Jane Eyere Journal

Entry #1:
9-17-08
pages 9-20

Well the novel begins in a bit of slump i suppose. Nothing truly dire is said on the first page, but the first characters are introduced. the story is told in the first person from Jane's perspective. As I trudge on, i actually find the book interesting. Jane seems to be a little precocious. No one really seems to like her. That actually seems to be an understatement, considering John Reed, her nasty little cousin. He pushes Jane down and crack her head open, which wins her a punishment for being wicked(uhhh what?!). Jane also manages to see a ghost while being locked up for her "maliciousness." Said ghost would belong to her deceased uncle who took her in after both her parents died. But the aunt seems to hold nothing but contempt for the poor girl.

Entry #2
9-26-08
pages 21-41

This part of the exposition sets up the next part of the book i suppose. We see the relationship between Jane and Bessie a little more. We also see the consequences of the red room thing. Jane is introduced to the idea of schooling. Which to her seems infinitesimally better than being at Gateshead. The man whom Jane talks to seems pompous and arrogant. he thinks Jane is wicked and basically believes her good for nothing aunt. Its funny i think, i wonder if everyone will believe what the aunt has said.

Entry #3
9-26-08
page 51
"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."--
St. Matt. v. 16

This is the inscription on the Lowood academy door. I find interesting i suppose, because i feel in some sense it might reflect what is in store for Jane. The bible quote makes the place that much more serious. I also kinda realize that this is basically like a puritan-y kind of school. Super simple, god forbid(haha) you are anything but drab kind of thing. Like a nunnery, without the nuns. And what i love is the Jane notices this. Also that that Bronte decided to point it out, its the kind of thing i love when author point out things like that. It helps along the symbolism the meaning and i suppose a theme of sorts for the book.

Entry #4
9-26-08
page 60
"But i feel this Helen: I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly. It is as natural that I should love those who show me affection, or submit to punishment when I feel it is deserved."

Jane is conversing to Helen about her "bravery" with punishment earlier. This quote in particular points out Jane's need to feel passionate for stuff. Well maybe I'm reading too much into that. But i feel Jane deals in extremes. She either hates something(not, not like) or loves something. I think that comes from her Gateshead childhood. Jane doesn't have much else to fall on but her emotions and i think she thinks that she needs to feel strongly for something to prove the importance of it. Helen of course tells her otherwise, in a more mature reasonable way. Jane still doesn't see it that way. I don't think she'll ever realize it and that will be her downfall. The fact that she can't see the grey.

Entry # 5
9-26-08
page 72
"No; I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough: if others don't love me, i would rather die than live-- I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and it dash its hoof at my chest,"--

Jane is looking for love. She obviously doesn't care for the price that it comes with. She'd rather suffer than ever be alone and loveless. She's a true romantic that's all i have to say. Masochism in its finest form. Does this mean that she has a distorted view of love? Or that we all have different views of love? A thing that i would like to point out, she said this when she was young. Like 10 years old, not even in her teens. It seems to me that her extreme personality will find her love induced misery.

Entry #6
9-26-08
page 79
"Semi-starvation and neglected colds had predisposed most of the pupils to receive infection: forty five out of the eighty girls lay ill at one time. Classes were broken up, rules relaxed."

Is it supposed to be ironic that something bad like an epidemic is good for Jane? Is that supposed to be like a trait of Gothic lit? Well anyway, lots of death all around her. From disease... A lot like her adolescence. Her family died of disease and whatnot(Bronte). So this might be a possible connection to her past. She knew what it was like to lose someone by disease, so this also reflects that pain. Oh and probably foreshadow, my money is on Helen.

Entry #7
9-27-08
page 84

I want to reflect on this whole page in general. Even though i kinda saw the Helen thing coming, i still can't believe it. I feel that Helen and Jane's friendship was something important to the book. The fact that she passes away doesn't devastate Jane but in fact it teaches her something in a way. Another thing I'd to point out, is what is up with Miss Temple in Helen? I think that Helen is her daughter. Didn't she mention it earlier in the novel that she never met her mother. And her father sent her away or something like that. Maybe Miss Temple was an unwed teenage mother and she had to give up Helen. Or something very t.v. show-y like that.

Entry #8
9-27-08
page 93

Bessie is back! Well only for a visit. This part of the novel takes place years on. When Jane is a teacher at Lowood instead of student. She grew close to Miss Temple and everything. Miss temple has left to get married to some respectable guy. But back to Bessie, she has a son. And she is happily married and still works at Gateshead. She also brings back unkind memories of Jane's cousins. Jane doesn't wish to know much more about them. Bessie also drops a bomb of sorts on Jane, family went to Gateshead to look for her. Bessie figures that they weren't that bad off or anything and that Mrs. Reed was just being an idiot.

Entry #9
9-27-08
page 100

Jane has finally left Lowood to seek employment as a governess. A Mrs. Fairfax has hired Jane to work for a Miss Varens. Mrs. Fairfax treats Jane nicely, and she finds it a little weird. She really doesn't treat her like she is an employment but rather a guest. There is a mention of keys on this page too. So this is the fear of confinement theme we're going to run into. Jane seems very satisfied with the way things have turned out thus far at this new house. She Still finds the situation a little strange; but she actually finds out Mrs. Fairfax isn't even the owner.

Entry #10
9-27-08
page 103

More on the who actually owns the estate. Bluntly, it's Mr. Rochester's digs. Jane Questions why exactly he is not there. The very blunt response back "he is a very travelled man." So basically hes is out and about the world all the time. For some reason or another. He stops in every so often. But he never stays more than 2 weeks at a time. When will Jane ever meet him?

Entry #11
9-27-08
pages 104 -105

Jane finally meets her pupil Adela. Which is actually Adele. Adele likes to speak french and Mrs. Fairfax doesn't speak French. And well that's basically code for little communication between them. I think its funny Mrs. Fairfax's incompetence disallows her from pronouncing the little girls name right. Not that i don't like the lady, i just think its funny that the girl has a french name and all. No wonder she never spoke English i would mess with the woman too. But Jane and the girl communicate in French, much to her pleasure. France has influenced this book. In a really obvious way. I think Adele possibly symbolizes something, I'm not sure what though.

Entry #12
9-28-08
page 106

Adele is like weirdly talented. Not in the smart way, she can sing. But she seems like off. I don't know how to explain it, i don't think she is spoiled. Rather she has intent behind everything she does. I don't want to say malicious but it just seems like she is up to something. I have a feeling about her. And I've already said this, but i honestly can't tell what. Maybe she comes of arrogant, but then again that doesn't seem right either.

Entry #13
9-28-08
page 111

Okay my qualm so far besides convoluted language, is the French. I took french 3 years and enjoyed it. But i don't think its just me... There are a whole bunch of grammar mistakes. Maybe i'm out practice(which honestly i doubt), but for example :
"J'ai bien faim moi!"
The translation i am hungry me. Is this on purpose? This is seriously bugging me. Even in a foreign language grammar will bug me.

Entry # 14
9-28-08
page 112
"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a constraint,too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow minded......"

The quote continues on for about half a page....Ha. but What i wanted to point out was the female role. Bronte asserts some pretty "wild" stuff there. For her time I'm going to make the assumption that all of that was pretty blasphemous. I think its interesting that she even brings that up. I mean isn't this about love. Maybe she is multitasking... She is tackling some social issues in the book as well.. Or maybe its just general Victorian sensuality.

Entry #15
9-28-08
page 118
"The incident had occurred and was gone for me: it was an incident of no moment, no romance, no interest, in a sense; yet it marked with change one single hour of a monotonous life."

I think is ironic too. it is a life changing moment. Only she doesn't see it as such yet. The quote follows the little meeting with a "mystery" man. He falls off a horse and Jane helps him after dawdling outside most of the day. He isn't rude. he just seems formal. To the point. except when he asked her for help is that important? Like a role reversal for man and woman.

Entry #16
9-28-08
page 119
"My help had been needed and claimed; I had given it: i was please to have done something; trivial, transitory though the deed was, it was yet an active thing, and i was weary of an existence all passive."

I decided to break up this quote, its part from the one in the previous entry. Jane likes to be needed. Even if it is stupid and nothing of consequence she lives for it. She also seems to like new things. She liked being at the house and whatnot, but now shes absolutely bored. The not mystery man serves as entertainment. Maybe falling in love is just a thrill for her, but a necessary one. i don't know these two pages are like screaming information or insight on Jane to me.

Entry #17
9-28-08
page 132

At this point, Jane knows who Mr. Rochester is. They have talked. And she finds him strange and moody. He seems super smart. Worldly is another good adjective for him. Downfall of it all is that hes like 80! Ha. Poor Jane. or maybe she is so mature that falling for him is the best thing for her. So far i don't really like him. I'd hate to talk to him. Oh, there is more bad french on this page. Ugh, seriously this needs to be fixed.

Entry # 18
9-28-08
page 133

Its not really a quote of interest, but more of a trend. Jane always, so far in the book(i think except for once) has done what she is told. So I'm thinking this trend means she is extremely submissive, or maybe she is supposed to personify Victorian women. This is something I'll bring up later. regardless, does she realize it? She is ready to please everyone, it is really sad, but i suppose it comes out of being ordinary. Bronte describes her as nothing special. Even Mr. Rochester. Is that important as well?

Entry #20
9-28-08
page 141

Mr. Rochester requests for Jane's company. And a little like before, only better, they have a conversation... Only he does more of the talking. So I'm going to make the assumption that he has a dominant personality. He judges her, which i think is weird. I thought speaking of your feelings to a woman was bad. Even worse if it was someone not of your status. So I'm going out on a limb here to say, that maybe he just doesn't care.

Entry #21
9-28-08
page 142

"... it is impossible to be conventional with you; then your looks and movements will have more vivacity and variety than they are offer now."

Why exactly is it impossible? i think he thinks she is amazing already. He is criticizing her again. i think thats just how he is. He is trying to spice up her life. And is it just me, or does that seem like a promise? Ha. Thats so teenage-y. Looking for cryptic messages in a guys words. But anyway, in sense he is calling her boring. She understands that though, she is boring. And she is kind of a thrill seeker(so to speak).

Entry #22
9-28-08
page 144

Mr. rochestor tells jane of his past. he fell in love with a girl, a french one. And she was a singer, really pretty, that whole schtick. Since he does love to travel, he left her alone for a while. But do keep in mind, that she was well kept. So one day he pops in for a visit earlier than expected and he waits for her in her room, he is sitting out in the balcony and he sees her carriage pull up. she steps put with a man and he realizes then that she is unfaithful. So he waits for the couple to confront him. He does, and she begs for forgiveness and all of that. But he refuses and leaves. He later finds out that she runs off with someone and abandons her daughter, which is allegedly his(Adele). And that is why he takes care of the little girl. Even though he is not sure if he is the father, he feels that he should take care of her, because she didn't deserve to be hurt by that woman.

Entry #23
9-28-08
pages 151- 154

Jane can't sleep this particular night. And weirdly enough she hears noises outside her room. So she decides to take a look. And lo and behold there is smoke emerging from Rochester's room. She takes a step in and realizes that his room is on fire. Someone has tried to kill him! We have a murder mystery on our hands now. But in all seriousness, jane splashes water on him to wake him up, because his rendered unconcious otherwise from the fumes. And he snaps to it. They put out the fire and he goes to investigate after a play by play from Jane.

Entry # 24
9-28-08
page 155
"I both wished and feared to see Mr. rochester on the day which followed this sleepless night: I wanted to hear his voice again, yet feared to meet his eye."

Whoa!Someone is in love, but doesn't even realize it. And i'm talking about both Jane and Rochester. I wonder if they only remain formal because they have to? And not so much out of need. Well anyway, they're in love now, and neither will probably realize it until it is too late. Sadly, but as revealed in class(Ms. Bosch) they end up together, its just a matter of time. So the drama in between the end and now remains a mystery. Question though, why exactle does Ms. Poole always drink? Why did she try to kill Edward?

Entry #25
9-28-08
page 168-183

I'm catching on the events that have passed. Mr. Rochester left shortly after the whole fire incident. Jane is left behind confused i guess. Edward was a big part of her life and things seem to be a little boring. Only he returns a while after with a whole bunch of people. Upper class snoots, one of which he seems to be courting. What exactly is his thought behind that? I'm thinking jerk! But i figure it has to do with her status. I think that matters to him now. It didn't seem like it before honestly.

I hope this is allowed.. I want to comment on the novel in general.

Entry #26
9-28-08
OKay so Mr. Rochester has obvious ulterior motives. But Jane getting contacted by her family is strange. the reeds are nothing but brutes to begin with. Everything that has happened to them is totally karma. Johns nasty self, ha. His death is nothing of consequence. I really believe that the wicked pay and this was his way of paying for it all. the fact that the sisters are sort of reformed is interesting. Not reformed but changed. Vanity is a sin and all. Nobody got what they wanted in that house in the end.

Entry # 27
9-28-08

Jane and Rochester are meant to be! Ha. I like that things are turning out the way they do. She loevs him, he loves her. They are getting married. yeah well inoppertunely happiness does not last that long. Ugh. He's married. really? Nice twist though not going to deny that. I'm just a little let down to say the least. Well thanks to some spoilers i know there is an ending to await.