Jane Eyre Questions for Study and Discussion

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre is one of the foremost works of British literature. At its heart, its a coming-of-age story, but  Jane Eyre  is much more than girl-meets-and-marries boy. It marked a new style of fiction writing, relying on the title characters internal monologue for much of the storys action. A womans internal monologue, no less. Put simply, the story of Jane Eyre and Edmund Rochester is a romance, but on the womans terms. Originally Published Under Male Pseudonym Theres no small irony in the fact that the distinctly feminist  Jane Eyre was originally published in 1847 under Brontes male pseudonym, Currer Bell. With the creation of Jane and her world, Bronte introduced an entirely new kind of heroine: Jane is plain and orphaned, but intelligent and proud. Bronte depicts Janes struggles with classism and sexism from a perspective that was almost unheard of in the 19th-century Gothic novel. There is a heavy dose of social critique in Jane Eyre, and distinctly sexual symbolism, also not common with female protagonists of the time period. It has even spawned a sub-genre of criticism, that of the madwoman in the attic. This, of course, is a reference to Rochesters first wife, a key character whose impact on the plot is significant, but whose voice is never heard in the novel. Regularly on Top 100 Best Book Lists Given its literary significance and its groundbreaking style and story, its no wonder that Jane Eyre regularly lands on Top 100 best books lists,  and is  a favorite among English literature instructors and students of the genre. Questions for Study and Discussion What is important about the title; why does Bronte choose a name for her character that has so many homonyms (heir, air). Is this intentional? What is significant about Janes time at Lowood? How does this shape her character?   Compare Brontes descriptions of Thornfield with the descriptions of Rochesters appearance. What is she trying to convey? There are many symbols throughout Jane Eyre. What significance do they hold for the plot?   How would you describe Jane as a person? Is she believable? Is she consistent? How did your opinion of Rochester change when you learned what his secret was? Does the story end the way you expected?   Do you think Jane Eyre is a feminist novel? Why or why not? How does Brontes portray other female characters besides Jane? Who is the most significant woman in the novel other than its titular character? How does Jane Eyre compare to other heroines of 19th century English literature? Of whom does she remind you?   How essential is the setting for the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? Do you think Jane and Rochester deserved a happy ending? Do you think they got one?   This is just one part of our study guide on Jane Eyre. Please see the links below for additional helpful resources.

The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman - 1302 Words

The Yellow Wallpaper In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s brilliant work, The Yellow Wallpaper, readers explore the consequences of the ignorance of mental health, as well Gilman’s underlying message of the restriction of women, in nineteenth century America. The author of this story doesn’t want readers to focus on the progression of the woman when realizing her real situation, but in my opinion, how Gilman comments with this piece of fiction to the real oppression of women, and lack of weight Medicine held on the patient s opinions in Charlotte’s society. In this psychological tale we are introduced to a woman facing a mental illness in the late 1800’s writing secretly about essentially being belittled about her health by her husband, John, a doctor, who subjects her to bed rest and isolation to the real world to recover. Her words: â€Å"...John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition, and I confess it always makes me feel bad.† (page 2 of The Yellow Wall-Paper) struck with me. I understand the feeling of suddenly feeling useless, unproductive and sort of trapped in your own mind. As she loses touch with life outside of the house, she begins to obsess with the women she sees behind the yellow wallpaper of her bedroom. First, I believed the wallpaper to be a metaphor of her depression, â€Å"I can see a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure, that seems to skulk about behind that silly and conspicuous front design [of the wallpaper].† (page 4 of TheShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman885 Words   |  4 Pagesbeen a stigma around mental illness and feminism. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the 1900’s. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† has many hidden truths within the story. The story was an embellished version her own struggle with what was most likely post-partum depression. As the story progresses, one can see that she is n ot receiving proper treatment for her depression and thus it is getting worse. Gilman uses the wallpaper and what she sees in it to symbolize her desire to escapeRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman846 Words   |  4 PagesHumans are flawed individuals. Although flaws can be bad, people learn and grow from the mistakes made. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, gives one a true look at using flaws to help one grow. Gilman gives her reader’s a glimpse into what her life would have consisted of for a period of time in her life. Women were of little importance other than to clean the house and to reproduce. This story intertwines the reality of what the lives of woman who were considered toRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1362 Words   |  6 Pagesas freaks. In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, both of these elements are present. Gilman did a wonderful job portraying how women are not taken seriously and how lightly mental illnesses are taken. Gilman had, too, had firsthand experience with the physician in the story. Charlotte Perkins Gilman s believes that there really was no difference in means of way of thinking between men or women is strongly. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a short story about a woman whoRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1547 Words   |  7 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman s career as a leading feminists and social activist translated into her writing as did her personal life. Gilman s treatment for her severe depression and feelings of confinement in her marriage were paralleled by the narrator in her shorty story, The Yellow Wallpaper. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. Her parents, Mary Fitch Perkins and Fredrick Beecher Perkins, divorced in 1869. Her dad, a distinguished librarian and magazine editorRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman999 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a story of a woman s psychological breakdown, which is shown through an imaginative conversation with the wallpaper. The relationship between the female narrator and the wallpaper reveals the inner condition of the narrator and also symbolically shows how women are oppressed in society. The story, read through a feminist lens, reflects a woman s struggle against the patriarchal power structure. In the â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses the wallpaperRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman904 Words   |  4 Pagescom/us/definiton/americaneglish/rest-cure?q=rest+cure). Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper as a reflection of series of events that happened in her own life. Women who fought the urge to be the typical stereotype were seen as having mental instabilities and were considered disobedient. The societal need for women to conform to the standards in the 1800s were very high. They were to cook, clean and teach their daughters how to take care of the men. Gilman grew up without her father and she vowedRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman2032 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a poem about women facing unequal marriages, and women not being able to express themselves the way they want too. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in 1860, and died in 1935. This poem was written in 1892. When writing this poem, women really had no rights, they were like men’s property. So writing â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† during this time era, was quite shocking and altered society at the time. (Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the Feminization ofRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman846 Words   |  4 PagesThe dignified journey of the admirable story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† created by Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, gave the thought whether or not the outcome was influenced by female oppression and feminism. Female oppression and feminist e ncouraged a series of women to have the freedom to oppose for their equal rights. Signified events in the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† resulted of inequality justice for women. Charlotte Perkins Gilman gave the reader different literary analysis to join the unjustifiableRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman Essay1208 Words   |  5 Pagesthat wallpaper as I did?† the woman behind the pattern was an image of herself. She has been the one â€Å"stooping and creeping.† The Yellow Wallpaper was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In the story, three characters are introduced, Jane (the narrator), John, and Jennie. The Yellow Wallpaper is an ironic story that takes us inside the mind and emotions of a woman suffering a slow mental breakdown. The narrator begins to think that another woman is creeping around the room behind the wallpaper, attemptingRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1704 Words   |  7 PagesEscaping Th e Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) whom is most acclaimed for her short story The Yellow Wallpaper (1891) was a women’s author that was relatively revolutionary. Gilman makes an appalling picture of captivity and confinement in the short story, outlining a semi-personal photo of a young lady experiencing the rest cure treatment by her spouse, whom in addition to being her husband was also her therapist. Gilman misused the rest cure in The Yellow Wallpaper to alarm other

Promoting the Erie Canal Essay Example For Students

Promoting the Erie Canal Essay In 1825 Charles G. Haines just began to serve asGovernor George De Witt Clintons secretary, here hewrote about the mayors views on the Erie Canal project. Haines was already a huge supporter of this product so hetook great joy in writing this paper about the whole project. He briefly describes that the plan is split up into threesections: Lake Erie to the Senaca River, Senaca to Rome,and from Rome finally connecting to the Hudson Riverwhich eventually dumps into the Atlantic Ocean. Haines began to go further on in his report telling how hefeels that this GRAND CANAL will catapult New York tothe status of The London of America. The people whowere backing this project and these claims may have gottencarried away with themselves when they started talkingabout how they wanted to connect the Mississippi Riverwith New York. This idea sounded good on paper but aswe now know it never was put into effect, either for lack ofmoney or the implementation of the highway system inAmerica. I actually liked this article a little bit, it did not bore me likethe others and I was able to follow along with the readingeasily. I do not know if the Erie Canal was what originallystarted New York off to its prominent status, but NewYork sure is today very successful. As Haines hadenvisioned it back then, today it has a good case for beingThe London of America.Miscellaneous