Reading Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre (Dover Thrift Editions)
By Charlotte Brontë

I finished Jane Eyre. (Only because we went camping for several days, my parents drove us all around the city, and like me--the children were all strapped into the seat belts which allowed my eyes to focus on something beside them for a few hours at a time)

So what did I think? Okay...once I was able to get past the first 100 pages, I began to enjoy the book. 500 pages later, I adored it and thought that Charlotte Bronte was an magnificant writer. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed immensely all the little snippets of scripture that Bronte used almost in every chapter. With the amount of scripture, (although she used many quotes from other well known works) you could almost play a hide and seek game out of it! I wonder how many references she used to scripture? Anyway, I also really enjoyed her comparison of her hero to (the Biblical) Samson in several places through out the book. And giggled when she likened her hero's hair (at the end of the book) to the Biblical description, of how the Bible describes, Nebuchadnezar's hair and nails-- "grows like Eagles hair" and his nails are like "bird claws"!

Oh, but, the fact that both of her characters were not pleasing to the eye and their characters portrayed in a different light made the book even more amazing. I never knew I could fall in love with characters so unappealing! (chuckle!) I found it charming! And the fact that she set out to prove to her sisters that she could make people feel this way shows her talent as a writer!

And now, that I have finished the book, I can see why Bronte is considered one of Jane Austen's critics. However, I still stand unmoved. Emma and Pride and Prejudice is still my favorite. Wives and Daughters still in my opinion, if it had been finished probably would have been the book to out shine Pride and Prejudice. And... Jane Eyre by Bronte just might be one of my top 5! But I still have much more to read when it comes to this years quest...

Oh, but before I forget, I also have to give another comment about Jane Eyre. I liked how Bronte (just like how Jane Austen finished Pride and Prejudice) gave a synopsis of what happened to the other characters! --They tied the book up with a bow and package it with no loose strings! Extremely satisfying.

Now, after thinking about the book for a day, and forming my own opinion. I then did a little research on the web to find out if I came away with the same feelings as other did when it came to symbolism, foreshadowing, point of view, wonderful quotes, etc. It was at this time that I found a quiz http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/quiz.html and I found a study guide http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/pdf/jane_eyre.pdf that I think would be nice for parents of homeschoolers.

Now, I want to share three of my favorite passages (just so that I will remember them).

My first one is when Mr. Rochester comes home and Adele (his ward) says to him in front of Jane (the governess), 'Isn't it so, sir, that there is a gift for Miss Eyre in your little chest?" He then turns to Jane and says, "Who talks of cadeaus? Did you expect a present, Miss Eyre? Are you fond of presents?" She then says, "I hardly know, sir; I have little experience of them: they are generally thought pleasant things." Then Mr. Rochester says, "Generally thought! But what do you think?" (And here is where I giggled. And I knew that I was going to like this author. She writes with such truth! Some gifts are given with a price....!) Jane Eyre says, "I should be obliged to take time, sir, before I could give you an answer worthy of your acceptance. A present has many faces to it, has it not? and one should consider all before pronouncing an opinion as to its nature!"

The other passage: Ms Jane is describing the efforts of Miss Ingram's trying to win Mr. Rochester's affection. I liked her word picture with the arrows.

"But as matters really stood, to watch Miss Ingram's efforts at fascinating Mr. Rochester- to witness their repeated failure- herself unconscious that hey did fail- vainly fancying that each shaft launched hit the mark, and infatuatedly pluming herself on success, when her pride and self-complaisancy repelled further and further what she wished to allure-- to witness this was to be at once under ceaseless excitation and ruthless restraint. Because, when she failed, I saw how she might have succeeded. Arrows that continually glanced off from Mr. Rochester's breast, and fell harmless at his feet, might, I knew, if shot by a surer hand, have quivered keen in his proud heart- have called love into his stern eye, and softness into his sardonic face; or, better still, without weapons, a silent conquest might have been won."

Oh but the LOVE passage was the BEST! The fact that 1/2 way in the book he says this to her (what I wrote below) and at the end of the book it is her that actually fulfills this passage to him due to his broken body. -- He is talking of his insane wife and how different his love is for Jane.

"Jane, my little darling....Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own. In pain and sickness it would still be dear. Your mind is my treasure, and if it were broken it would be my treasure still; if you raved, my arms should confine you, and not a straight waistcoat. Your grasp, even in fury, would have a charm for me; if you flew at me as wildly as that woman did this morning, I should receive you in an embrace, at least as fond as it would be restrictive; I should not shrink from you with disgust, as I did from her. In your quiet moments you should have no watcher and no nurse but me; and I could hang over you with untiring tenderness, though you gave me no smiled in return; and never weary of gazing into your eyes, though they had no longer a ray of recognition of me."