Jane Eyre XIXIX Jane as a Governess in

Jane Eyre XI-XIX: Jane as a Governess in Thornfield -- – Service vs. Pursuit of Freedom and Love First encounter: 19973 -3 (0: 27 -) 19982006 23: 58 2011 – 31: 25

Outline • Review: Chap I-X—Jane between rebellion & submissiveness • Jane as a governess • Her desire • Attraction between Jane and Rochester • The Polite Society & Their Games • The Gothic Elements • “The Aliens”: “Grace Poole” and Mr. Mason

Review: Chaps I-IV Chap II Jane alone vs. The Reed family -- Reading and looking out of the window -- rebellion “in frantic sort” Red room and her sense of injustice; Reduced to fear Chap III Mr. Lloyd’s visit, gives Jane a choice between poverty or school -- Book: Gulliver’s Travels, Bessie’s song: sad Chap IV The visit of Mr. Brocklehurst --Book: Psalms are not interesting 28 --Mrs. Reed: Jane a liar 28 Jane’s 1 st victory: speaking up against Mrs. Reed -- her remorse

Review: Chaps V-X Chap Departure (Jane clung to Bessie) V Lowood—poor food, sharing the same mug for drinking water. Chap VIII Chap IX Chap X Helen Burns – reading and explanation of the school and teachers – Burns punished Helen Burns’ punishment (beaten with twigs, “slattern”) continues; discussion with Jane (endure it; denies her own merit; “Love your enemy”) The visit of Mr. Brocklehurst Jane picked up as a liar Helen: conscience more important than the world Turning point 64 -65 – Jane inspired by Helen and Ms. Temple Helen punished again 64 Spring comes. Death of Helen Burns 71 Lowood reformed; Ms. Temple married. Jane stays in Lowood for 8 years and then seeks a teaching position elsewhere. “I desire liberty…” (74) Bessie’s visit before she leaves for Thornfield. (re. Mr. Eyre & the Reeds)

Chaps XI-XV Chap -- Jane goes to Millcot and then Thornfield XI -- Meets Mrs. Fairfax, thinking that she’s the mistress of the house -- Meets Adele, starts her teaching job -- hears the laugh (93) Chap -- feels restless XII -- meets Rochester (98) Chap -- meets Rochester at home, his rudeness; talks about her past & shows XIII her pictures (110) -- R’s family history (112) Chap -- Rochester haughty and cold at first XIV -- starts to talk one day, asks her to speak (115 -- Jane expresses her independent thinking, though young and inexperienced; Rochester, paving hell, while Jane believes in selfimprovement (121) -- Rochester’s understanding of Jane 122 Chap -- story of Celine, Jane treated as a confidante XV -- Jane’s response to Adele (128), Jane’s role as a listener (129) -- saves Rochester from the fire; hears the laugh

Chaps XVI-XIX Chap -- Fears Rochester and wishes to see him. XVI -- encounters with Grace Poole Chap XVIII Chap XIX -- Rochester gone for a while to the Leas -- Ms. Ingram described (139) -- Jane’s interior monologue – self-discipline (140 -) -- preparation for the guests -- The guests arrived (Ms. Ingram 145) -- meeting the guests at the drawing room (149 -), guests commenting on Adele (152) and governess (155) -- Jane’s observation (153 -) -- Jane in tears -- the guests playing charade -- Jane: Ms. Ingram a mark beneath jealousy (163); view of her master (165) -- the gypsy -- the arrival of Mr. Mason -- Jane meeting the gypsy (R’s knowledge of Jane) -- “Mason—the West Indies!”

Text Reading & Discussion Govern ess Games & Fine Arts The Polite Society Jane & Roches ter Jane’s Desire

Discussion Questions 1. Leader 2. Summarizer & Vocabulary 4. Figurative/ Good Language 5. Connector 8. Travel Tracer 9. Investigator 1. (G 3 G 4 )Governess: How is Jane positioned as a governess in Thornfield? Is she treated like a servant? 2. (G 1, G 7) Jane and Rochester: How is Rochester related to Jane? How does she change her views of Rochester? 3. (G 10, G 2 ) Desire: What does Jane desire? What are the function of the laughers she hears? Jane’s paintings (XXIII pp. 110; XVI 141) 4. (G 6 G 5 )The Polite Society: How does Jane see the aristocratic friends Rochester brings home? 5. (G 8, G 9 )What are the functions of the charade and the gypsy woman (XVIII 3. 161 Commentator XIX) on the one hand, and on the other? 6. Recorder 7. Illustrator/ Performer

Jane as Governess in in Thornfield 0. Jane, taught to play the piano, to draw and read; but she is not beautiful (80) 1. Inexperienced— • Expected to be received coldly • thought Mrs. Fairfax to be the owner 2. Hierarchy: closer to housekeeper (84) 3. Knowledgeable (French) 4. Books in the library (90) –limited to light readings The guests’ views of governesses – (XVII: 115 -16) “half of them detestable and the rest ridiculous, and all incubi”

Jane’s Desire • The laugh (XI 93, 94, XII 96; XV 130) • “aspirations and regrets” about her appearance (XI : 86) • Curious: “s Mr. Rochester an exacting, fastidious sort of man? ” (91) • Mrs. Fairfax’s view of Rochester (XI: 92) • Restlessness vs. tranquility (95 -) • See Rochester as her intellectual equal fire (XV) wish to see him and fear it (XVI) selfrestraint stronger desire and pain in front of the guest

Mr. Rochester • XIII (109): giving orders -- Go into the library—I mean, if you please. (Excuse my tone of command; I am used to say "Do this, " and it is done…) • (111): between orders and curiosity: I had scarce tied the strings of the portfolio, when, …he said abruptly, ”—it is nine o'clock: what are you about, Miss Eyre, to let Adèle sit up so long? Take her to bed. ” • (112)-- Rochester’s family history explained

Mr. Rochester and Jane. Intellectual Equals’ Sympathy to Love • XIV: Exchanges of Their Equally Intelligent Minds, Sympathy Aroused– • Jane’s independent thinking: • “do you think me handsome? ” (115) -- No; Rochester’s appearance denied, • Rochester’s authority defined (117 -18) and • R’s degenerate past discussed (119 -21); impossible to be conventional with Jane • XV: Celine Varens // Bertha (the laugh) the fire drawing them closer. (calling her “witch, sorceress 131) • XVI: Jane both fears and desires meeting him; draws pictures of herself and Ingram to understand her own position. Jane feels for R when observing him with the guests

Mr. Rochester and Jane- Growing Sympathy to XVII – governess discussed Love Jane • XVII – her attention on him (153); “…but he never turned his eyes” (155) • XVIII – cannot unlove him (163) • Jane reflects a while whether she forgives R; serves him by offering him her shoulders 179 Rochester • XV: (122) impossible to be conventional with you. • End of XVII: “…you are: so much depressed that a few more words would bring tears to your eyes— Good-night, my --'. ” • XVIII-XIX – the gypsy woman’s fortune-telling 173 – cold, sick, silly; contradictions on her face

Jane’s Psychological Struggles and Understanding of Rochester • 1) XV: No longer ugly: “No, reader: gratitude, and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire. “ (129) Still aware of his mean attitude to others. • 1) XVI: I knew the pleasure of vexing and soothing him by turns. (138) • 2) XVI: self-restraint: (140 -42; XVII- 153) two portraits;

Jane’s Psychological Struggles and Understanding of Rochester (2) • XVIII (163) • the future bridegroom, Mr. Rochester himself, exercised over his intended a ceaseless surveillance; and it was from this sagacity—this guardedness of his—this perfect, clear consciousness of his fair one’s defects— this obvious absence of passion in his sentiments towards her, that my evertorturing pain arose.

Rochester vs. Jane • Still domineering? • Jane, refuses to be dominated, sympathetic with him and serving him • Jane: self-expression through paintings (110) and the two portraits. --- more to come…

The Polite Society and Beyond • XVII: 145 Rich, well--adorned • Rochester in the center, dull without him. • Lady Ingram: pompous, dogmatic • Marriage (for money and class) with Ingram: good French, showy, shallow, her mind was poor, (XVIII: 163) Jane’s feelings: from pain [not jealousy? ], despair, to becoming lenient to her master (163 -65) Adele’s mother (XI): opera dancer -- teach her to dance and sing, -- surrounded by a lot of gentlemen and ladies -- a song about a forsaken lady

Social Games: Revealing its hypocrisy & Orientalism • Charade: Wedding & • An Oriental couple: • He –an Eastern emir, an agent or a victim of the bowstring. • She—an Israelitish princess • Gypsy fortune-telling: telling the truth under disguise

The Gothic Elements • The house – more like a church (“chill and vaultlike” 85) • (XI: 92) The third floor – a shrine of memory; like a Bluebeard’s castle (93)

The Odd: Grace Poole & Mr. Mason • Grace Poole • always alone (except for one hour) • a mystery in Thornfield (145) • Mason • “too relaxed” • …eyes revealing “a tame, vacant life” (167) • From West Indies (168) • A big blow to Rochester

Turning Points & Major Motifs • The laugh – breaking social bounds • meeting Rochester outside Thornfield • the fire • Disguise – a way to violate social norms? • A. Charade: a. bride and groom, b. Rebekah and Isaac, c. Bridewell (which is actually a prison) • B. the gypsy woman • “Reader, I could not unlove him. ” –direct address to Victorian readers

References • http: //mrsrochester. hubpages. com/hub/tr anslation-of-french-in-jane-eyre