102). After Catherine and Edgar get married, however, she and Heathcliff were still in love (207). Catherine was not completely happy with Linton and Heathcliff was upset that he could not be with Catherine (207). Although this was the main message of the story, there are also a few others. Another lesson which the story teaches is to listen to your parents and other authorities. Edgar Linton told his daughter, Catherine Linton, to stop writing letters to her cousin, Linton, at Wuthering Heights. However, she did not listen to her father and in addition to writing to Linton she also went to visit him against Nelly's approval. Finally, Wuthering Heights is a good book to read for a better understanding of what England was like in the 1800's and how the people acted. By reading this novel, I learned that the more wealthy people most likely had servants, they apparently did not contact the police if someone had gone missing (107), and religion was a high priority for some (183).

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Universal Themes

One universal theme in Wuthering Heights is the tragic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Their love story was tragic because Catherine and Heathcliff loved each other so much. Yet Catherine married Edgar Linton, still truly in love with Heathcliff (Bronte 102). Likewise, Heathcliff was still in love with Catherine even after she married Edgar (Bronte 207). When Catherine finally dies, Heathcliff was tormented by her death and even says "I cannot live without my life, I can not live without my soul" (Bronte 213). Another universal theme which occurs in this book is jealousy. We may get jealous if someone is smarter, prettier, more sports orientated, etc. than we are. In the story, however, Edgar becomes jealous of Heathcliff for for another reason. When Heathcliff comes to visit Catherine at Thrushcross Grange, Edgar can only notice that Catherine seems to be very fond of Heathcliff, and he becomes jealous of how his wife treats the visitor (Bronte 146). The next theme is that sometimes a parent may love one child more than another because of some feature such as their character. When Hindley, Catherine, and Heathcliff were growing up, their father loved Heathcliff the most because Hindley and Catherine were trouble-makers (Bronte 48). This judgmental behavior, of course, is wrong and it made Hindley decide that someday he would get even with Heathcliff for stealing his father's love. The final theme is the belief that the higher up in a social class someone is, the better quality of a person they are. Edgar Linton apparently felt this way since he told Catherine that if she were to marry Heathcliff, it would degrade her. This also is wrong. It is much better to marry someone for love than for money. Having the themes of jealousy and unjust love means that the author understands that these are apart of human nature.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Heathcliff

In the beginning of the book, Heathcliff was introduced as a sweet, soft spoken, and quiet young boy. However, as the story progresses his character changes to become angry, hot tempered, selfish. These characteristics are so contrary that the reader may wonder how he had changed so much.

Upon Heathcliff’s arrival at Wuthering Heights, he was loved by Mr. Earnshaw and later by Catherine. His friendship with Catherine became very close and I believe that she was the reason for why he remained so happy. Eventually, though, his brother, Hindley, made Heathcliff work as a servant and would not allow him to be with Catherine. Around this time, he had first announced his hatred for Hindley (75-76). This feeling of hatred for being mistreated was one of the first emotions that would later mix with others and spark into something bigger.

One night, Heathcliff becomes upset when he hears his love, Catherine say that she could not marry him (101). Amid listening to the conversation, he ran away - for three years. When he finally arrives back, he is distraught to find that Catherine, or “his life” as he calls her (196), has married his enemy, Mr. Linton. Heathcliff feels betrayed by this. Catherine, who still loves Heathcliff, asks for him to forgive her. In return, Heathcliff replies, “…I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer-but yours! How can I?” (201). Catherine dies soon afterwards, which strikes Heathcliff hard. He says “…You said I killed you- haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe…Be with me always-take any form-drive me mad!” (208).

After Catherine’s death, his attitude becomes cold, and he is only seen happy and smiling at the end of the book. Feeling that his love would still be alive if it were not for Mr. Linton, he becomes consumed in taking over the Lintons’ house at Thrushcross Grange as payback. In the end, I believe that it is the loss of his childhood friend and love that altered his personality the most.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Conflict

The main conflict in Wuthering Heights is Heathcliff's revenge towards the Lintons. The conflict slowly begins when Heathcliff, after having been gone for three years, returns to find his love, Catherine Earnshaw married to Edgar Linton (Bronte 118). At first, Heathcliff is allowed to come for a visit, but this arouses anger and jealousy in Edgar since Catherine seemed to be very fond of him. During the visit, Edgar made it clear to Heathcliff that he is not welcome anymore (Bronte 146). I think that Edgar acted this way because he did not want Heathcliff to steal his wife's heart. The conflict increases when Heathcliff married Edgar's sister, Isabella to make her suffer in Edgar's place for the time being (Bronte 185). However, Heathcliff seems to become his worst after hearing of Catherine's death. This realization was very depressing for him; he had lost his best friend and love. When he was informed of her death, he even begged her spirit to haunt him forever, saying "You said I killed you haunt me, then! The murdered DO haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts HAVE wandered on earth. Be with me always take any form drive me mad! I CANNOT live with­out my life! I CANNOT live without my soul!" (Bronte 213). Somehow, I think that Heathcliff tricked himself into believing that Edgar was responsible for Catherine's death. In addition to his hatred for Edgar now, Heathcliff still did not like him from their strife during his visit to Thrushcross Grange. For whatever reasons, Heathcliff's will for revenge against the Lintons grows stronger. He even made his son marry Catherine Linton so that he would gain control of the Linton estate after Edgar Linton dies (Bronte 404). The conflict does not really end until the end of the book when Heathcliff dies and Catherine is free to marry Hareton after Linton's death.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985

Wuthering Heights- Author's Tone

By reading Wuthering Heights, a novel written by Charlotte Bronte, the reader may notice that the author values love between family members. Catherine loved her father and took care of him when he was sick (347). Since there was a loving atmosphere, the family was happy. On the contrary, Heathclitt never loved his nephew, Hareton, or his son, Linton. In fact, he was cruel to them. When Linton had the opportunity to leave Wuthering Heights and become an educated gentleman, Heathcliff made him stay to be a worker. The only reason why Heathcliff even took custody of Linton is so that Linton would marry Catherine, and thus gain control of the Linton estate. As a result of these things as well as a lack of care and concern on Heathcliff's part, the two boys did not live very happy lives at Wuthering Heights. Another attitude which the author seemed to posess is the belief that a person is always better off to marry their true love. Most of what Heathcliff does in the story is to take revenge on Edgar for having "taken away" his love. By reading the story, it is obvious that although Catherine married Edgar Linton, she was really in love with Heathcliff. For instance, she says (referring to Heathcliff) "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire" (102). The third attitude is that people should listen to and obey their parents and other authorities. Both Linton and Nelly told Catherine to stay away from Wuthering Heights and to avoid contact with Linton (289). Unfortunately, however, she disobeyed them and that is more or less how she came to marry Linton and live at Wuthering Heights. Finally, it seems as if the author believes in ghosts and life after death. In the beginning of the story, Mr. Lockwood saw an apparician which claimed to be Catherine Earnshaw (32). Later in the book, when Catherine's death is described, Heathcliff is asking for her spirit to haunt him (213). Years afterwards, Heathcliff says that he has been haunted by Catherine every night for eighteen years (365). Charlotte Bronte wrote this book using first-person perspectives- that of Mr. Lockwood and Nelly.

Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985