Lesson video

Hello everyone, welcome to our next lesson of "Jane Eyre." Now over the last number of lessons we have been reading about how Jane has developed a deepening friendship with Helen Burns.

Helen has been a source of comfort and hope to Jane in what has otherwise been a very lonely and troubled period of her life at Lowood School.

Helen has been such a good friend to Jane.

Well, in today's lesson, Helen becomes very sick.

We're going to read one of the novels most touching and heart-wrenching moments.

This extract strikes me deep every time.

So without further ado, let's begin.

This lesson explores the topics of disease and death.

If these are sensitive topics to you, we recommend checking with a trusted adult before starting or doing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby.

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

If you do not have this equipment press the pause button on your video now.

Go and collect this equipment and then we will begin our lesson.

Let's begin with a recap from our last lesson.

How has Helen Burns different to Mr. Brocklehurst? You have four options.

Option one, Helen is religious whereas Mr. Brocklehurst is not religious.

Option two, Helen talks about faith whereas Mr. Brocklehurst does not talk about faith.

Option three, Mr. Brocklehurst cares about people while Helen only cares about God.

Or option four, Mr. Brocklehurst uses religion to satisfy his selfish desires whereas Helen uses her religion as a motivation to love others.

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 option four.

Mr. Brocklehurst uses religion to satisfy his selfish desires.

Remember he's opened up this school for poor children.

The purpose of this school or at least the official purpose of this school is to raise these children to become very religious and devoted to Christianity.

But Mr Brocklehurst does not spend the donations given to this school, upon the pupils.

The pupils wear terrible uniforms and eat very poor food.

Instead, Mr. Brocklehurst uses the donations that have been given to this school for himself and his family.

He uses his religion to satisfy his selfish desires.

Helen is very different.

Helen uses her religion as a motivation to love others.

She tries her best to follow Jesus' teachings about living a selfless life and loving other people.

Well done if you got that right.

In today's lesson, we're going to look at Helen Burn's character in more detail and we're going to ourself this question.

What gives Helen Burns hope? This is a question that has been considered by Jane throughout this story.

Let's read an extract from earlier in the story.

We've already read this before.

In this extract Helen is at the centre of her classroom.

She's been told to stand at the centre of a room as a punishment by her teacher.

Jane watches Helen acting very calm and composed throughout this punishment.

And Jane wonders what could possibly give Helen such strength? Let's read, "The punishment seemed to me in a high degree ignominious and humiliating, especially for so old a girl.

She looked thirteen or upwards.

I expected she would show signs of great distress and shame but to my surprise she neither wept, cried, nor blushed.

Composed, calm, though grave, she stood, the central mark of all eyes.

"How can she bear it so quietly, so firmly and strongly?" I asked of myself.

"Were I in her place, it seems to me I should wish the earth to open and swallow me up.

She looks as if she were thinking of something beyond her punishment, beyond her situation of something not round her nor before her.

I have heard of daydreams, is she in a daydream now? Her eyes are fixed on the floor, but I am sure they do not see it.

Her sight seems turned in, gone down into her heart.

She is looking at what she can remember, I believe, not at what is really present.

I wonder what sort of a girl she is whether good or naughty." So in this extract Jane is struck by Helen's strength.

In today's lesson, we're going to think about what is it that gives Helen such strength in these difficult circumstances? Let me begin though by telling you about my plan for this lesson.

First of all we're going to learn about the words devout.

Next of all we're going to revise the deaths of Charlotte Bronte's sisters.

We're then going to read our extract and then we're going to think about this question.

What gives Helen Burns hope? So let's begin, let's first of all learn about the word devout.

Now a devout person is someone who is devoted to their religion.

If you're devout, you take your religion very seriously.

Let me give you some examples of people who are very devote.

Amira was very devout, she made sure that she prayed five times every day.

Hassan was a devout boy.

He avidly read the scriptures for an hour every morning.

Ryan hoped that his children would become devout Christians.

He therefore took them to church every Sunday and bought them each a Bible.

So these are all examples of characters who are very devout.

If you're a devout you're someone who is devoted to their religion.

Let me now test your understanding of this idea.

Which one of these people can be described as devout? Option one, whenever she became very scared or worried, Nadia prayed.

Option two, Cliff went to the church youth group every Sunday night, he enjoyed seeing his friends.

Option three, Claudia woke up every morning and prayed.

She did her best to follow the teachings of her religion every day.

Or option four, Katie attended church with her mum and dad every week.

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 option three, Claudia is very devout.

She wakes up every morning and prays and she does her best to follow the teachings of her religion.

It's clear, that she's very devoted to her religion.

She takes a religion very seriously.

Well done if you got that right.

Now some of you may have chosen one of the other options.

You may have chosen option one.

Now Nadia does pray, but she does not pray often.

Nadia only prays when she's scared or worried.

Prayer is not a habit in Nadia's life.

We can therefore not assume that Nadia takes her religion seriously.

We cannot describe Nadia as devout.

Some of you may have chosen option two.

Now cliff does go to church youth group every Saturday night, but he does not go to church youth group because he takes his religion seriously.

He goes to his youth group to see his friends.

We cannot therefore describe Cliff as devout.

And some of you may have chosen option four.

Katie attended church with a mom and dad every week.

Now Katie does go to church, but she goes with her mum and dad.

It's not clear that Katie is making her own decision to go to church.

It's not clear that Katie takes her religion very seriously.

We cannot therefore describe Katie as devout.

Perhaps she has been asked to go to church with her mum and dad.

This is not a personal religion, that she takes very seriously, necessarily.

Okay let's now think about the different characters that we've met in our novel so far.

And consider which is the most devout characters that we've met.

Remember if you're devout, you're someone who's devoted to their religion.

Which character is devout? You've got Jane Eyre, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Helen Burns.

Press the pause button on your video now and tell the screen your answer, off you go.

Now let's go through these answers.

Some of you may have chosen Jane Eyre but I will not describe Jane as devout.

Yes, Jane is interested in religion.

She asks lots of questions to Helen about her faith and about God, but it is not clear that Jane has a personal faith, that she takes very seriously.

Jane cannot be described as devout.

Some of you may have chosen the second option, Mr. Brocklehurst.

But I don't think we can describe Mr. Brocklehurst as devout either.

Yes, of course Mr. Brocklehurst talks about religion a lot, but it's not clear that he really practises his religion in his own life.

Mr. Brocklehurst talks about how important it is to be selfless and not live for the pleasures of this world.

But remember Mr. Brocklehurst is a very selfish character, who uses donations given to the school for himself and his family.

Mr. Brocklehurst does not take his religion seriously.

He talks about it but does not apply Jesus' teachings in his own life.

And some of you may have chosen the third option, Helen Burns.

In that case well done to you, because you are right.

Helen Burns is very devout.

She prays to God a lot, she loves God and she does her best to follow the teachings in the Bible.

Well done if you got that right.

Let's now revise the deaths of Charlotte Bronte's sisters.

It's very important that we revise this for the extract that we're about to read.

Some of you may remember this, Charlotte and her sisters were sent to a very strict boarding school called the Clergy Daughters' School.

And in this school, a terrible tragedy struck the family.

Whilst Charlotte was a pupil the school suffered an outbreak of tuberculosis.

Charlotte's sisters, Maria and Elizabeth caught tuberculosis and were sent home.

They eventually died from this disease.

Throughout the rest of her life Charlotte held great bitterness towards this school.

She blamed the deaths of her sisters upon the poor conditions at this school.

In many ways, we can assume that the writing of Jane Eyre has been inspired by this tragedy in Charlotte's life.

Let's now test your memory of this idea.

Press the pause button on your video now, go through these two sentences filling in the words in blank, off you go.

Okay let's now take a look at the right answers.

Charlotte attended a very strict boarding school called the Clergy Daughters' School.

Charlotte's sisters Maria and Elizabeth died after they contracted a disease called tuberculosis in this school.

Well done if you got that right.

We're going to read our extract now.

I think, this extract in particular must have been inspired by these tragedies in Charlotte's life.

In this extract we learn, that Helen Burns has suddenly become very sick.

Helen Burns has a terrible disease called consumption, and is about to die.

In this extract is late at night and Jane decides to visit Helen Burns room to talk to her one last time, let's read.

"An odour and smell of camphor and burnt vinegar warned me when I came near the fever room and I passed its door quickly, fearful lest the nurse who sat up all night should hear me.

I dreaded being discovered and sent back for I must see Helen, I must embrace and hug her before she died, I must give her one last kiss, exchange with her one last word.

Having descended a staircase, traversed a portion of the house below, and succeeded in opening and shutting, without noise, two doors, I reached another flight of steps, these I mounted, and then just opposite to me was Miss Temple's room.

A light shone through the keyhole and from under the door a profound stillness pervaded the vicinity and area.

Coming near, I found the door slightly ajar and open probably to admit some fresh air into the close abode of sickness.

Indisposed to hesitate, and full of impatient impulses soul and senses quivering with keen throes, I put it back and looked in.

My eye sought Helen, and feared to find death.

Close by Miss Temple's bed, and half covered with its white curtains, there stood a little crib.

I saw the outline of a form under the clothes, but the face was hid by the hangings the nurse I had spoken to in the garden sat in an easy-chair asleep an unsnuffed candle burnt dimly on the table.

I advanced, then paused by the crib side my hand was on the curtain, but I preferred speaking before I withdrew it.

I still recoiled at the dread of seeing a corpse, a dead body.

"Helen," I whispered softly, "are you awake?" She stirred herself, put back the curtain, and I saw her face, pale, wasted, but quite composed and calm.

She looked so little changed that my fear was instantly dissipated.

"Can it be you, Jane?" She asked, in her own gentle voice.

"Oh!" I thought, "she is not going to die, they are mistaken she could not speak and look so calmly if she were." I got on to her crib and kissed her her forehead was cold, and her cheek both cold and thin, and so were her hand and wrist but she smiled as of old.

"Why are you come here, Jane? It is past eleven o'clock.

I heard it strike some minutes since." "I came to see you, Helen I heard you were very ill, and I could not sleep till I had spoken to you." "You came to bid me goodbye then you are just in time probably." "Are you going somewhere, Helen? Are you going home?" "Yes, to my long home, my last home." "No, no, Helen," I stopped, distressed.

While I tried to devour my tears.

A fit of coughing seized Helen, it did not, however wake the nurse.

When it was over, she lay some minutes exhausted then she whispered, "Jane, your little feet are bare, lie down and cover yourself with my quilt." I did so, she put her arm over me and I nestled close to her.

After a long silence, she resumed still whispering, "I am very happy, Jane and when you hear that I am dead, you must be sure and not grieve.

There is nothing to grieve about.

We all must die one day and the illness which is removing me is not painful.

It is gentle and gradual, my mind is at rest.

I leave no one to regret me much.

I have only a father and he is lately married, and he will not miss me.

By dying young, I shall escape great sufferings.

I had not qualities or talents to make my way very well in the world.

I should have been continually at fault." "But where are you going to, Helen? Can you see? Do you know?" "I believe, I have faith, I am going to God." "Where is God? What is God?" "My Maker and yours, who will never destroy what He created.

I rely implicitly on His power, and confide wholly in His goodness.

I count the hours till that eventful one arrives which shall restore me to Him, reveal Him to me." "You are sure, then, Helen, that there is such a place as heaven, and that our souls can get to it when we die?" "I am sure there is a future state.

I believe God is good.

I can resign my immortal part to Him without any misgiving.

God is my father, God is my friend, I love Him and I believe He loves me." "And shall I see you again, Helen, when I die?" "You will come to the same region of happiness be received by the same mighty, universal Parent, no doubt, dear Jane." Again I questioned, but this time only in thought.

"Where is that region? Does it exist?" And I clasped my arms closer round Helen.

She seemed dearer to me than ever I felt as if I could not let her go.

I lay with my face hidden on her neck.

Presently she said, in the sweetest tone "How comfortable I am! That last fit of coughing has tired me a little I feel as if I could sleep, but don't leave me, Jane I like to have you near me." "I'll stay with you, dear Helen no one shall take me away." "Are you warm, darling?" "Yes." "Goodnight, Jane." "Goodnight, Helen." She kissed me, and I her and we both soon slumbered.

When I awoke it was day, an unusual movement roused me and awoke me.

I looked up, I was in somebody's arms. The nurse held me.

She was carrying me through the passage back to the dormitory.

I was not reprimanded or punished for leaving my bed.

People had something else to think about no explanation was afforded then to my many questions, but a day or two afterwards I learned that Miss Temple, on returning to her own room at dawn, had found me laid in the little crib.

My face against Helen Burns's shoulder, my arms round her neck.

I was asleep, and Helen was dead.

Her grave is in Brocklebridge churchyard for fifteen years after her death, it was only covered by a grassy mound but now a grey marble tablet marks the spot, inscribed with her name, and the word "Resurgam." This is Latin for, I shall rise again." That's a very sad extract.

Before we begin to analyse it in more detail, let's revise the key things that we read.

First of all, Jane hears that Helen is very sick with a disease called consumption.

Second, Jane decides to visit her friends.

Third, Helen reveals that she is expecting to die soon.

She looks forward to going home to heaven and being united with God.

Fourth, Jane does not share Helen's strong faith and asks whether heaven really exists.

And next Helen dies.

Her grave is now inscribed with the word Resurgam which means I shall rise again.

Press the pause button on your video now.

Go through the sentences, revise them before we test you, off you go.

Let's now test your memory.

Go through these five sentences filling in the words in blank.

Press the pause button on your video now and complete these sentences, off you go.

Let's now take a look at the right answers.

Number one, Jane here's that Helen is very sick with consumption.

Number two, Jane decides to visit her friend.

Number three, Helen reveals that she's expecting to die soon.

She looks forward to going home to heaven and being united with God.

Fourth, Jane does not share Helen's strong faith and asks whether heaven really exists.

And fifth, Helen dies.

Her grave is now inscribed with the word Resurgam which means I shall rise again.

Well done if you got all of those right.

Let's know analyse our extract and try to answer this question.

What gives Helen Burns hope? Now it might be rather surprising, that Helen Burns appears to be so calm and comforting in this extract.

Because Helen Burns is in a hopeless situation.

She's sick in bed with this terrible disease consumption and Helen knows that she will soon die as a result of her sickness consumption.

She says this, she says that she is going "To my long home, my last home." When Helen Burns talks about her home she is talking about heaven.

She knows that she is going to die very soon, leave this earth and go to heaven.

So it's appears in many ways that Helen Burns is in a very hopeless situation.

She's very sick and expecting to die.

Press the pause button on your video now and take some notes upon these ideas, off you go.

Let's now move on.

Even though Helen is certain that she will die, Helen still shows great strength in this extract.

She's lying in her bed, very sick, getting ready to die at any minute and yet Helen is not thinking about herself.

Helen is actually thinking about Jane.

Helen is still caring about Jane.

Let's read a quotation as evidence for this idea.

This is where Helen says, "Jane, your little feet are bare, lie down and cover yourself with my quilt." So even though Helen is about to die, even though Helen is very sick, she's actually worried not about herself, but about Jane.

She wants Jane to get inside bed to cover herself with her quilt, so that Jane's feet don't get cold.

Helen is not filled with self-pity but filled with love even when she's at death's door.

And she speaks to Jane in the softest tones.

So Helen shows great love, great strength, and great kindness in this extract even though she is about to die.

Press the pause button on your video now and take some notes upon these ideas, off you go.

Let's now take a look at our next idea.

This is my next question.

So where does Helen's hope and strength come from? Why is she able to be so strong in such a desperately sad situation? Well, it's clear that Helen has not placed her hope in anything of this world.

She says that she's enjoyed few relationships in this world.

She says this, "I leave no one to regret me much.

I have only a father and he is lately married and will not miss me." So Helen has not placed her hopes in her family.

It's clear that she's not leaving behind lots of people who are going to be sad for her.

Helen also realises that this world is full of suffering.

She says this, "By dying young, I shall escape great sufferings." She realises that this world is filled with sorrow and sadness compared to the world, that she's about to go to, heaven.

And another reason that Helen has not placed her hope in anything in this world is because she's never expected to enjoy worldly success.

She has never expected to achieve a great deal in this world.

This is what she says, "I have not qualities or talents to make my way very well in the world.

I should have been continually at fault." In other words, Helen does not think that she had the qualities, the talents the intelligence, the abilities to be able to do very well in this world.

She has not placed her hopes in worldly success.

Press the pause button on your video now and take some notes upon these ideas, off you go.

Okay so if Helen has not placed her hope in anything of this world, where does she get her hope from? Well this would be my answer.

Helen has placed her hopes in heaven.

In fact, it seems that Helen believes that she belongs in heaven.

This is what she says.

She describes heaven as, "My long home, my last home." Now your home is a place where you belong.

Your home is your place where you go to your home is where your family lives.

And it seems that Helen believes that she truly belongs in heaven rather than this earth.

She views heaven as a home that is being prepared for her for after she dies.

And she is, why is she looking forward to going to heaven? Well, she's looking forward to seeing God and it seems that Hellen has a very deep personal relationship with her God.

She says this, "God is my father, God is my friend, I love Him, I believe He loves me." Helen believes that when she dies, she will go home and finally be reunited with her dearest father and best friend God Himself.

And it is this hope that Helen has placed in heaven that gives her the strength, to have joy in this extract? Press the pause button on your video now and take some notes upon these ideas, off you go.

Let's now get ready to write about these ideas.

Complete the sentences.

Number one, even though Helen is desperately sick with consumption, blank.

Number two, Helen has not pleased her hope in anything of this world because blank.

Number three, rather than placing her hopes in worldly things, Helen blank.

Number four, Helen is not afraid of death because blank.

Here's some key words and quotations that you could use in your answers.

Now here's my advice.

You're going to complete these four sentences in your book or on your page.

If you want to write these really well I would not just write one sentence.

Try to write two or three sentences for each of these options.

Press the pause button on your video now and complete these sentences in your book or on your page, off you go.

Okay let's now take a look at our exemplars.

Number one, even though Helen is desperately sick with consumption, she does not feel sorry for herself.

Rather than wallowing in self-pity, she instead focuses on caring for Jane.

When Jane visits her at nighttime, the sickly Helen is worried that her friends will become cold and asks her to, "lie down and cover yourself with my quilt" in order to warm her little feet.

Number two, Helen has not placed her hope in anything of this world because she is not interested in worldly success.

She believes that she possesses neither the "Qualities or talents to make my way very well in the world." Helen also believes that her upcoming death is made easier by the fact that she won't be mourned by many people.

She states that, "I leave no one to regret me much." Number three, rather than place her hopes in worldly things, Helen has placed her hopes in Heaven.

As a devout Christian, Helen views this as her "Last home." Such words suggest that Helen believes that her true place of belonging is not on this earth, but in heaven with God.

Number four, Helen is not afraid of death because she views it as a means of uniting with God whom she describes as her dear "father" and "friend." Helen longs to meet her God and fervently believes that "He loves me." With such hopes of eternal bliss, death holds no fear for this devout character.

Now that you've read these exemplars you might think to yourself, I'd quite like to improve my writing.

If you like to improve your work based upon these exemplars, press the pause button on your video now and improve your work, off you go.

And here's the extension task you could complete if you want more work.

Write a paragraph answering the following questions.

How does Helen view her death? And why does she view it in this way? Here's some key words in quotations that you could use in your paragraph.

If you like to complete this extension task press a pause button on your video now and complete your paragraph, off you go.

Here's our credits for today's lesson.

Well that brings us to the end of this lesson.

What a sad extract we've just read! To think that Helen Burns, the only real friend that Jane has ever had, has now died.

It's tragic that such a kind character should die so young.

But I think the reason this extract is so touching is because Helen meets her death with such courage.

Even as she lies dying she is still focused upon loving other people.

Regardless of whether you're religious or not it's impossible to be unmoved by Helen's example.

Well, I'm going to go away now and cry.

I'll see you next time, goodbye.

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

I'll see you next time.