Final Discussion: Directions

BEFORE you get to class on Monday, you should post on TWO threads.  There are 13 to choose from, so there should be plenty to discuss!

Notice that your friend isn't posting -- give them a heads up!

Final Discussion: Grass is Always Greener

Is this new life with the Rivers an upgrade or a downgrade?  Discuss the pros and cons.

Final Discussion: Only in my Dreams

Discuss the various dreams that have appeared in these chapters, as well as elsewhere within the text.  What do you make of them?

Final Discussion: A Match Made in … Heaven?

What do you think of St. John?  How would he fair as a companion for Jane?

Final Discussion: More Money…More Problems

So apparently Jane is now a millionaire.  Discuss the inheritance, her decisions, etc.

Final Discussion: Ch-Ch-Changes

How has Jane changed since the beginning of the novel?  Are there any traits from her childhood that have remained?

Has Rochester changed?

Final Discussion: That House is on Fire

What did you make of that?  And the injuries that followed?  Symbolic?

Final Discussion: Seeing Double

Bronte uses quite a few doubles within the text to serve as foils/comparisons.  Discuss any of these.

There are so many that you should probably discuss one at a time, replaying to the original thread about that double before you move on to another one.

Final Discussion: Happily Ever After…

So our heroine gets everything she’s always wanted.  What did you think of the ending?

Final Discussion: Famous Last Words

What did you think of St. John having the final words of the novel?  Discuss this, and what he has to say.

Final Discussion: Art Imitates Life

There are quite a few parallels between Jane’s stories and the Bronte sisters.  Do a bit of research on Charlotte’s life and discuss the connections here.

Final Discussion: A Whole New Word…

Jane Eyre is a Bildungsroman – a coming-of-age novel; a novel of education; a novel of formation.  How does this novel fit that mold?  How has anyone come of age?

Final Discussion: For all Intents & Purposes

It’s famously claimed that Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane’s character in answer to a challenge.  She wanted to prove that a plain, witty, female character could be just as compelling as a beautiful damsel in distress.  She also provided a feminist critique of many aspects of the Victorian lifestyle.  Do you feel like she was successful?  If you’d like to do some research on Victorian life, or Bronte’s purposes – cite some evidence & reflect.

Final Discussion: Lesson Learned

What would be some good theme statements for the novel?  Remember – a theme says something ABOUT a topic!  Support your response with text references (and without Sparknotes/Shmoop)!

Maybe more importantly...What will YOU take away from reading this piece?  

24-30: The Help

At the end of our reading assignment, Jane has a conversation with Hannah.  How does she parallel with the servants in the Reed household?

24-30: Home is Wherever I'm with...people who mistreat me

Discuss the various "homes" that Jane has been in so far, Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, and the Rivers' household. How are they the same, and how do they differ?

24-30: All things being equal

Throughout the novel, we continually see Jane struggle for equality. How does Jane struggle in these chapters, and what is the significance?

24-30: Jewelry and Dresses and Carriages, Oh My!

Look closely at the first chapters is this section - the preparation for the wedding.    How does Rochester prepare, and how do Jane and Adele react?  What does this tell us about their characters and what lay ahead?

24-30: Don't Blame Me...

A two-part question:

Rochester claims he was tricked into marrying Bertha.  Do you buy it? Does he deserve sympathy or to be rid of this burden?  Why or why not?

Look at his discussion/confession and specifically comment on Bronte's language use to characterize Rochester and express his tone.

24-30: Should've Seen It Coming...

Discuss what could have foreshadowed this event -- in these chapters and previous ones, too.

24-30: These Boots are Made for Walkin'...

A two part question:

Discuss Bronte's use of language as she describes Jane's behavior in the aftermath of the wedding day revelation:

Jane in her room

Reaction to Rochester's confession

Jane's Leaving

Do you think Jane made the right decision of leaving Thornfield & Rochester, even though she is leaving everything that she has ever wanted?  

24-30: Have a Little Faith...

How does religion function in these chapters - not only with Jane, but those she encounters?

24 - 30: The Rivers Estate

What do you think of this family?  About their treatment of Jane & her relationships with them - St. John, Hannah, Mary, & Diane?

16-23: Compare/Contrast

What parallels do you see between what's happening in Jane Eyre & The Turn of the Screw?

16-23: Inevitability

"I had not intended to love him: the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me."

In chapter 17, what is the impact of Jane describing her love for Rochester as "germs of love"? How can you relate the love to "germs"?

Do you feel like she REALLY tries not to have feelings for him? She keeps forcing herself not to feel for him - but does she truly believe that's the best route to take?

16-23: An Ideal Husband

Explain the perception you have of Rochester at this point in the story. Do you like him or not? Why do you like him or would you want him to change? Use evidence to support your statement.

16-23: Teach Your Children Well

Look at the conversations Jane has with Adele in these chapters (there aren't a ton, so it should be easy).  What do Adele's comments and habits tell you about her?  What is Jane trying to teach her in her replies and commentary?

16-23: Saving Grace or Grace Under Fire

-- I couldn't decide which title I liked best.  I'm clever like that.

What in the world would make Rochester keep Grace -- the woman who almost burned him alive -- on his staff?  What's his motive?

16-23: Party Time! Excellent!

What a LOVELY gathering that was!

First -- Check the other posts for this reading to make sure that what you want to discuss isn't already covered there.

Then -- If it's not:

There's so many places to take this conversation -  Blanche!  Class warfare!  Charades!  Opinions on Governesses!  And of course...Jane's take on it all.

Discuss.

16-23: No Questions Asked

So, who is this Mason guy?  What happened to him?  Jane just helps him without any sort of inquiry.  What did you make of that?

**NO SPOILERS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW!**
P.S.  You'll find out in the next reading

16-23: I May Be a Bird in a Cage...

...but at least it's your cage.

Jane seems to long for independence and freedom.  How would a relationship/future with Rochester affect that?  Do you see her views changing?


And who gets my allusion without Google-ing??

16-23: Well...This is Awkward...

Discuss Jane's return to see Aunt Reed, and all the information that transpires in ch. 21 & 22.

16-23: Quit Playin' Games With My Heart

Rochester seems to mock and toy with Jane and her emotions at every turn.  What are your thoughts on this?

16-23: Finally!!

React to Ch. 23!

So these chapters end with the girl getting the guy.  Happily ever after...

16-23: Thunderbolt and Lightning! Very, Very Frightening!

...but that lightning storm can't be a good sight.  How do you see weather functioning in these chapters?

16-23: Measuring Up

Charlotte Bronte populates the novel with many female characters roughly the same age as Jane—Georgiana and Eliza Reed, Helen Burns, and Blanche and Mary Ingram. How do comparisons with these characters shape the reader's understanding of Jane's character? How does Jane see herself in relation to some of these women? 

16-23: Gypsies, Tramps, & Thieves!

So...the gypsy scene.   React!

And again --  who gets my allusion without Google??

1-15 – I Think We’re Alone Now

How has isolation featured in these chapters?

1-15 – Catching Fire!

**NO SPOILERS!** Let's talk about this "hot" topic (pun totally intended).  What do you think happened?  What about Rochester's behavior in response to it??  **NO SPOILERS!**

1-15 – Knight in Gloomy Armor

While most girls want their knight on the white horse, Jane still seems intrigued by Rochester - the antithesis of this.  Their first meeting was a comedy of errors.  Discuss this scene!

1-15 – Karma Police

"If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse."   Discuss Jane's take on morals and behavior.  Do you agree with this sentiment, and what she says in her discussions with Helen?

1-15 – Jane Eyre: Cribs

Discuss the atmosphere and physical descriptions of the places Jane Eyre stays in these chapters.

1-15 – Red Room! Red Room!

Look closely at that scene and analyze its style and/or significance, especially symbolically.

1-15 – Judging a Book By Its Cover…

After the Red-Room Incident, Abbot says of Jane, "...if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one cannot care for such a toad as that.”  Then look at her inner monologue about Rochester-before-we-know-its-Rochester’s appearance in the Accident in Chapter 12 and their conversations in the drawing room.  What theme develops here – what do you think of these two incidents?

1-15 – Acerbic Wit

When Jane is talking to Brocklehurst in Chapter 4, he asks her: What must you do to avoid hell and Jane responds, “I must keep in good health, and not die.” Brocklehurst was looking for some sort of a spiritual answer yet Jane replies with that statement. What does this statement show about Jane`s character and/or her moral or spiritual beliefs? 

1-15 – Lowood: Blessing or Curse?

Did her time at Lowood have a more positive or negative impact on Jane?  Is it better or worse than Gateshead?  Where would you rather be?

1-15 – Keeping it Classy

How does the ambiguity of Jane Eyre's social class affect her life and overall behavior (as both an adopted child and as a governess)? Where are issues of social class/status in these chapters?  What is revealed by different characters' reactions to these class issues?

1-15 – Burning Bridges

Before she leaves Gateshead, Jane says to Miss Reed: “I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. I will never come to visit you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick”   Do you agree with this reaction?  Is it appropriate?

1-15 – Two Sides of the Same Coin

How can Mr. Brocklehurst and Helen Burns act as foils in the novel?

1-15 – Let’s Get Gothic

How do the opening chapters represent themes, topics, and elements of Gothic Literature?

Here We Go!

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