Jane Eyre Articles

Jane Eyre: Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature

This article talks about the hardships that Jane Eyre has to go through as a child up until she is an adult, to become the successful woman she wanted to be. It describes her life when she was stuck at Gateshead Hall with her mean aunt, Mrs. Reed. Once she went to Lowood, they stated all the things that went on while she was there. During the eight years of being there she survived hunger, cold, epidemic typhus, and the death of Helen Burns. After becoming a governess at Thornfield, Jane has to deal with her love towards Mr. Rochester, especially when he proposed to her. She found out about Bertha Mason on her wedding day and ran away from Thornfield. Jane was rescued by her long lost cousins who she never had met. There she was able to live her life until she was reunited with Mr. Rochester.

Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Jane Eyre." Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EFL607&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 14, 2011).

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and the Grimms' Cinderella

This article explains to the reader how similar the German Cinderella is to Jane Eyre. One of the first things the author talks about is the symbol of the hearth. Its talked about in many ways which he described; like, the hearth represents family, companionship and emotional intimacy. The next thing he talks about is moon imagery. In Jane Eyre, the moon foreshadows Jane's suffering and it illuminates her first doubts. The part of the article that actually goes with the meaning of the essay is when Jane and Cinderella start to be compared. The biggest similarity is that they both run away from the too-powerful prince.

Clarke, Micael M. "Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and the Grimms’ Cinderella." Studies in English Literature, 1500–1900 40, no. 4 (Autumn 2000). Quoted as "Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and the Grimms’Cinderella" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Jane Eyre, Bloom's Guides. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts on File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BGJE042&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 14, 2011).

Jane Eyre: The Novel 100

This article talks about Charlotte Bronte's life and how popular Jane Eyre is. Bronte was born in 1816 and was the third daughter in her family. As she and her sister, Emily, grew up, they worked together to write poetry and novels. Their first attempts were not very successful but everyone knows that practice makes perfect. She finally got into the groove of writing and wrote the well-known book, Jane Eyre. As of today, there have been a total of thirteen film and television shows.

Burt, Daniel S. "Jane Eyre." The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Novels of All Time, Revised Edition. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= NOVLR052&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 14, 2011).

Jane Eyre Feminist Criticism

I chose to do the Feminist Criticism for Jane Eyre because in the story, Jane is affected in her life because she is a woman. In Jane Eyre, people were separated into classes which affected what kind of jobs they were given. If you were a servant, they would do all the housekeeping jobs and taking care of the children. On the other end of the classes are the wealthy women. They did not have jobs outside or in the homes. The content of the book was not influenced by the writer's gender even though she is a women. This was what women's lives were like in the mid 1800s.

In Jane Eyre and the mid 1800s, men and women were treated very differently. The men were the masters in the house, so they controlled all the money, servants, and their wife and children. Also the men were the ones who had the jobs that made money. As I said before, the women did not have jobs, so they just lived there and obeyed their husband. If the women did misbehave, they were usually punished by getting beaten or locked in a room. Today in life, men and women are pretty much equals.

Women in the mid 1800s were expected to marry if you were in the upper class. If you were in the lower class, you would be expected to get a job and possibly get married. In Jane Eyre, Jane was in the lower class and worked as a governess. She always felt she was not loved, so she wanted to find someone to be her companion that truly loved her. Before she fell in love, she was depressed and was constantly feeling lonely. Once she met Mr. Rochester, her mood changed. Jane was happy and for once in her life she felt like she belonged. Her single status affected some changes like: where she worked and where she was going to go in her life. Jane decided to work at Thornfield for Mr. Rochester and after she fell in love, she made the decision to be with him for the rest of her life.

In Jane Eyre, the main character is Jane Eyre, who is obviously a woman. If the character was switched to a man, the whole story would change. The story line was all about trying to fit in and feel loved as a woman. For a man to do that during the 1800s was a lot easier than a woman. All the man had to do was find a job and a wife, and he would fit in perfectly. Finding jobs were also much easier to find. Some jobs men could be were attorneys, doctors, property owners, merchants, etc. The only jobs women could really do were teachers, servants, housekeepers, etc.

Jane Eyre Question 8

Jane Eyre was written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847. The time period in the novel would probably be said to be in the 1800s. The United States in the 1800s was made up of pioneers and did not have social classes. Now in Europe it was totally different. People were separated into three social classes but mainly were either at the top or at the bottom. The upper class consisted of rich, intelligent people who had mansions and owned a lot of land. The middle class was just normal people, which is what most people are today in the world. Lastly, the lower class was made of poor people who were mainly servants. If you were born into an upper class, you stayed there and could not move into a lower class. In the story of Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester was in the upper class because he was a master and Jane was in the lower class. Jane was an orphan as a kid and sent to a poor school, which would explain why she was in the lowest class. When Mr. Rochester fell in love with Jane and finally proposed to her, that was frowned upon in the 1800s. People were supposed to marry someone in their class. But you cannot stop two people from falling and staying in love.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Passage

If the readers were ever uncertain if Mr. Rochester really did love Jane, then this passage will show you. I found the passage at the bottom of page 351 and continued onto page 352. In these few paragraphs, Mr. Rochester said the most romantic things I have ever heard to Jane. Mr. Rochester was talking about hating Bertha because she was mad. He then said, "If you were mad do you think I should hate you?" He means that no matter how crazy Jane could get, he could never hate her. Next he said, "Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own. In pain and sickness it would be dear to me." This section explains that he loves everything about her and cares as much about Jane as he does himself. "Your mind is my treasure, and if it were broken it would be my treasure still." If Jane was crazy, he would still love her as if she were perfectly normal. "If you raved, my arms should confine you." He would hold her in a loving embrace even if she was struggling to get away from him. There were many more compassionate statements, but these were the ones I found the most romantic. Jane spent her whole life wanting to feel loved. To have someone say this to her, changed her forever. No matter what happens to her, she always will know that someone will love her.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Question 7

As an author, Charlotte Bronte got to decide the different techniques she used to engage the readers in Jane Eyre. First off, Bronte was descriptive throughout the whole entire book. We were able to feel like we were there in the story. In Chapter 2, Jane was sent to the red-room where she had to stay for awhile. While she was there, she gave a description of the room. She said, "two large windows", "the carpet was red", "a bed, supported on massive pillars of mahogany", and "the walls a soft fawn-color." (Bronte 19) Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre so there was mystery and suspense. The mystery was what Mr. Rochester was really hiding. All along, Jane thought the eerie laughter was from Grace Poole but it was from Bertha Mason. She also thought Grace Poole started the fires, but that was Bertha's fault. After the first fire, Mr. Rochester said "I must pay a visit to the third story." (Bronte 179) This was where Bertha Mason was kept. The suspense in the novel was when Jane and Mr. Rochester were going to get married. The day they were supposed to get married, a stranger tells them they cannot get married because Mr. Rochester is already married. The stranger was a solicitior from London who was sent by Richard Mason, Bertha's brother. After the truth came out, Jane was taken to see Bertha. She then proceeded to leave Thornfield.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Favorites

As I read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I went through and found my favorite things about it. The different categories are favorite character, favorite scene, and favorite quote. My favorite character would have to be Jane. She is my favorite because even though she was weak, she stayed strong. Going through life and not feeling loved would be very hard, but to not give up and have faith was amazing. I don't know many people who could do that. If she were a real person I would look up to her. My favorite scene was when Mr. Rochester showed Jane who his wife was. I liked this scene because the mystery was built up and we could finally see what he was hiding. All along I thought Grace Poole was crazy and the one with the eerie laughter but it was Bertha Mason the whole time. I really had a hard time finding my favorite quote because there were a bunch that caught my eye. The one I loved was, "Well, to-night I excuse you; but understand that so long as my visitors stay, I expect you to appear in the drawing-room every evening; it is my wish; don't neglect it. Now go, and send Sophie for Adele. Good-night, my -- " He stopped, bit his lip, and abruptly left me." (Bronte 214) I particularly like this quote because it shows that Mr. Rochester really does love Jane and wants to see her all the time. He about shared his love with her but stopped.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Question 6

Although Jane Eyre was written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847, it is still read by many people today. I found it entertaining and interesting. What I found interesting was the messages and characters. The timeless message in Jane Eyre is that good things come to those who wait and never give up. This message explains Jane Eyre's life. As a child, Jane was sent to live at her aunt's house because her parents died. While living there, she struggled to fit in and feel loved. All she wanted was to feel like someone actually cared about her. She did meet a few people that loved her and they were: Bessie, Helen Burns, and Mrs. Temple. She waited and waited and finally she met someone that loved Jane for who she was. That person was Mr. Rochester. What was so timeless about the characters was that people go through the same stuff in life as Jane did. The two biggest issues both Jane and many people have are love and money. Jane spent her whole life waiting to feel loved by someone. Many people do the same thing. Because Jane was from the lower class, she didn't have a lot of money, so she spent sometime sleeping outside and eating very little. It's very sad to know that so many people are homeless and are starving, but it is just a way of life. From this we can learn that i we keep faith and hope, things will turn out.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Question 5

All throughout Jane Eyre, it never gives a specific time period. But through the details and actions, I would guess it to be set in the 1800s. One thing that really stuck out was the entertainment and the ways of having fun at parties. The two things the people did while visiting Thornfield, were charades and going to a fortune teller. The charades they played was taken very seriously and was detailed. For example, Mr. Rochester and Blanche Ingram were acting out "marriage." For that, they dressed as if they were actually getting married and even had someone be the "pastor" to marry them . The other form of entertainment was going to a fortune teller. When Jane went, there was a scrawny old lady, who then turned into Mr. Rochester. Not only was the form of entertainment during the 1800s different, but the behavior was also different. Back then, if someone misbehaved, they were beaten. Another "weird" thing was that when someone had a party, they stayed for like a week instead of a few hours. The social classes were separated in mainly just two groups, upper and lower classes. Mr. Rochester was upper class and Jane was lower class.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Question 4

At the beginning of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I thought Jane was the hero but as the novel came to an end, I realized that the true hero was Mr. Rochester. His real name is Edward Rochester but is referred to as Mr. Rochester throughout the story. Edward is not very handsome, loves to converse and has a stern manner, which Jane finds attractive. After Jane finished at Lowood, she went to Thornfield to be a governess (a teacher), where Mr. Rochester lives. I consider him the hero because he truly loves Jane for who she is even though they are totally different. He doesn't care about social classes considering Rochester is Jane's social and economic superior but treats her like they are equals. Many people in that time period wouldn't even consider talking to someone of a different social class, let alone fall in love with them. As the hero, Mr. Rochester accomplishes big things by loving Jane and making her feel happy. All her life, Jane wanted to feel loved by someone and because she had faith and didn't give up, God gave her Mr. Rochester. At the end of the novel, Jane still loved him even though he was blind and only had one hand. That is what true love really looks like.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Question 3

After I finished reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I decided on the themes she used in the novel. The ones I came up with were relationships and social classes. As Jane was growing up, she was able to have a few good relationships along with a couple of bad ones. The loving relationships were with Helen Burns, Mrs. Temple, and Mr. Rochester. Jane met Helen and Mrs. Temple at Lowood, the school Jane was sent to. Helen was a young girl that was shy but sweet and became close friends with Jane. Mrs. Temple was Jane's kind teacher who treated her with respect and love. After leaving Lowood and moving to Thornfield, Jane met Mr. Rochester. At first he was very unwelcoming but once they started talking he soon started giving her his love. When Jane was little, Mrs. Reed was her aunt that took care of her. She was rude, unloving, and very mean to Jane. Mrs. Reed's son, John, was also disrespectful towards Jane by bullying her emotionally and physically. Social classes was a big topic in the 1800s meaning that people were separated by the way they live and how much money they make. And they are also separated by men and women. Jane was considered poor and was a lower class. Mr. Rochester comes from a wealthy family and is well known, which puts him into a higher class. I think Charlotte Bronte has a commendable understanding of human nature. Through the book, she shows us that people cannot always have what they want, but in the end everything will work out.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Question 2

The conflict in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is that Jane Eyre is in love with Mr. Rochester, who is already married. Jane first met Mr. Rochester when he pulled up to Thornfield not to long after Jane arrived. "The horse followed- a tall steed, and on its back a rider." (Bronte 134) Mr. Rochester and Jane clicked after that because Jane was the only one in the house that could carry on a full conversation. At first I thought that the only reason why Mr. Rochester wanted to marry her was for the conversational purposes. But I soon found out that they both truly loved each other. The causes of the conflict were because Jane was sent to Lowood which gave her an education she was then led to being a mistress at Thornfield. Being at Thornfield brought her closer to the love of her life, Mr. Rochester. The gains of the conflict were that Jane got to experience falling in love and he also felt loved for the first time, besides Bessie and Helen. Jane had to deal with pain and separation when she went to live with St. John because she had to be away from Mr. Rochester. That was the losses of the conflict.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Jane Eyre Question 1

Jane Eyre was written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847. Along with Emily Bronte, Charlotte writes very beautifully and you never know what she is going to write next. For example, "Here the gentlemen interposed with earnest petitions to be further enlightened on these two last-named points; but they got only blushes, ejaculations, tremors, and titters, in return for their importunity." (Bronte 230) She uses different and interesting words which makes it so eloquent. As an author, Charlotte values love because she knows it doesn't come easily. Through her writing she shows us that you can't make someone love you, you just have to wait. Bronte wrote Jane Eyre in first person and the narrator was Jane Eyre. As the narrator, Jane told the story partially while the events were actually happening and the other part of the story she told what her understanding was of the events. At one part of the story, Jane talks about an event that happened fifteen years later. "Her [Helen] grave is in Brocklebridge church-yard; for fifteen years after her death it was only covered by a grassy mound; but now a gray marble tablet marks the spot, inscribed with her name, and the word "Resurgam." (Bronte 98) "Resurgam" means "I shall rise again."

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Reaction

Overall I really enjoyed reading "Good Readers and Good Writers" by Vladimir Nabokov. He used the right amount of questions and details to make it interactive with the readers. My favorite part of the essay that allures the readers was when he quizzed us. He listed ten different statements on what a good reader should be to be a good reader. You had to choose four of them that you thought were correct and see if you were right in the next paragraph. Along with engaging the readers, he also encourages them. Nabokov reminds us to keep an open mind when it comes to reading books, especially for the first time. He tells us it is difficult to stay focused and not dread it and in the end it will be rewarding. This essay has an emotional reaction to me because I tend to dread on reading a book for school or even when adults recommend to read a book. For example, one time my mom told me I should read a book and I thought it sounded boring, so I dreaded reading it. As I read it, I became so in to it that I finished it in two days. In the end reading a book that was recommended may be rewarding.

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture

Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Authority

As a writer, Vladimir Nabokov has a lot of authority on what he writes, including his essay called "Good Readers and Good Writers." He can choose what person to write in and he chose first, second, and third person. Choosing what questions he asks and what he writes is also a major authority the writer has. Nabokov asked the readers a lot of questions mainly dealing with different literature. In one question he is talking about Jane Austen's picture of England. "Can we rely on Jane Austen's picture of landowning England with baronets and landscaped grounds when all she knew was a clergyman's parlor?" He chose to ask that question because he felt it would add to his essay. On the second page of the essay, Nabokov states, "A good reader, a major reader, an active and creative reader is a rereader." This means that when people first read the book, they pay attention to just understanding and finishing the book, not the little details. After you read it the second time, you can focus on the creative little things the author put in the book. Being an avid reader, it allowed Nabokov to use a variety of different words to make the essay more interesting.

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture

Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Methods

Vladimir Nabokov presented "Good Readers and Good Writers" as a lecture in 1948. As his introduction and starter to his lecture, he used one sentence. "My course, among things, is a kind of detective investigation of the mystery of literary structures." It is not as straightforward as Italo Calvino's one sentence introduction but it still makes people want to read the essay. After his opening, it goes right into the second paragraph, which I would consider the second introduction. Nabokov explains what the essay is going to talk about and even tells us what the subtitles might have been if there were some. They were "How to be a Good Reader" and "Kindness to Authors." He then talks about European Masterpieces and Flaubert who wrote a letter to his mistress. Nabokov wrote it in French and then translated in into English. "Commel'on serait savant si l'on connaissaint bien seulement cinq a six livres: "What a scholar one might be if one knew well only some half a dozen books." I like that because it introduces a different language to the essay. His conclusion didn't catch my attention until the very last sentence. The last sentence was talking about a castle of cards that turns into a castle of steel and glass. It caught me off guard but wrapped up the essay beautifully!

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture

Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Organization

The setup of "Good Readers and Good Writers" is very standard and normal. The standard essay format is just a bunch of paragraphs with an introduction and a conclusion. One part of it made it different from all the the others. The section where Vladimir Nabokov quizzes the readers on what a reader should be to be a good reader. Not many essays are like this and engage the readers to do a quiz. I found that exciting and entertaining. The introduction was one creatively written sentence. "My course, among other things, is a kind of detective investigation of the mystery of literary structures." (Nabokov) He put it as though we were discovering a dead body and learning something new about it, when he is really talking about literary structures. In his essay, he allures the readers by asking a lot of questions. For example, "Can anybody be so naive as to think he or she can learn anything about the past from those buxom best-sellers that are hawked around by book clubs under the heading of historical novels?" (Nabokov) He asks these questions to make the readers think and use their imagination, as well as to make them want to continue reading his essay.

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture

Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Passages

While I was reading "Good Readers and Good Writers" by Vladimir Nabokov, several passages captured my attention. I thought it was really interesting when Nabokov included a paragraph talking about the boy who cried wolf. I used to love that story when I was a kid and made me focus more on the rest of the essay. It is comparing when literature was born to the childhood story of "The Three Little Pigs." Another passage that I found interesting was on the last page. He talks about there being "three points of view from which a writer can be considered." (Nabokov) The three points are a storyteller, a teacher, and an enchanter. The storyteller is there for the entertainment and funny parts, while the teacher is there for learning lessons and facts. But as Nabokov says, "the enchanter in him that predominates and makes him a major writer." (Nabokov) My favorite part of the essay was where Nabokov lists ten definitions on "what should a reader be to be a good reader." (Nabokov) I enjoyed this section because it really engages the readers and allows you to do a little quiz which is always fun. And then you can check and see if what you chose was right in the next paragraph.

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture

Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Rhetorical Devices

While I was reading "Good Readers and Good Writers" by Vladimir Nabokov, I noticed a few rhetorical devices. I found a total of one metaphor and three examples of personification. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object that is does not literally denote in order to imply a resemblance. (Metaphor) Personification is giving human like characteristics to an inanimate object. The first metaphor I found was in the third paragraph, second sentence. It is "The is nothing wrong about the moonshine of generalization when it comes after the sunny trifles of the book have been lovingly collected. Nabokov is comparing the book to sunny trifles which are not alike at all. The first example of personification in his essay was on the third page. It said "Nature always deceives. " Nature cannot be deceiving because it is not a person, its an inanimate object. The next two examples were found on the very last page. "In gay Paree or in sad Russia" were the examples of personification. Paree is another name for Paris which is a place that does not have feelings, therefore it cannot be gay. Russia is also a place, which also means it cannot be sad.

"Metaphor | Define Metaphor at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 01 Aug. 2011.

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture

Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Tone

As I read "Good Readers and Good Writers", I understood what tone the author, Vladimir Nabokov was. Informative and encouraging would be the two different tones he used. Unlike Italo Calvino, Nabokov is not straightforward and gets right to the point. Instead he is very easygoing and is loosely written. Nabokov informs us about a couple of different people and part of the stories including Jane Austen and Madame Bovary. Like I said before the essay does not seem to have a main point or theme to it until you have finished reading the essay. The main point is to have a balance between the author and reader. For the encouraging part of his tone, he specifies to keep our minds open to reading books. "The effort to begin a book, especially if it is praised by people whom the young reader secretly deems to be too old-fashioned or too serious, this effort is often difficult to make; but once it is made, rewards are various and abundant." (Nabokov) He is telling us that when older people recommend books to younger people, they tend to not want to read them because they think the books will be "old-fashioned" and boring. They have to keep an open mind because who knows they might really like the book in the end!

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture

Nabokov's "Good Readers and Good Writers" Thesis

I just finished reading "Good Readers and Good Writers" by Vladimir Nabokov, who was a Russian novelist. Vladimir was born on April 22, 1899 and died at the age of 78 on June 2, 1977. (Vladimir) During that time, he wrote his famous essay that I stated above. What I learned from his essay was that he wanted there to be a balance between writers and readers. Nabokov stated, "What should be established, I think, is an artistic harmonious balance between the reader's mind and the author's mind." What I got out of that was that the author has to put enough material so that the reader can use their imagination along with the author. This is what I believe to be the thesis to be. Even though it is implicitly stated, it shined through very strong and clear. Also the thesis is linked to the title of the essay. I think that Nabokov named his essay "Good Readers and Good Writers" because using the word "good" before readers and writers made it seem like there was a balance, which goes back to the thesis. At the beginning it did not really seem that the paragraphs went together but after reading the whole essay, everything was tied together, like the title and the thesis.

Nabokov, Vladimir. "Good Readers and Good Writers." Lecture

"Vladimir Nabokov." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Aug. 2011.

Calvino's "Why Read the Classics?" Reaction

Overall I enjoyed reading "Why Read the Classics?" by Italo Calvino. The layout of a definition and then one or two paragraphs that follow is a nice touch to the essay, considering most essays are just a bunch of paragraphs. In the essay, authors and reading were the two main subjects. I enjoyed reading about the different authors that Calvino talked about. One person that he mentioned a few times is "Leopardi" who was the only author from Italian literature that he actually cited in his paper. I feel that Calvino was trying to encourage people to read the classics but also other books. Reading this sentence made me think this, "All that can be done is for each one of us to invent our own ideal library of our classics; and I would say that one half of it should consist of books we have read and that have meant something for us, and the other half of books which we intend to read and which we suppose might mean something to us." (Calvino 9) This essay made me have both an emotional and a logical reaction to it. My emotional reaction was that I like to read and he doesn't say you HAVE to read the classics, but that you can choose other books to call your own classics. My logical reaction was that he talks about all different authors and classics while giving definitions of the word "classics." Italo Calvino did a wonderful job writing this essay.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.

Calvino's "Why Read the Classics?" Authority

Italo Calvino has a lot of authority as a writer and a reader. To write about books being classics and what classics means, then he would have to be an avid reader. Being an avid reader, his vocabulary would expand every time he would read a book. throughout the essay I noticed around ten words he used that I have never heard of. For example, "they are later accretions, deformations or expansions of it." I have never heard of the word accretions before, but I looked it up and it means growth in size or extent. (Accretions) Because Calvino reads a lot, he is able to cite all the different authors he has read. He talks about "Lucretius, Lucian, Montaigne, Erasmus, Quevedo, Marlowe, Goethe, Coleridge, Ruskin, Proust, and Valery." on the seventh page of his essay. Being a writer he can choose what he writes, how he writes, and can quote whoever he wants. In the essay he chose to write about reading the classics, using first, second, and third person. And he decided to quote the Italian author Emil Cioran in his conclusion paragraph. Italo Calvino must enjoyed reading Cioran because using a quote from him is a pretty big honor, considering how popular this essay is.

"Accretions | Define Accretions at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 30 July 2011 .

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.

Calvino's "Why Read the Classics?" Methods

Italo Calvino's essay, "Why Read the Classics?" does not have an introduction paragraph. Instead it has one sentence that gets straight to the point. It says, "Let us begin by putting forward some definitions." (Calvino 3) This introduction sets the scene for the rest of the essay, even though it is only one sentence. After the intro, it goes right into the fourteen different definitions of "classics" which are all different meanings. The definitions allow for one or two paragraphs of explanation. The essay stays in the layout of one definition with one or two paragraphs to follow until the conclusion. Calvino works his way up to his conclusion by saying that he should rewrite his essay three times. "After that I should really rewrite it a third time, so that people do not believe that the classics must be read because they serve some purpose." (Calvino 9) The paragraph following this statement is the conclusion. In the conclusion he talks about citing an Italian author named Emil Cioran. His book isn't considered a classic yet but could be one day. He quotes Cioran to finish off his essay. He says, "'While the hemlock was being prepared, Socrates was learning a melody on the flute. "What use will that be to you?", he asked. "At least I will learn this melody before I die."' I always like when books and essay are ended with a quote from something.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.

Calvino's "Why Read the Classics?" Organization

While reading "Why Read the Classics?" by Italo Calvino, I noticed that the layout of the essay is not the usual one you see. Most essays consist of paragraphs and that's it. This essay has paragraphs but the unusual part is before each of the sections, are a definition. There are a total of fourteen definitions in the essay which all are defining the word "classics." The definition would be first and then like one or two paragraphs would follow. The only part of the essay that is different, is from definitions four through six and thirteen. Number four is different because it has no paragraphs after it. The definition for five has one sentence after it, which is leading into six. And six has a sentence that is leading into seven. Definition thirteen has no paragraph following it. I am glad that the layout of the essay is peculiar because it keeps it interesting. Some essays can be boring with the same layout all the time. The standard introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion can make reading the essays boring so having the definitions before the paragraphs is a nice change. I actually enjoyed reading this essay because of the different layout.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.

Calvino's "Why Read the Classics?" Tone

For this blog, I am going to write about Italo Calvino's tone in his essay called, "Why Read the Classics?" I would say the tone is informative and very straightforward. He also uses a little of persuasion and encouragement. What I mean by straightforward is that instead of having an introduction for his topic, he just comes right out and says, "Let us begin by putting forward some definitions." (Calvino 3) After he said this statement, Calvino goes right into explaining the meaning of classics and all about classic literature. I believe that is a very effective way of writing an essay because it makes the readers think. Instead of just reading the essay, we have to think about what he is saying and make us draw our own conclusions to the essay. For a small part of the essay, Calvino persuades and encourages us to read and to enjoy it. He told us on page nine that we should "invent our own ideal library" and remember the books that meant something to us and keep reading so you can add to your collection. Most essays people write, they use third person, but Italo Calvino used first and third person throughout the whole essay. He mainly uses the pronouns: I, we, he, she, and it.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.

Calvino's "Why Read the Classics?" Passage

Throughout the lecture, "Why Read the Classics?" by Italo Calvino, a couple of passages captured my attention. The main passage was under the first definition, "The classics are those books about which you usually hear people saying: 'I'm rereading...', never 'I'm reading...'" (Calvino 3) This means that the books have been around for awhile and that most people have already read them. The passage is, "What this shows is that reading a great work for the first time when one is fully adult is an extraordinary pleasure, one which is very different (though it is impossible to say whether more or less pleasurable) from reading it in one's youth." (Calvino 4) I think that adults find the classics more interesting because they are more mature and know and understand the dialect. Teens and young adults may have a different perspective because they are not used to reading the different ways the books are written. It takes some getting used to but after awhile it becomes better. Another passage that caught my eye was under definition number nine, "Classics are books which, the more we think we know then through hearsay, the more original, unexpected, and innovative we find them when we actually read them." (Calvino 6) A lot of the time people make inceptions about the book which they think are right but once they read the book they find out that there is so much more to it. The passage is, "it is no use reading classics out of a sense of duty or respect, we should only read them for love." (Calvino 6) This means that you should not read books because you are forced to, but because you want to read them.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.

Calvino's "Why Read the Classics?" Rhetorical Devices

After reading Italo Calvino's, "Why Read the Classics?" the first time, I reread it a second time to find the rhetorical devices used. The main rhetorical device used was simile, but a little bit of personification was used. A simile is a comparison between two things using like or as. Personification is giving human like characteristics to an inanimate object. I found a total of three different examples of similes and one example of personification. The first simile is, "which means that the introduction, critical apparatus, and bibliography are used like a smokescreen to conceal what the text has to say." (Calvino 5) Calvino is comparing the different parts of writing to a smokescreen, which causes you to not see. Another simile is, "the ideal would be to hear the present as a noise outside our window." (Calvino 8) He is comparing the present time to a noise outside using as. The last simile is, "hear the classics as a distant echo." Again Calvino is comparing classics to a sound using as. The one example of personification I saw was, "it establishes a personal relationship with the reader." Calvino is saying that the writing is having a relationship with the reader which is not possible for an inanimate object.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.

Calvino's "Why Read the Classics?" Thesis

Italo Calvino, who was an Italian journalist in the 1900s, wrote an influential lecture called, "Why Read the Classics?" Instead of telling people to spend more time reading, Calvino defines the word "classics." He gives fourteen different definitions to understand what it means. One example is, "The classics are those books about which you usually hear people saying: 'I'm rereading...', never 'I'm reading...'" (calvino 3) While reading this lecture, one particular passage caught my eye. "All that can be done is for each one of us to invent our own ideal library of our classics; and I would say that one half of it should consist of books we have read and that have meant something for us, and the other half of books which we intend to read and which we suppose might mean something to us." (Calvino 9) This passage popped out because it helps me create the thesis of this lecture. The implicitly stated thesis is that Italo Calvino is telling the readers to find books that after reading them, they can consider them their own classics. People should not read the classics just to read them. Classics are meant to inspire people and make them feel it means something to them.

Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." Lecture.

Jane Eyre So Far

Right now I am reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Right away I liked the book because Charlotte set the scene like I was really there. For example, "Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were clear panes of glass protecting, but not separating, me from the drear November day." (Bronte 12) From this one quote, I felt like I was sitting there reading next to Jane Eyre. So far I have been introduced to five characters. They are: Jane Eyre, Mrs. Reed, John Reed, Bessie, and Miss Abbot. Jane Eyre is the protagonist and narrator of the story. She is a lonely orphan who is living with her hateful aunt. Mrs. Reed is Jane's cruel aunt, who raises her at Gateshead Hall until Jane is sent away for school. John Reed is Mrs. Reed's son and Jane's cousin. John treats Jane like garbage by beating her and making fun of her. "I wonder if he read that notion in my face; for, all at once, without speaking, he struck suddenly and strongly." (Bronte14-15) Bessie is the Reed's nurse maid is in charge of taking care of the children. Of all the people at Gateshead Hall, Bessie is the kindest and the biggest influence on Jane so far. Bessie reports to Miss Abbot who is the main housekeeper.

Brontë, Charlotte, Susan Ostrov. Weisser, and George Stade. Jane Eyre. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

Wuthering Heights Favs

For this blog I am going to write all of my favorites about Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. The different categories I chose were favorite characters, favorite scenes and favorite quote. My favorite character in this novel would have to be Ellen (Nelly) Dean. I chose her because she was telling the story and was an awesome person. Nelly was kind, loving, and knew how to treat others right. When Hareton was born, Hindley gave him to Nelly for her to take care of. She practically raised him. One of my favorite scenes in the novel is when Catherine and Heathcliff went to Thrushcross Grange to spy on Edgar and Isabella. "We thought we would just go and see whether the Lintons passed their Sunday evenings standing shivering in the corners." (Bronte 47) They were almost successful until the Linton's guard dog, Skulker, was let loose. Skulker chased after them and bit Catherine's ankle, which caused her to have to stay at Thrushcross Grange for five weeks. My favorite line in Wuthering Heights is "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire." (Bronte 80) I like this quote because it shows that Catherine is struggling with love because she loves both Heathcliff and Edgar. Even though Edgar is better for her, her true love is Heathcliff, whom she could never have.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Wuthering Heights ? 6

I am still reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I just found out that while Catherine was being nursed back to health, she became pregnant. I believe we still read this novel because of two things, the writing and the story line. Emily Bronte uses words that people never use in this century. For example, "she grew like a larch." A larch is a tree with tough, durable wood. (Bronte 185) It is very interesting to read the way she writes and describes things. The story line can be confusing at times but for the most part it is pretty clear. In the story line, you are able to see all the different social issues around that time, some of which still exist today. One of the common issues is jealousy. Heathcliff is jealous that Edgar married Catherine so he married Isabella to get revenge on him. Basically the novel is about a young girl and boy who fall in love but cannot have each other. This shows that people cannot always have what they want. Heathcliff wanted to marry Catherine but she married Edgar. Catherine wanted to marry Heathcliff but she said, "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now." (Bronte 80) From this novel , we can learn that love is not always the easiest thing to deal with and love can actually keep you away from the one you truly love.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Wuthering Heights ? 4

I think that the hero in Wuthering Heights is Heathcliff. Heathcliff came into the story when Mr. Earnshaw brought him home from Liverpool. He was a dark haired gipsy who was starving, dirty, and homeless. After being at the Earnshaw's for awhile, Heathcliff and Catherine become inseparable. "Miss Cathy and he were now very thick." (Bronte 38) Catherine fell in love with him because he is strong and they are so much alike. Heathcliff is the hero because he became a different person after being adopted by the Earnshaw's. He found a love interest in Catherine but later married Isabella Linton out of spite. Heathcliff did not marry her for love but only to make Edgar jealous. Heathcliff represents a couple of different abstract ideas such as, evil and strength. He represents evil because he spends a lot of his time plotting revenge on Edgar. One time when visiting Catherine, he realizes that Isabella is infatuated with him so he marries her to make Edgar jealous. Heathcliff also represents strength because he had to be strong to withstand the beatings at Wuthering Heights. Staying strong was the only thing he could do to not go crazy when Catherine married Edgar.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Wuthering Heights ? 5

Wuthering Heights was written in 1847. The novel starts out in the year 1801 with Lockwood telling the story. As the novel continues, Nelly Dean starts telling about the past. From the past, people can see the difference in history, behavior, and social issues. In Wuthering Heights, the vocabulary is very elegant and complex. "Good things lost amid a wilderness of weeds, to be sure, whose rankness far over-topped their neglected growth; yet, notwithstanding, evidence of a wealthy soil, that might yeild luxuriant crops under other and favourable circumstances." (Bronte 193) People do not talk that way anyway anymore, which is kind of sad. The behavior in the 1700 and 1800s was different than it is today. Back then when someone did something wrong they were beaten. "Earning for her pains a sound blow from her father, to teach her cleaner manners." (Bronte 37) Today they would just be yelled at. Some of the social issues in the 1700s were the roles of men and women. The men would be considered the masters of the house and they made all of the decisions. The women were considered weak next to men. They were in charge of having the children and not doing much else.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Wuthering Heights ? 3

I am still reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I love the way she writes because it is so sophisticated. Using this writing, Emily Bronte expresses different themes throughout the novel. The first theme that stays the same through the whole novel is a love that never changes. When Heathcliff first arrived, Catherine treated him like a piece of garbage. For example, "and Cathy, when she learned the master had lost her whip attending on the stranger, showed her humour by grinning and spitting at the stupid little thing." (Bronte 37) But the longer Heathcliff was there, the more and more she fell in love with him. They became inseparable. "Miss Cathy and he were now very thick." (Bronte 38) Another theme that is stated is social class. The social classes of the eighteenth and nineteenth century allowed people to stay separated from other classes. People were born into a class and stayed there. Catherine's family was lower than the rich class, which was the most common class. Edgar was born into a rich family so his class is higher than Catherine's. No one knows what kind of family Heathcliff was born into so he was treated differently than the others. Nelly Dean was born into a poor family which made her become a servant. These different classes kept the characters in Wuthering Heights separated. Emily Bronte has a strong understanding of human nature. She knows that no one can have exactly what they want especially when it comes to love.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Wuthering Heights ? 2

Wuthering Heights is a novel that deals with the dark side of romance. The conflict is that Catherine Earnshaw married Edgar Linton but was truly in love with Heathcliff. Catherine did love Edgar because "he is handsome, and pleasant to be with" and "he is young and cheerful." (Bronte 77) She loves Edgar with all her heart, but Catherine loves Heathcliff with her heart and soul. She states "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever are souls are made of, his and mine are the same." (Bronte 80) Heathcliff and Catherine are so alike in many ways that they are practically the same person. They are not meant to be and true love is pushing them away from each other. When Catherine married Edgar it came with some gains. Edgar cared for Catherine even more than he cared for himself, and also he was handsome and rich. The only problem with marrying Edgar was that he was not Catherine's true love. She was deeply in love with someone she could not have, which was the strong and handsome Heathcliff. Fate kept them apart but eventually brought them together.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Wuthering Heights ? 1

Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights was written beautifully. The descriptions she uses capture the attention of the readers. For example, she writes, "It glowed delightfully in the radiance of an immense fire", to describe Wuthering Heights. (Bronte 10) Bronte uses this eloquent writing to show the dark side of romance. Emily Bronte values true love even if the two people are totally different. Heathcliff was an orphan, who Mr. Earnshaw brought home from Liverpool, England. Mr. Earnshaw found Heathcliff starving and homeless. He was incredibly strong, helpful with doing work, and considered a gipsy. (Bronte 37) A gispy in the 1800s was usually a dark haired and dark skinned person who just wandered and did not really have a home. Catherine was the beautiful and arrogant daughter of Mr. Earnshaw. She was brought up by wealthy and sophisticated parents. Heathcliff and Catherine fell in love even though they were totally different, but the dark side of romance kept them from being together. Bronte uses her real life attitude and makes Catherine marry Edgar Linton instead of being with the one she really loves. Wuthering Heights was written from Lockwood and Nelly Dean's perspectives. Lockwood is the main narrator but as the novel goes on, Nelly starts telling a story from her point of view.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Wuthering Heights

Right now I am reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. The characters that have been introduced in the novel are Lockwood, Heathcliff, Catherine, Joseph, and Hareton Earnshaw. At the start of the novel, Lockwood, who is visiting Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is very unwelcoming and very rude to him.(Bronte 3) He leaves Lockwood alone in a room with a female dog with puppies. The dogs attack Lockwood because they feel threatened. Lockwood meets a man named Hareton, who is Catherine’s nephew that lives with Heathcliff. He took custody over Hareton once Hindley passed away. When he was trying to leave to go home, he meets a man named Joseph. Joseph is an elderly servant at Wuthering Heights who is stubborn and talks with a thick Yorkshire accent. Lockwood has to stay at Wuthering Heights because it has started to snow and would not be able to find his way home. One of the servants shows him to a room that is forbidden by Heathcliff. While staying in the room for the night, Lockwood comes across a diary of a girl named Catherine. Catherine is Heathcliff’s young childhood lover who is no longer around. Lockwood is able to leave in the morning and return to his home.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.