Jane Eyre

1. Oral Response! Jane Eyre How does Charlotte Bronte create sympathy for Jane in the first two chapters of the novel?

2. Learning Objectives: We are learning to understand how Charlotte Bronte creates sympathy for Jane through: • the settings she creates and how she establishes them • the language she uses to describe Jane herself • the way the chapters are structured And We are learning to understand how the social context of the time helps you to respond to what is written

3. Social Context ‘Jane Eyre’ was written in 1848 during the Victorian era. There was a strict class structure. It was difficult to move from one class to another. It was a patriarchal society, men were in charge.

4. VICTORIAN/19TH CENTURY CLASS STRUCTURE MONARCH ARISTOCRACY UPPER CLASS UPPER MIDDLE CLASS MIDDLE CLASS LOWER MIDDLE CLASS WORKING CLASS

5. VICTORIAN/19TH CENTURY MIDDLE/UPPER CLASS FAMILY STRUCTURE (PATRIARCHIAL) FATHER MOTHER ELDEST SON OTHER SONS DAUGHTERS CHILDREN GOVERNESS SERVANTS

6. Social Context continued In the middle class Reed family, because Mr Reed has passed away, Mrs Reed is in charge. The next most important person is John, followed by the two girls; Eliza and Georgina. The servants come next but Jane is lower than the servants: ‘you are less than a servant.’

7. Social Context continued Family and religion were important at this time. There was an emphasis on family but Jane is an orphan and does not have her own family, the Reeds do not want her. Jane doesn’t fit in with the family and this is confirmed by John Reed, the servants and Mrs Reed. Jane’s isolation shows loneliness and sorrow; even religion is used for punishment: ‘God will punish her.’ Charlotte Bronte creates sympathy for Jane by showing her isolation from the family.

8. Analysis of first two chapters leads to a more focused, purposeful assignment and the opportunity to demonstrate analytical skill. Assessment criteria • What the text is about and why it was written • The style,structure and characterisation • The relevance of the writer’s use of language • The effects achieved by the writer’s choice of language and form • The social and historical setting

9. Reading We are now going to read chapter 1. I need volunteers to read in role! • What language device has Bronte used in the opening paragraphs to show Jane’s misery? • How is Jane treated by her cousins? • Why does Jane read? • How is Jane feeling at the end of chapter 1?

10. Chapter One • Write Jane’s name in the centre of your page and then arrange the names of all the other characters we meet in this chapter around Jane, in accordance with their relationship with her. • For example, if you think Bessie is her closest ally, put her name close to Jane’s.

11. Reading We are now going to read chapter 2. I need volunteers to read in role! • What impression does the description of the red room give us? • How does Jane feel?

12. Chapter Two • Imagine you were to stage this story. Using detail from pages 20–21, sketch your stage plan for the red room, with labels.

13. Setting • Charlotte Bronte creates sympathy for Jane through the setting. In chapter one she describes the weather. She uses pathetic fallacy; the weather which is miserable mimics Jane’s misery: ‘cold winter wind’. • In chapter two Bronte gives the reader an in depth description of the red room: ‘the carpet is red’, ‘blush of pink in the wardrobe’ and ‘curtains of deep red damask’. This gives an impression of hell, it is gothic and ten year old Jane is terrified. The room is terrifying and Jane is superstitious as she thinks the room is haunted because her uncle died in the room. The description of the room brings out Jane’s fears and her terror creates sympathy.

14. Language • The language used creates sympathy for Jane. John Reed and Miss Abbot use abusive language showing the reader that Jane is not wanted and that she is bullied and mistreated: ‘You rat’.’ • Jane’s self pitying shows her torment and depression. She shows hatred towards Mrs Reed and her cousins. The rhetorical questions show Jane’s torment and confusion: ‘Why was I always suffering?’, ‘Why could I never please?’, ‘Why was it useless to try and win anyone’s favour?’

15. Structure • Charlotte Bronte creates sympathy for Jane by her structuring of the chapters. The narration is in the first person singular, from Jane’s description of events and what she is doing: ‘I cannot tell what sentiment haunted the quiet solitary churchyard.’ • The dialogue shows us that Jane is bullied. The in depth description of Jane’s feelings shows her inner thoughts and personal feelings about her torment from the Reed’s. It also shows her mental horror when she is isolated in the red room: ‘I cannot endure it’, ‘I wiped my tears and hushed my sobs.’

16. The language, the structure and the description of the settings all create sympathy towards Jane. • Jane is isolated and in this patriarchal society she is even lower than the servants. She is hated and unwanted by the Reeds; she, a ten year old orphan, is alone in the world. Overall, it is Jane’s anger at her unjust treatment, combined with her childlike expression, that creates sympathy in the reader.

17. Hot-seating! • You will now be allocated a character from the novel. (Jane, Mrs Reed or John) • Make concise notes about your character. • Think of 5 questions that you can ask other characters. • Are you ready to be hot-seated?

18. The final assessment • Group discussion exploring how Charlotte Bronte creates sympathy for Jane in the first two chapters of the novel.

19. Prose StudyJane Eyre • Oral response to question: How does Charlotte Bronte create sympathy for Jane in the first two chapters of the novel ‘Jane Eyre’? • We read the first two chapters of the novel and annotated it. We focused through class and paired discussions on settings created, language used to describe Jane Eyre, the way the chapters are structured and the social and historical context. We were hot seated as a character from the novel and other students asked us questions which we had to answer in role. Our final assessment for this oral response to ‘Jane Eyre’ involved a group discussion exploring how Charlotte Bronte creates sympathy for Jane in the first two chapters of the novel.