Lesson video

Hello everyone.

Welcome to our next lesson of Jane Eyre.

In our last lesson, we learned that Jane is becoming increasingly close to Mr. Rochester.

It seems as if they might be falling in love.

Well, in today's lesson, we learn more about Rochester's dark secrets and a terrible fire breaks out at Thornfield Hall.

Let's begin.

For today's lesson, you will need an exercise book or paper and a pen.

If you do not have these equipments, press the pause button on your video now, go and collect these equipments, and then we will begin our lesson.

Let's begin with a recap from a previous lesson.

Mr. Rochester is a Byronic hero.

What sorts of past is he therefore likely to have? You have four options.

Option one, Mr. Rochester is likely to have a happy past.

Option two, Mr. Rochester is likely to have a boring past.

Option three, Mr. Rochester is likely to have a past that is full of dark secrets.

Or option four, Mr. Rochester is likely to have a past that is full of friendships.

Press the pause button on your video now and tell the screen the right answer.

I will now tell you the right answer, which is of course, option three.

Mr. Rochester is a Byronic hero and he is therefore likely to have a past that is full of dark secrets.

Like all the Byronic heroes, Mr. Rochester is a very mysterious character who maybe has some dark secrets in his memories.

Well done if you got that right.

I will now tell you my plan for today's lesson.

First of all, we're going to learn about the Gothic genre.

We're then going to learn about Jane drawing closer to Rochester.

And after that, we're going to learn about the terrible fire at Thornfield Hall.

Let's read, well, let's continue.

First of all, we're going to learn a perfect Gothic genre.

Now let's think about what that word genre firstly means.

A genre refers to a category of story.

In other words, a genre refers to a particular type of story.

Let me give you some examples of different genres.

You have the adventure genre, the romance genre, the comedy genre, and we also have the tragedy genre.

Let me tell you more about the conventions of the Gothic genre.

Now that word conventions, that refers to things that we expect to see whenever we encounter a particular genre.

We're now going to think about different things that you'd expect to read about if you read a book from a Gothic genre.

If you read a book from a Gothic genre, you would expect to see the following things.

Firstly, you might see very old settings.

These narratives are often set in very old Mediaeval buildings, such as or castles, arbies, monasteries and churches.

The stories of the Gothic genre are also characterised by a fearful atmosphere.

Characters in the stories are often expected to encounter their greatest fears.

Indeed, extreme emotions are very common in the Gothic genre.

In particular, the theme of madness often appears in these books.

As characters confront their deepest and darkest fears, they often appear to lose their minds.

Now this fearful atmosphere is further reinforced by bleak and hostile weather that we often see in these stories such as great storms, very cold weather or misty weather.

And this bleak and hostile weather is often used to suggest something super natural might be happening in these stories.

That word supernatural refers to something that is not natural, such as a ghost, a demon or a vampire.

The Gothic stories are filled with such examples of different supernatural monsters.

However, there are some Gothic stories that do not involve a supernatural.

Often, characters think that something supernatural is happening and at the end of the story it is revealed that there is a completely natural explanation.

We can see this in Jane Eyre.

Earlier on in the novel, Jane was in the red room when she expected that she would see her uncle's ghost.

But later on, we realise it's not a ghost at all, it's simply a lamp, the light of a lamp that she has seen.

Nothing supernatural is happening, it's just in her imagination.

So while the Gothic novels often use a supernatural, often it turns out in the end, that the supernatural was not actually real.

It's just in the characters' imaginations.

Let me now give you some different examples of Gothic stories.

First of all, we have Frankenstein by Mary Shelley in 1818.

This is a story about a mad scientist called Victor Frankenstein, who creates a creature out of dead body parts.

And he brings this creature to life.

And this creature causes chaos and destruction across the scientist's life.

Here's another example of a Gothic novel, Dracula, 1897 by Bram Stoker.

As some of you may know, Dracula is about a vampire.

And the vampire is undead, right? He does not die at all and he drinks the blood of his victims. So this is an example of a Gothic novel that has a real supernatural monster in it, Dracula.

Dracula is a vampire.

Another example is the strange case of Dr.

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

This book is about a respectable Victorian scientist called Dr.

Jekyll, who makes himself a potion that transforms him into a violent and horrible man named Mr. Hyde.

Now we can see many of the conventions of the Gothic genre in Jane Eyre.

This is most clear in the chapter about the red room.

In the red room, this was where Jane was imprisoned by the Reeds.

And as she is lonely and isolated in this room, she expects to see her uncle's ghost rising up to meet her.

This part of a book seems to be using this fear of a supernatural that we often see in Gothic narratives.

Bronte also uses many descriptions of the harsh and bleak weather over Yorkshire countryside to reinforce the sort of fearful atmosphere that is common in the Gothic genre.

And Thornfield Hall in many ways is a typical Gothic setting.

This is a very old building with dark and gloomy corridors, the sort of corridors that are typical of the Medievil castles and churches in the Gothic genre.

And next of all, we have the mysterious laugh but Jane hears outside of her room at nighttime.

This is another feature that seems to be influenced by the different works of a Gothic genre.

Okay, let's now test your understanding of these ideas.

Which of these descriptions is most likely to come from a book belonging to the Gothic genre? You have four options.

Option one, as Fatima played football, there was a terrible lightning storm.

Option two, on a bright sunny day, the family went for a trip to a castle.

Option three, cliff was the happiest elf in the land.

Or option, four on a dark, stormy night, the frightened girl entered the haunted castle.

Press the pause button on your video now and tell the screen the right answer.

Off you go.

I will now tell you the right answer, which is of course, option four.

On a dark stormy night, the frightened girl entered the haunted castle.

This example is most likely to come from a book belonging to the Gothic genre, from these four options, because it contains the most conventions of a Gothic genre.

First of all, we've got the hostile weather through the description of a dark and stormy night.

We also have this fearful atmosphere, which is reflected by the fact that this girl is really frightened.

We also have the setting, which is a really old castle.

And we also have the inclusion of a supernatural through the fact that this castle is haunted.

Well done, if you got that right.

True or false.

Number one, Gothic novels often use descriptions of harsh weather to create a tense atmosphere.

Two, all Gothic novels contain a supernatural being.

Three, Gothic novels are often set in old buildings.

Four, all Gothic novels contain a ghost.

And five madness is a common theme in Gothic novels.

Press the pause button on your video now, go through these ideas, telling your screen whether they are true or false.

Off you go.

I will now tell you the right answers.

Number one is true.

Gothic novels do often use descriptions of harsh weather to create a tense atmosphere.

Two is false.

Not all Gothic novels contain a supernatural being.

Many Gothic novels contain a supernatural being, but some Gothic novels have characters that believe there's something supernatural is happening when there's actually a natural explanation.

Number three is true.

Gothic novels are often set in old buildings.

Number four is false.

Not all Gothic novels contain a ghost.

As I explained earlier, not all Gothic novels contain a supernatural.

Number five, madness is a common theme in Gothic novels.

Well done if you got that right.

It's now time to move on to the next part of the lesson.

We are going to learn about Jane drawing closer to Rochester.

As we learned in our last lesson, love is in the air.

Jane is becoming increasingly close to her employer, Mr. Rochester.

They have some very long conversations into the night and both seem to enjoy each other's company a huge amount.

In fact, this is what Jane says.

Jane says, "I felt at times as if he were my relation, rather than my master." These words reveal a great deal about Jane's feelings towards what Rochester.

When she says that I felt at times as if he were my relation, she's implying that Rochester feels as if he's a member of her family rather than her employer, rather than her master.

These words suggest that Jane feels very comfortable and even intimate with Rochester.

And this is what she says next.

"His face was the object I best liked to see.

His presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire." It's clear that Jane is increasingly looking towards this man to bring her joy and happiness in life.

In the extract that we're about to read, Rochester talks to Jane late one night.

In this extract, Rochester begins to talk about some of his regrets from his past.

Let's read.

"I have plenty of faults of my own.

I know it, and I don't wish to palliate or hide them, I assure you.

I have a past existence of series of deeds, a colour of life to contemplate within my own breast, which might well call my sneers and censures and disapproval from my neighbours to myself.

I started, or rather was, thrust onto a wrong tack at the age of one-and-twenty.

And have never recovered the right course since.

But I might have been very different.

I might have been as good as you, wiser, almost as stainless.

I envy you, your peace of mind, your clean conscience, your unpolluted memory.

Little girl, a memory without blot or contamination must be an exquisite treasure.

An inexhaustible source of pure refreshment, is it not?" These words reveal a great deal about Rochester's views of his past.

He says that he envies Jane's peace of mind.

In other words, he envies a sort of peace, that Jane is able to experience in her life.

Now, why is this? Well, he continues.

He explains that he envies Jane's clean conscience.

He envies the fact that Jane has not done some very many bad things in her past.

And he also envies her unpolluted memory.

Now through these words, Rochester is revealing a great deal about his past.

He envies Jane because she has not done many terrible things in her past.

And this shows us that Rochester probably has done some terrible things in his past.

He feels that his conscience is not clean, and he feels that his memory is polluted.

In other words, his memory is poisoned.

His memory is corrupted.

It's clear that Rochester has some dark secrets from his past.

Rochester has done some terrible things that he now regrets.

What are Rochester's dark secrets? Well, Bronte builds up the tension in this extract by suggesting that Rochester has dark secrets, but not revealing them yet to the reader.

We're going to read another extract.

This comes up later on in the same chapter.

Rochester goes for a walk with Jane around Thornfield Hall and then he explains a little bit about why he spends a lot of time away from his family's house.

Let's read.

"I like this day.

I like that sky of steel.

I like the liked the sternness and stillness of a world under this frost.

I like Thornfield, its antiquity, its retirement, its old crow-trees and thorn-trees, its grey facade and lines of dark windows.

And yet, how long have I abhorred and hated the very thought of it, shunned it like a great plague-house? How I do still abhor and hate." He ground his teeth and was silent.

He arrested his step and struck his boot against the hard ground.

Some hated thought seemed to have him in its grip, and to hold him so tightly that he could not advance.

We were ascending the avenue when he thus paused.

The hall was before us now.

Lifting his eye to its battlements, he cast over them a glare such as I never saw before or since.

Pain, shame, ire, anger, impatience, disgust, detestation, and hatred seemed momentarily to hold a quivering conflict in the large pupil of his eye, dilating under his ebon eyebrow.

Now these words reveal a great deal about Rochester's view of Thornfield Hall.

We got told the Rochester says I have abhorred and hated the very thought of Thornfield Hall.

He hates thinking about this place.

And then he explains a bit more.

He says, I have shunned it like a great plague-house, right? So a plague is like a disease.

And he's shunned this place, he's tried to avoid this place as if Thornfield Hall is holding some sort of terrible plague, some sort of terrible disease.

Rochester seems to be hinting that something really evil is happening at Thornfield Hall.

Perhaps this is why he avoids Thornfield so much.

Let's look at this next description.

We got told that Rochester lifts his eye to Thornfield Hall's battlements, and he casts over them a glare such as I never saw before or since.

Pain, shame, ire, anger, impatience, disgust, detestation and hatred.

These are all the emotions that Rochester feels when he looks at Thornfield Hall.

It seems that Rochester must have some terrible memories of this building.

But we still have not got an answer to this question.

Why does Rochester spend so much time away from Thornfield? Why is he filled so much hatred towards this place? Okay.

Let's now test your understanding of these, your memory of these ideas.

Number one, Jane and Rochester grow closer.

Jane feels very comfortable in Rochester's presence.

He seems like a relative to her rather than the employer.

Number two, Rochester seems to be holding a dark secret.

For an unknown reason he has avoided Thornfield Hall for a long time as if it is a plague-house.

Press the pause button on your video now and read through these two ideas again, before I test you on your memory.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now test your memory.

Go through these two points filling in the words in blank.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now test whether you've got these right.

Number one, Jane and Rochester grow closer.

Jane feels very comfortable in Rochester's presence.

He seems like a relative to her rather than an employer.

And number two Rochester seems to be holding a dark secret.

For an unknown reason, he has avoided Thornfield Hall for a long time as if it is a plague-house.

Well done if you got that right.

It's now time to practise our writing.

I want you to complete these sentences.

Jane is growing closer to Rochester, but.

And the reader may not fully trust Rochester because.

Now you can write more than one sentence for both of these points.

Press the pause button on your video now and complete this work in your book or on your page.

Off you go.

Let's now take a look at our exemplars.

Here's our acceptable answers.

Jane is growing closer to Rochester but she knows that he holds some dark secrets.

And next of all, the reader may not fully trust Rochester because he seems to be a mysterious character.

If you would like to improve your work, based upon those answers, press the pause button on your video now and improve your work.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now take a look at our good answers.

Jane is growing closer to Rochester but she still does not fully understand this troubled gentleman's dark past.

The reader may not fully trust Rochester because it seems that Rochester is hiding some secrets from Jane.

In particular, this troubled gentlemen has not explained why he spent so much time avoiding Thornfield Hall as if it is a plague-house.

If you would like to improve your work based upon those two pieces of writing there, press the pause button on your video now.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now read about the terrible fire that breaks out one night at Thornfield Hall.

At the beginning of this extract, Jane is in her room, and then she hears a strange noise.

Let's read.

I started wide awake on hearing a vague murmur, peculiar and lugubrious, and sad, which sounded I thought just above me.

I wished I had kept my candle burning, the night was drearily dark.

My spirits were depressed.

I rose and set up in bed, listening.

The sound was hushed.

I tried again to sleep, but my heart beat anxiously, my inward tranquillity and peace was broken.

The clock, far down in the hall struck too.

Just then it seemed my chamber door was touched as if fingers had swept the panels and groping away along with dark gallery outside.

I said, "Who is there?" Nothing answered.

I was chilled with fear.

All at once I remembered that it might be Pilot, Rochester's dog, who when the kitchen door chanced to be left open, not unfrequently found his way up to the threshold of Mr. Rochester's chamber.

I had seen him lying there myself in the mornings.

The idea calms me somewhat.

I lay down.

Silence composes the nerves.

And as an unbroken hush now reigned again through the whole house, I began to feel the return of slumber.

But it was not fated that I should sleep that night.

A dream had scarcely approached my ear, when it fled affrighted, scared by a marrow bone-freezing incident enough.

There was a demoniac, demon-like laugh, low, suppressed, and deep, uttered, as it seemed at the very key hole of my chamber door.

The head of my bed was near the door, and I thought at first the goblin-laugher stood at my bedside or rather crouched by my pillow, but I rose, looked round, I could see nothing.

While as I still gazed, the unnatural sound was reiterated and repeated.

And I knew it came from behind the panels.

My first impulse was to rise and fasten the bolt.

My next again, to cry out, "Who is there?" Something gurgled and mooned.

Ere long, steps retreated up the gallery towards the third story staircase.

A door had lately been made to shut in that staircase.

I heard it open and close and all was still.

"Was that Grace Poole? And is she possessed with a devil?" thought I.

Impossible now to remain longer by myself.

I must go to Mrs. Fairfax.

I hurried on my frock and a shawl.

I withdrew the bolt and opened the door with a trembling hand.

There is a candle burning just outside and on the matting in the gallery.

I was surprised at the circumstance, but still more was I amazed to perceive the air quite dim as if filled with smoke.

And while looking to the right hand and left to find whence these blue wreaths issued, I became aware of a strong smell of burning.

Something creaked.

It was a door ajar and open.

And that that door was Mr. Rochester's and the smoke rushed in a cloud from thence.

I thought no more of Mrs. Fairfax.

I thought no more of Grace Poole or the laugh.

In an instant, I was within the chamber.

Tongues of flame darted round the bed.

The curtains were on fire.

In the midst of blaze and vapour, Mr. Rochester stretched motionless in deep sleep.

"Wake! Wake!" I cried.

I shook him, but he only murmured and turned.

The smoke had stupefied him.

Not a moment could be lost.

The very sheets were kindling.

I rushed to his basins.

Fortunately, one was wide and the other deep and both were filled with water.

I heaved them up, poured water over the bed and its occupant, flew back to my own room, brought my own water jug, baptised the couch fresh, and by God's aid, succeeded extinguishing the flames, which were devouring it.

The hiss of the quenched element, the breakage of a pitcher, which I flung from my hand when I had emptied it, and above all, the splash of a shower-bath I liberally bestowed, roused and awoke Mr. Rochester at last.

"Is there a flood?" he cried.

"No sir." I answered.

"But there has been a fire.

Get up, do, you are quenched now.

I will fetch you a candle." In the name of all the elves in Christendom, is that Jane Eyre?" he demanded.

"What have you done with me, witch, sorceress? Who is in the room besides you? Have you plotted to drown me?" "I will fetch you a candle sir.

And in Heaven's name, get up.

Somebody has plotted something.

You cannot too soon find out who and what it is." "There!" I am up now.

But at your peril and danger, you fetch a candle yet.

Wait two minutes till I get into some dry garments, if any dry there be.

Yes, here is my dressing gown.

Now run!" I did run.

I brought the candle, which still remained in the gallery.

I took it from my hand, held it up and surveyed the bed, all blackened and scorched, the sheets drenched, the carpet round swimming in water.

"What is it? And who did it?" he asked.

I briefly related to him what had transpired.

The strange laugh I had heard in the gallery, the steps ascending to the third story, the smoke, the smell of fire, which had conducted me to his room.

In what state I had found matters there.

And how I had deluged him with all the water I could lay hands on.

He listened very gravely.

His face, as I went on, expressed more concern than astonishment.

He did not immediately speak when I had concluded.

"I am going to leave you a few minutes.

And I shall take my candle.

Remain where you are till I return.

Be as still as a mouse.

I must and most pay a visit to the second storey.

Don't move, remember, or call anyone." He went.

I watched the light withdraw.

After some time he re-entered, pale and very gloomy.

"I found it all out." said he.

Setting his candle down in the washstand.

"It is as I thought." "How sir?" He made no reply, but stood with his arms folded looking on the ground.

At the end of a few minutes, he inquired in rather a peculiar tone.

"I forgot where you said you saw anything when you opened your chamber door." "No, sir, only the candle stick on the ground." "But you heard an odd laugh.

You have heard that laugh before, I should think, or something like it?" "Yes sir.

There is a woman who sows here, called Grace Poole.

She laughs in that way.

She is a very singular, strange person." "Just so.

Grace Poole, you have guessed it.

She is, as you say singular, very.

Well, I shall reflect on the subject.

Meantime, I'm glad that you are the only person besides myself, acquainted with the precise details of tonight's incident.

You are no talking fool.

Say nothing about it.

I will account for this state of affairs." pointing to the bed.

"And now return to your own room.

I shall do very well on the sofa in library for the rest of the night.

It is near four.

In two hours, the servants will be up." "Good night, then, sir." said I departing.

Having returned to my room, I regained my couch, but never thought of sleep.

Till morning dawned I was tossed on the buoyant, but unquiet sea, where billows of trouble rolled under surges of joy.

I thought sometimes I saw beyond it's wild waters ashore.

And now and then a freshening gale wakened by hope, bore my spirit triumphantly towards the bourne.

But I could not reach it.

A counteracting breeze blew me off land.

And continually drove me back.

Sense would resist delirium and madness, judgement would warn passion.

Too feverish to rest I rose as soon as day dawned.

Now, Mr. Rochester just explained that Grace Poole, a servant at Thornfield Hall is responsible for the strange laugh and setting his bed on fire.

Let's now go through the main things in that extract.

First of all, one night, Jane hears strange murmuring and laughter.

Someone has set Rochester's bed on fire.

Jane saves Rochester by waking him up.

Rochester says that Grace Poole is probably responsible.

Then Jane has a nightmare about being in the rocky sea and desperately trying to make it to the shore.

Now you might want to think to yourself, what might this nightmare symbolise? Jane is imagines herself, she's drowning in a Rocky sea desperate to make it to a shore.

What do you think Jane is desperate to get in her life? Okay, press the pause button on your video now.

Go through these five ideas and then we'll test your memory.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now test your memory.

Go through these five ideas, telling the screen, the full sentences, filling in the gaps.

Off you go.

Let's now go through the answers.

One night, Jane hears strange murmuring and laghter.

Someone has set Rochester's bed on fire.

Jane saves Rochester by waking him up.

Rochester says that Grace Poole is probably responsible.

And Jane has a nightmare about being in a rocky sea and desperately trying to make it to the shore.

Well done if you got those right.

Now, if you would like to, you could also complete the extension task for this lesson.

How does Bronte create tension in this chapter? In your answer, you could mention, Jane's deepening relationship of Rochester.

Rochester's mysterious past.

The strange murmuring and laughter.

The fire at Thornfield Hall and Jane's nightmare.

If you would like to complete this extension task, answer this question in your book or on your page.

If you're completing this task, press the pause button on your video now.

Off you go.

And that brings us near the end of our lesson.

Here's the credits for today's lesson.

Well, that brings us to the end of today's lesson.

Well done for all of your hard work.

As you can see, there's lots of mysteries going on at Thornfield Hall.

I mean, is Grace Poole really to blame for the strange laugh and setting Rochester's bed on fire.

And also what are Rochester's dark secrets? Why does he hate Thornfield Hall so much? We will find out in future lessons.

Join us in our next lesson when a very beautiful lady arrives at Thornfield hall.

Maybe she's going to steal Rochester's heart from Jane.

I'll see you next time.

And make sure you complete the end of lesson quiz before you go.