 | A WRITER'S WIT |  M. Evers |
My Book World
Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. With an introduction and Notes by Susan Ostrov Weisser. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003 (1847).
I’ve always been a sucker for an orphan story. I just can’t seem to pass them up: Dickens. John Irving. And character Jane Eyre’s story is no exception. Only the revered novel isn’t just any orphan story. It begins that way, of course, with the death of both her parents, whose importance will makes itself clear later. No, it is the life this strong, young, independent woman builds for herself that is most important. She learns early to stand up for herself, but her actions get her into trouble first with the Reed family who have been forced by a dead relative’s request to take her in. Then she is hauled off to a school for poor children, where she again stands up to the authorities until she learns that cooperation will take her much farther in life. Having acquired a certain gentility, she becomes a governess for apparently a bachelor’s young charge. From this point on, readers see Jane Eyre struggle to do what she believes is right for her against others who wish to use her for their own designs. Her story is remarkable, and it is easy to see why this novel is one of the most widely read and re-read in the world. No spoilers here.
NEXT FRIDAY: My Book World | TBD
I’ve always been a sucker for an orphan story. I just can’t seem to pass them up: Dickens. John Irving. And character Jane Eyre’s story is no exception. Only the revered novel isn’t just any orphan story. It begins that way, of course, with the death of both her parents, whose importance will makes itself clear later. No, it is the life this strong, young, independent woman builds for herself that is most important. She learns early to stand up for herself, but her actions get her into trouble first with the Reed family who have been forced by a dead relative’s request to take her in. Then she is hauled off to a school for poor children, where she again stands up to the authorities until she learns that cooperation will take her much farther in life. Having acquired a certain gentility, she becomes a governess for apparently a bachelor’s young charge. From this point on, readers see Jane Eyre struggle to do what she believes is right for her against others who wish to use her for their own designs. Her story is remarkable, and it is easy to see why this novel is one of the most widely read and re-read in the world. No spoilers here.
NEXT FRIDAY: My Book World | TBD
RSS Feed