Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre, Appunti di Inglese

Scarica Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! CHARLOT BRONTË BRONTË SISTERS Charlotte, Emily and Anne were the daughters of an Anglican clergyman of Irish origin. These girls spent their whole childhood in a remote part of Yorkshire. They did not receive a proper education (they were mainly self-educated). CHARLOT BRONTË She was the third of six children. She was born on 21 April 1816 in Yorkshire. Her two sisters and she became storytellers at a young age, starting writing about an imaginary world called "Angria". Charlotte attended for a short period of time the Clergy Daughters' School. After the death of her two elder sisters, she returned home. Charlotte would never forget this experience and she used the school she attended as a model for Lowood, the orphanage of Jane Eyre, the protagonist of her most famous novel. Then she started teaching her sisters. 1835: she returned to the school, but this time as a teacher. 1842: she went to Brussels with her sister Emily to study French and she fell in love with Mr Héger, the headmaster of the school in which she worked, but this love was impossible, because Mr Héger was already married. Then she returned in England. Charlotte found some poems written by her sisters and decided to publish them: ● Charlotte wrote The Professor, under the pen-name "Currer" ● Emily wrote Wuthering Heights, under the pen-name "Ellis" ● Anne wrote Agnes Grey, under the pen-name "Acton Bell" Charlotte's book was considered a success, although when it was found out that a woman wrote it, critics changed their minds. Queen Victoria loved the book though, so people started to appreciate it too. Charlotte moved to London, where she met Arthur Bell Nicholls. They married, but unfortunately Charlotte died while expecting their child. JANE EYRE PLOT The novel begins with Jane living at her aunt's, Mrs Reed. Mrs Reed and her children are very cruel towards Jane and one night Mrs Reed locks Jane into the 'Red Room', a supposedly haunted room in the family home. Mrs Reed sends Jane to Lowood School where the headmaster, Mr Brocklehurst, is also cruel towards Jane. Conditions are very poor at the school and Jane's best friend, Helen Burns, dies of consumption. Jane later becomes a teacher at Lowood. Jane applies for a governess position at Thornfield Hall and gets the post. She becomes governess for Adele. Jane begins to fall in love with her employer, Mr Rochester. A fire breaks out at Thornfield, nearly killing Rochester as he sleeps. Jane saves him. Rochester claims it was Grace Poole - a servant - who started the fire; however Jane doesn't think it was. Jane is shocked when Rochester confesses his love and desire to marry her. She thought he wanted to marry Blanche Ingram. On the day of their wedding, a man turns up at the church to declare that Rochester cannot marry as he is already married. Rochester reveals all about his marriage, claiming his wife Bertha is mad and he still wants to be with Jane. Jane cannot be with Rochester when he is still married so she runs away, becoming homeless and then sick. The Rivers family take her in and nurse her back to health. Jane inherits her uncle's wealth and estate. She finds out that the family that took her in are her cousins. St John Rivers asks Jane to join him in his missionary work abroad and be his wife. She nearly accepts but when she hears Rochester calling her in a dream, she decides she cannot marry someone she doesn't love. Jane returns to Thornfield. When she arrives, she discovers it has burnt down and Rochester is now living at Ferndean, his usual retreat, and is blind. Jane rushes to him and they marry. The novel concludes with Jane and Rochester married with children. Rochester also regains his sight in one eye. CHARACTERS JANE is a fully round character, complex and compelling (= fascinating). She is an orphan girl, she is unlucky, unwanted ill-treated (she is punished), but she is intelligent and stubborn, and she grows into an independent woman who marries the man she loves. Physically she is plain, unattractive, but her spirit is wild, strong and indomitable. She is also passionate, romantic , determined but above all she is a free spirit and she looks for affection and warmth without betraying her moral principles (self-respect, honesty) ROCHESTER is not particularly handsome and he’s not particularly young. He’s rich and educated so he is a gentleman. He isn’t kind and polite but he treats Jane as an equal and he is amazed by her intelligence. He had many mistresses, he had also a daughter and he decided not to abandon her. So he looks after Adele even if she is a child born out of wedlock- The Byronic hero: he is a villain because he wants to marry Jane despite the fact that he is already married (he wants to commit bigamy). He needs to be purified and the fire will do that, changing him forever. SETTING - GATESHEAD is the Reeds’ home and the place where Jane has spent her childhood. The gate has to be opened in order to let Jane free. - LOWOOD SCHOOL is the place in which Jane was educated and in which Jane had the lowest moments of her life, in fact she managed to survive to the epidemic, which killed her best friend. - THORNFIELD is Mr Rochester’s house, the place of independence and young love. Here Jane finds happiness but she also suffers - MOOR HOUSE is the Rivers’ house on the moor, is the place of temporary banishment (=esilio). She lives in a beautiful, isolated place. The nature helps Jane to start a new life and she also discovers that she has inherit a lot of money. However, one night she hears Rochester's voice and the day after she decides to go to Thornfield, where she finds out about the fire.