Power Point Ideas for Analyzing Jane Eyre1. Allegory – Slavery and the Madwoman in the Attic in Charlotte Bronte’s

novel, Jane Eyre. What is Bronte really trying to depict? 2. Is Jane Eyre a Gothic novel? Or is it at least in the tradition of the Gothic? Or

does it show the influence of the Gothic? – 6th Period – Group 63. Jane Eyre ends happily. Is this novel a true comedy?4. One of the questions in the background of the book is, “What makes a lady?”

Is it birth, breeding, experience, money, or something else? What is the novel's answer?

5. The novel is rich with symbols. Look for symbols in objects (such as, say, a tree, Jane Eyre’s plain dress), people's names (Miss Temple, Mrs. Harden), location names (Thornfield), and even events. Find all these symbols, A FEW SYMBOLS ONLY WILL NOT SUFFICE! Discuss in detail why these symbols are significant as a whole. 7th Period – Group 2

6. What should be the reasons for marriage? The novel suggests several possibilities and rejects many of them. Discuss social and socioeconomic levels during the Victorian period and how this relates to marriage as a whole. How does Jane Eyre, Blanche Ingram, Bertha Rochester, St. John Rivers, Rosamonde Oliver, Celine Varens and Mr. Rochester fit this category. – 6th Period – Group 4

7. You can use MTAS (Motifs, Theme, Allusion, Symbolism) to discover the movement of motifs throughout the novel as you have been doing with the other works, or you can examine the occurrence of different motifs in various sections of the novel. There are several distinct sections in Jane’s life: home, Lowood, Mr. Rochester’s, St. John’s, Mr. Rochester’s again. Do each of the sections have unique identifiers, themes, or moods?

8. Compare the occurrences of words relating to love and those relating to marriage. What pattern do you find? Is there a surprise in the pattern (you will have to look at the text to see what happens at each correlation or disparity. For love, include love, loves, loved, loving, lover. For marriage, include marry, marriage, married, wed, wedding, wedded. And what role does kissing play in all this? Look for kiss, kissing, kissed, kisses. Is there an interaction between the motifs of love and hate? Be sure to list the characters whom these words are constantly being related to – some examples include the following: Jane Eyre, Blanche Ingram, Bertha Rochester, St. John Rivers, Rosamonde Oliver, Celine Varens and Mr. Rochester. Be sure to indicate which words are relation to each character and why? – 5th Period – Group 3

9. Is there an interaction between “love” and “hate?” Charlotte Bronte often creates suspense by declaring that something is a mystery or unexplainable. Search for related words and then see how these items are placed throughout the book. Does this create a pattern or rhythm? What occurrences line up the peaks and the valleys of the motif? Some useful words may be puzzle, puzzled, mystery, mystification, conjecture, unknown, suspense.

a. What is the role of fear in the novel? Look for words such as fright, horror, terror, terrified, fear.

10. God is mentioned at certain points and not others. What if anything determines when He is mentioned? What events surround references to God? What is the rhythm of spiritual awareness or comment in the book? Is Jane present when God is mentioned? Has she changed between peaks of mention? If so, how? Some words to search on include God, God’s, and perhaps faith, heaven.

11. A powerful pendulum in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was between hope and fear. What kind of connection do you find between these two motifs in the book? Search on hope, hopes, wishes, wish, wished, and then graph those results against references to fear, feared, afraid.

12. There seems to be substantial talk about health and sickness in the book. Find words related to both and see how they figure in the structure of the text. Possibilities would include dying, sick, ill, die, death, died, pestilence, disease, fever, consumption, typhus. Contrast those results with a search on health, healthy, robust, etc.

13. What is the role of sin in the book? Look for blot, contamination, polluted, sin, evil, sullied, bane.

14. Examine the contrast between two common elements of struggle, such as reason and passion, life and death, humility and pride (Hubris). 6th Period – Group 3

15. Search on character names to see how their presence comes and goes throughout the book. What can you say about the movement of plot or the focus on various characters based on this analysis?

16. Insane Aylums during the Bronte era (UK). Why is this relevant to woman? Discuss the frustration and the idea of madness in women. Who is Bertha connected to during this time period? Why does Charlotte Bronte feel it is relevant to insert hysteria in her novel? What is the compassing nature of madness in relation to the novel as a whole? Out of all the characters in the novel, who should actually be placed in an insane asylum? Why or why not do you suppose these characters were not institutionalized?

17. Computer analysis using Microsoft Word.a. Count the number of occurrences of a term in Word by doing a find and

replace. You can highlight a section and perform the find and replace on just that section (such as a chapter) or perform it on the entire book.

i. Compare the occurrences of “he” and “she.” What do you find and what does it mean?

ii. How many colons are there in the book? You could then state the results as "colons per thousand words."

iii. Colons are not the only oddity in Jane Eyre. How many dashes are there? By finding and replacing the two hyphens how does it change the meaning of the novel or chapter as a whole?

iv. How many questions are asked? (Find and replace question marks.) What is Charlotte Bronte struggling with or maybe wants the reader to understand?

18. Create a computerized version of the settings in the book and explain the significance of each setting: Gateshead, Red Room, Lowood , Thornfield, Chestnut Tree, 3rd floor of Thornfield castle, Moore House (aka: Marsh’s End) and Ferndean. How do they compare to Charlotte Bronte’s own life. – 7th Period – Group 6

19. Create a Victorian newspaper for the book. Include an editorial, fashion page, advice column, news stories like the burning of Thorndike Hall, society page with recent social events, missing persons ad, sales events, governess for hire, wedding or engagement announcements, obituaries. You must include what character is reporting the event and in relation to the characters background, character development, conflict, etc. A few episodes or columns will not suffice. This must be created in its entirety. Many many events (significant moments) occurred in this novel. 4th Period – Group 1

20. Evaluate the book as a reflection of the Victorian times. Be sure to compare various instances with the Victorian culture.

21. Inference and Insight into the Bronte family. How is Charlotte’s own family and background revealed in this novel. Be sure to include outside family members as well. A few family members will not suffice as full credit for your assignment. How was Bronte able to show her true emotions and/or feelings of each person demonstrated through the novel. What do you truly believe Charlotte felt about her family members based on the characters portrayed in the novel.

22. Compare the two marriage proposals of St. John Rivers and Rochester. Compare the rhetorical strategies - such as arguments, assumptions, attitudes, and diction - used by the men and comment on how Jane reacted to both proposals and why. What do you think Jane’s life might be like if she had chosen St. John? Compare three (almost) brides in Rochester’s life and how would life been for Rochester had his marriage to Bertha been successful or had Rochester chosen to marry Blanche Ingram. What would life been like for Blanche? – 4th Period – Group 6

23. For your presentation, you will identify a key scene/event that took place while Jane was living in that setting, and that also contains text passages from that setting that are particularly descriptive of some aspect of the setting—that help the readers visualize or form a mental image of the setting. Then, you will prepare to present your ideas of how that particular setting developed Jane Eyre’s character and the themes of the book. To do this, you will need to describe Jane’s personality, as it has developed up to the end of the setting that your group is exploring for the class—her motivations, beliefs, concerns, and so on, and you will need to justify your description by reference to the text—what she says and does that reveals her character, and then you will need to explain how you believe her beliefs, motivations and concerns have been effected by her setting. One way to analyze the impact of setting is to consider how Jane might have reacted differently to events in a different setting. Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield Hall, Moor House, Ferndean

24. Relationships as they pertained to the eighteenth century and how they compare today. This needs to consist of parental relationships, parent/child relationships, maternal relationships, friendships, female/male relationships, family unity/disconnect, etc. Provide examples from text, films, other novels, using the following characters from the novel: Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester, Mrs. Reed, John Reed, Bessie Lee, Georgiana Reed, Eliza Reed, Helen Burns, Mr. Brocklehurst, Bertha Mason, Grace Poole, Adele Varens, Rosamond Oliver, St. John Rivers, Richard Mason, Alice Fairfax – Group 3 – 2nd Period

25. Research the education system the Victorian period. What subjects were taught? What were the teaching methods? Who went to school? What kind of training did the teachers have? Prepare a typical daily schedule.

26. Create a graveyard with all of the deceased from the novel. Each grave should have a poem on its stone, with an appropriate tribute to its habitant.

27. You have found the lost diary of Bertha Mason. Create ten entries which cover the time she first meets Rochester until we meet her in the novel.

28. Create a social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, Pinterest, Linked In, Google Plus +, Tumblr, Flickr, etc.) page for the following characters. Make sure you have more than one page for each character. A quote from the novel must be a part of the character’s home page. 4th Period – Group 2

Jane EyreMrs. ReedGeorgiana ReedEliza ReedJohn Reed Mr. Lloyd Mr. Brocklehurst

Miss TempleMiss ScratcherdMrs. Fairfax Mr. Rochester AdèleSophieCeline Varens

Blanche IngramBerthaGrace PooleMr. MasonMr. Briggs John EyreSt. John Rivers

Diana & Mary RiversRosamonde OliverBessieHelen Burns

29. Quilters take aspects from their lives and create a physical memory. Create Jane’s life quilt. Include symbols, quotes, events in life and explain in detail why this quilt is so significant. How is this quilt a true representation of Jane Eyre. – 4th Period – Group 4

30. Discuss the Victorian Age of Jane Eyre and how this novel exemplifies many of the qualities of Romantic literature. The presence of supernatural elements, emotional connections, individual journeys, and idealistic attitudes make the Romantic elements easy to spot in this piece of Victorian literature. Dreary settings and a brooding male protagonist also establish the foundations on which many Gothic novels were set.

31. Discuss the mysticism in Jane Eyre such as “Bewitching,” “Fairies” Gypsy reading of cards, dreams, premonitions, visions, etc. What is the point in these symbols, antidotes in the novel? Your presentation can be in the form of tarot cards, gypsy game, etc.

32. Discuss the archetypes present in the novel and how they represent the characters, the journey and symbolic nature of the novel. Group 6 – 2nd Period

33. "The struggle to achieve dominance over others frequently appears in fiction." Such a struggle for dominance occurs in Jane Eyre. Write an essay showing for what purposes the author uses the struggle. Do not merely retell the story.

34. Jane Eyre is clearly a novel of contrasts: fire versus ice, rich versus poor, passion versus reason. Choose one of these contrasts and trace its use through several different places in the novel. Make sure that you explain

its significance for Jane and its importance to the novel as a whole. Do not merely summarize the novel.

35. Think about the definition of the gothic. Display your understanding of the term by applying it to Jane Eyre. What makes this novel appear to be gothic? Use several examples from the text to demonstrate your points. Do not merely summarize the text. 5th Period – Group 5

36. Brontë populates the novel with many types of female characters who surround Jane at various points in her life—Georgiana and Eliza Reed, Helen Burns, Blanche Ingram, Ms. Fairfax, Grace Poole, Bertha Mason, Aunt Reed, Miss Temple, Mary and Diana Rivers, and Rosamond Oliver. Choose a few of these female characters, and show how comparisons with these characters shape the reader’s understanding of Jane’s character. Do not merely summarize the text. 7th Period – Group 5

37. The Subject of Deceit - identify for each passage in the group a: the speaker, b: occasion, and c: explain what the passages have in common in regard to the subject in Jane Eyre – what is the theme?

a. “ ‘Madame,’ he pursued, ‘I have a Master to serve whose kingdom is not of this world; my mission is to mortify in these girls the lusts of the flesh; to teach them to clothe themselves with shame-facedness and sobriety, not with braided hair and costely apparel; and each of the young persons before us has a string of hair twisted in plaits which vanity itself might have woven; these, I repeat, must be cut off . . .’ ”

b. “. . . . three other visitors, ladies, now entered the room. . . they were spendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs. The two younger had grey beaver hats . . and from under the brim of this graceful head-dress fell a profusion of light tresses, elaborately curled . . .” (Vol. I 64)

c. “ ‘Well I have twice done you a wrong which I regret now. One was in breaking the promise which I gave my husband to bring you up as my own child. . . . I wrote to  ___; I said I was sorry for his disappointment, but Jane Eyre was dead; she had died of typhus fever at Lowood.  . . expose my flasehood as soon as you like.’” (Vol. II 239)

d. “ ‘The marriage cannot go on; I declare the existence of an impediment.’ ”

e. “ ‘My name is Jane Elliott.’ ” (Vol. III 337) – 2nd Period – Group 2

38. The Subject of Nature and Behavior - identify for each passage in the group a: the speaker, b: occasion, and c: explain what the passages have in common in regard to the subject in Jane Eyre – what is the theme?a. “Mrs. Fairfax had just written a letter which was waiting to be posted, so

I put on my bonnet and cloak and volunteered to carry it to Hay.’ (Vol. I 110)

b. “I made for the wicket leading to the shrubbery and I see Mr. Rochester entering. I step aside into the ivy recess . . .” (Vol. II 248)

c. “I did not like to walk at this hour alone with Mr. Rochester in the shadowy orchard; but I could not find a reason to allege for leaving him.” (Vol. II 249)

d. “ ‘But Jane, I sumon you as my wife; it is you only I intend to marry.’ ” (Vol. II 254)

e. “I struck straight into the heath; I held on to a hollow I saw deeply furrowing the brown more-side. I waded, knee-deep in its dark growth; I turned with its turnings, and finding a moss blackened granite crag in a hidden angle, I sat down under it.  . . . Nature seemed to be benign and good; I thought she loved me, outcast as I was; and I, who from man could anticipate only mistrust, rejection, insult, clung to her with filial fondness. Tonight I would be her guest –as I was her child . . .” (Vol. III 323) Group 1 – 2nd Period

39. The Subject of Foreshadowing/presentiment - identify for each passage in the group a: the speaker, b: occasion, and c: explain what the passages have in common in regard to the subject in Jane Eyre – what is the theme?a. “Before I left my bed in the morning, little Adele came running to tell

me that the great horse chestnut at the bottom of the orchard had been struck by lightning in the night, and half of it split away.”  (Vol. II 257)

b. “The cards of address alone remained to nail on: they lay, four little squares, on the drawer. Mr. Rochester had himself written the direction. . . I could not persuade myself to affix them, or to have them affixed. Mrs. Rochester! She did not exist; she would not be born till to-morrow, some time after eight o’clock A. M. . . .” (Vol. II 275)

c. “ ‘Jane! Jane! Jane!’” d. “ ‘Did you speak these words aloud?’ ” e. “ ‘I did. . .If any listener had heard me, he would have thought me mad;

I pronounced them    with frantic energy.’ ” (Vol. III 447) – 5th Period – Group 6

40. The Subject of God/Religion - identify for each passage in the group a: the speaker, b: occasion, and c: explain what the passages have in common in regard to the subject in Jane Eyre – what is the theme?a. 1. “He stood between me and every thought of religion, as an eclipse

intervenes between man and the broad sun. I could not, in those days, see God for his creature of whom I had made an idol.” (Vol. II 274)

b. 2. “ ‘Refuse to be my wife and you limit yourself forever to a track of selfish ease and barren obscurity.’” (Vol. III 409)

c. 3. “ ‘My spirit,’ I answered mentally, ‘is willing to do what is right; and my flesh, I hope, is strong enough to accomplish the will of Heaven, when once that will is distinctly known to me. At any rate, it shall be strong enough to search – inquire – to grope an outlet from this cloud of doubt, and fling open the day of certainty.’” (Vol. III 421)

d. 4. “ ‘Of late, Jane, I began to see and acknowledge the hand of God in my doom. I began to experience remorse, repentance; the wish for reconcilement to my Maker. I began sometimes to pray: very brief prayers they were, but very sincere.’ ” (Vol. III 446) – Group 4 – 2nd Period

41. A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. a. Jane Eyre is a bildungsroman. Consider the definition of

bildungsroman. Define the term, and show how Jane Eyre illustrates this type of novel. Use several examples from the text to demonstrate your points. Do not merely summarize the text. 5th Period – Group 1

42. Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said has written that “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted.” Yet Said has also said that exile can become “a potent, even enriching” experience.

43. Select a character who experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. – 4th Period – Group 3

44. In some works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as times of tribulation and terror. Explain how its representation of childhood or adolescence shapes the meaning of the work as a whole. – 6th Period – Group 2

45. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a character who must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal.

46. One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Discuss how a character in the novel struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work. – 7th Period – Group 4

47. Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. In these works, the solution to the mystery may be less important than the knowledge gained in the process of its investigation. Discuss in which you identify the mystery and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. – 4th Period – Group 5

48. The eighteenth-century British novelist Laurence Sterne wrote, “No body, but he who has felt it, can conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a man’s mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength, both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the same time.” – 6th Period – Group 3

49. From Jane Eyre choose a character (not necessarily the protagonist) whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, or influences. Then, identify each of the two conflicting forces and explain how this conflict with one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.

50. Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which they live. Select a scene and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

51. In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a character in Jane Eyre that functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary.

52. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a character that plays a significant role and show how that character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions or moral values.

53. The British novelist Fay Weldon offers this observation about happy endings. “The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from their readers are the writers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean mere fortunate events—a marriage or a last minute rescue from death--but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at death.” In Jane Eyre describe and discuss that kind of ending Weldon describes. In a well-written essay, identify the “spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation” evident in the ending and explain its significance in the work as a whole.

54. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose two such places. Explain how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.

55. Choose a significant event(s) that are mental or psychological; for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. Describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. Do not merely summarize the plot. – Group 5 – 2nd Period

57. Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in Jane Eyre. Explain how the incident or character is related to the more realistic of plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.

58. Choose a complex and important character in Jane Eyre who might on the basis of the character’s actions alone be considered evil or immoral. Explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

59.A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a character who confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. Show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work. – 7th Period – Group 1

60.There are so many instances in the novel where Supernatural/Gothic elements can be found. For instance, Jane Eyre mentions fairies, imps, spirits, ghosts, vampires (incidentally, Bertha is hypothetically a vampire), demons, angels, superstitions (i.e., Jane Eyre does not believe in superstitions), witches, spells, fairy tales (Bluebeard’s Castle), elves (leprechauns), gypsies, clairaudience (clairvoyance), and fortune telling. Why does Charlotte Bronte use these sorts of elements in her novel and why does she go to extreme lengths to make Rochester insult Jane by calling her an elf, spirit, fairy, etc.? Why? What is his point? What is Charlotte’s point? – 5th Period – Group 4

61.In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Select a/an act(s) of cruelty that are important to the theme. Then analyze how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim.

62.Morality is a key theme in this novel. Discuss the characters in the novel who have a conflict between passion and responsibility. List these characters and discuss the conflict that exists between morality and passion or morality and responsibility. What are key moral traits that each character possesses and out of every character how can you counteract their morality based on Victorian code? For instance, Ms. Fairfax’s rule of morality and does she follow it or change it just a little for the goal of keeping her employment? What about Brocklehurst’s moral code, moral compass, or moral character? Rochester’s? St. John’s? Miss Temple’s? Bessie’s? Aunt Reed? Richard Mason? Mr. Lloyd? Miss Scatcherd? Jane Eyre? – 6th Period – Group 1

63.Destruction and Repair. This recurring theme that is present throughout Jane Eyre outlines life in general and trials and tribulations that are prevalent in everyday human lives. Find and discuss all significances or symbols of destruction and repair that is present and what does this destruction represent for the character(s) as a whole but in turn becomes a reparation of the soul? Period – Group 5

64.Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonesty may be intended either to help or to hurt. Such a character, for example, may choose to mislead others for personal safety, to spare someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime. Choose a character(s) who deceives others. Analyze the motives for that character’s deception and discuss how the deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. – 5th Period – Group 2

65.Select a character whose origins are unusual or mysterious. Then write an essay in which you analyze how these origins shape the character and that character’s relationships, and how the origins contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.