New
New
Year 8

Reading an extract from Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’

I can undertake close-textual analysis on a short passage from ‘Jane Eyre’.

New
New
Year 8

Reading an extract from Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’

I can undertake close-textual analysis on a short passage from ‘Jane Eyre’.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Jane is characterised as a polite, calm and helpful character.
  2. Brontë creates a Gothic setting using classic Gothic conventions.
  3. Brontë’s setting is isolated, lifeless and has a supernatural feel to it.
  4. Brontë uses contrasting colours to make her settings Gothic.
  5. Brontë uses the setting to reflect Jane’s isolation and innocence.

Common misconception

Students might not recognise this as a Gothic setting, as it is not overtly frightening or eerie.

Brontë's use of contrasting colours, isolation and cold make this a Gothic setting. Gothic descriptions do not have to be terrifying at all times.

Keywords

  • Battlemented - protected with battlements

  • To contrast - to position two opposite things close to one another to draw attention to their difference

  • Isolated - physically or emotionally removed from others - on one’s own

  • Ominous - suggestive that something bad might happen

  • Connotation - an association we make with a word- for example, a connotation of the colour ‘white’ is peace

You could print the short snippets of extracts out for students to annotate. Make sure to emphasise that lots can be said about one word - that's the beauty of close-textual analysis.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of an extract from 'Jane Eyre' (Charlotte Brontë). This can be downloaded from the additional materials section of the lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
When was 'Jane Eyre' published?
1845
1846
Correct answer: 1847
1848
1849
Q2.
What impression were we given of the red-room in 'Jane Eyre'?
Correct answer: grand but isolated
modest but isolated
isolated, but comforting
warm and cosy
spacious and sprawling
Q3.
Which of the following colours are considered to be Gothic colours?
Correct answer: red
pink
yellow
blue
Correct answer: black
Q4.
Which weather might be expect to see in Gothic texts?
Correct answer: cold, icy weather
bright sunshine
Correct answer: heavy rain
mild, moderate temperatures
Q5.
Who is Mr Rochester in 'Jane Eyre'?
Jane's abusive cousin
Jane's long-lost uncle
Correct answer: Jane's employer and eventual husband
Jane's wealthy benefactor
Q6.
Complete the sentence: The novel 'Jane Eyre' is written from a person perspective.
Correct Answer: first, 1st

6 Questions

Q1.
How is Thornfield described in Chapter 12 of 'Jane Eyre'?
Correct answer: remote
modern
Correct answer: dark
minute
homely
Q2.
Complete the sentence: In Chapter 12 of 'Jane Eyre', Brontë the "crimson" sun with the "pale moon" to create a Gothic setting.
Correct Answer: contrasts
Q3.
Which of the following would we not expect to see in a Gothic setting?
darkness
old features or building
isolated or remote
Correct answer: bright, colourful walls
quiet or silent setting
Q4.
What is the effect of Brontë using the moon in her Gothic setting in Chapter 12?
it makes the setting lighter because the moon's light shines
Correct answer: it gives the setting a supernatural quality
Correct answer: the moon is a figure of superstition, so it makes the setting ominous
it allows Brontë to make the transition from day to night
Q5.
What method does Brontë use in the following quotation from Chapter 12 of 'Jane Eyre'? "On the hill-top above me sat the rising moon; pale... she looked over Hay..."
alliteration
Correct answer: personification
hyperbole
metaphor
simile
Q6.
What is the effect of Brontë's word choice "hush" in the quotation from 'Jane Eyre': "it was yet a mile distant, but in the absolute hush I could hear plainly its thin murmurs of life"?
Correct answer: the fact that the noises are muffled shows Jane's isolation
"hush" reflects Jane's quiet and subservient nature
"hush" is an informal word, which reflects Jane & Rochester's informal meeting
Correct answer: "hush" has connotations of secrecy, which makes the atmosphere mysterious
"hush" reflects Jane's nervousness when she meets Rochester for the first time

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