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Year 8

Analysing the atmosphere at Thornfield Hall in ‘Jane Eyre’

I can analyse Brontë’s creation of atmosphere in her description of Thornfield Hall in ‘Jane Eyre’.

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Year 8

Analysing the atmosphere at Thornfield Hall in ‘Jane Eyre’

I can analyse Brontë’s creation of atmosphere in her description of Thornfield Hall in ‘Jane Eyre’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Atmosphere is the mood or feeling of a piece of writing.
  2. We would expect to find an ominous or tense atmosphere in Gothic literature, as this unsettles the reader.
  3. Thornfield Hall is described as a very old, dark and Gothic setting with an ominous atmosphere.
  4. Brontë creates an unnerving atmosphere in Chapter 11 of ‘Jane Eyre’ through Jane's interaction with Mrs Fairfax.

Keywords

  • Atmosphere - the mood or feeling of a piece of writing

  • Ominous - giving the impression that something bad is about to happen

  • To conceal - to hide from sight

  • Malevolent - sinister or evil

  • Pallid - extremely pale, usually because of poor health

Common misconception

Students think that atmosphere is created purely through the description of a physical setting.

Atmosphere can also be created through characters interacting with one another, as we see in Chapter 11 of 'Jane Eyre'.

When reading the extract in learning cycle 2, get students to read the parts of Jane and Mrs. Fairfax on slide 23. Get them to experiment saying "perhaps Grace Poole" in different tones to see how they can change the atmosphere of the interaction.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to the extract taken from Chapter 11 of ‘Jane Eyre’ for this lesson. It's available in the additional materials.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which three words best describe Jane in 'Jane Eyre'?
Correct answer: mild, polite and kind
rude, arrogant and aloof
nervous, unsure and insecure
Q2.
How would you describe Lowood Institution in 'Jane Eyre'?
comforting and welcoming
small and confined
Correct answer: oppressive and controlling
vast and exciting
Q3.
Which answer option uses an embedded quotation?
Correct answer: We are told that the manor-house was "a building of considerable antiquity"...
Brontë tells us: "the manor-house was a building of considerable antiquity"...
"The manor-house was a building of considerable antiquity." Thus, we learn...
Correct answer: The "considerable antiquity" of the manor-house shows us...
Q4.
What is the aim of Gothic literature?
to terrify and frighten the reader as much as possible
Correct answer: to make the reader feel unsettled and uncomfortable
Correct answer: to mystify and intrigue the reader
to inspire and motivate the reader
to make the reader feel comfortable and certain
Q5.
Which of the following can be a common theme in Gothic literature?
Correct answer: the past enroaching on the present
love and family
Correct answer: good vs evil
poverty and injustice
Q6.
Match the quotation from 'Jane Eyre' up to the method it exemplifies.
Correct Answer:pathetic fallacy,"darkened by a drizzling yellow fog"

"darkened by a drizzling yellow fog"

Correct Answer:alliteration,"dim light, distinguishable from the trees; so dank..and decaying"

"dim light, distinguishable from the trees; so dank..and decaying"

Correct Answer:personification,"chests in oak or walnut, looking, with their strange carvings"

"chests in oak or walnut, looking, with their strange carvings"

Correct Answer:zoomorphism,"unsatisfied hunger which gnawed me within"

"unsatisfied hunger which gnawed me within"

Correct Answer:simile,"looking, as I thought, like a pale throne"

"looking, as I thought, like a pale throne"

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who shows Jane around Thornfield Hall in 'Jane Eyre'?
Mr Rochester
Correct answer: Mrs Fairfax
Adele
Grace Poole
Q2.
How does Jane respond to the bedrooms on the third floor of Thornfield Hall in 'Jane Eyre'?
Correct answer: She likes the quiet and the gloom.
She feels hugely uncomfortable on the third floor.
Correct answer: She states that she would not like to spend a night on the third floor.
She despises the decor because it is old and outdated.
She states that she would rather inhabit these rooms than her allocated bedroom.
Q3.
Why might crows be considered Gothic creatures?
They are highly aggressive creatures so link to the theme of violence.
They are mysterious creatures that only come out at night.
Correct answer: They are black and we can associate the colour black with death and decay.
They are always found in graveyards, which links to death.
They are a symbol of supernatural occurrences.
Q4.
What is 'atmosphere'?
the tone of a character's voice
Correct answer: the mood or feeling of a piece of writing
the genre of a text
the perspective the narrative is told from
the feeling that a piece of writing gives you when you read it
Q5.
What is the effect of Jane asking Mrs Fairfax about ghosts at Thornfield Hall in 'Jane Eyre'?
Brontë creates a reassuring atmosphere because there are no ghosts.
Brontë characterises Mrs Fairfax as a superstitious character.
Correct answer: Brontë plays on the reader's fears of the supernatural.
Correct answer: Brontë builds tension by creating an ominous atmosphere.
Q6.
What is the effect of Brontë contrasting the appearance of "black" Thornfield with "pleasing" nature in 'Jane Eyre'?
Brontë is building tension by showing nature as beautiful.
Correct answer: Brontë might be suggesting that evil resides within Thornfield.
Brontë shows us the true beauty of nature versus the ugliness of Thornfield.
Correct answer: Brontë foreshadows that Thornfield might be a place of darkness.
Brontë shows us that Jane prefers to be outside than inside.

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