SOCRATIC SEMINAR QUESTIONS FOR MON-TUES

Below are the questions we will take up during your graded Socratic Seminar Monday and Tuesday:

- Write your answers in notes.
- Have books marked in order to reference pages/passages that support your viewpoint.
- Review Socratic Seminar evaluation sheet to see how you're being assessed.

1. How does Rhys's narrative fit into the post-colonial mode? Think of specific examples.
2. Is there a purpose to Rhys's narrative or is it merely character assassination and fan-fiction? What is her intention in the writing of her novel?
3. How does each author's portrayal of the feminine condition differ? In which particular way?
4. In how many different ways can Antoinette be considered a tragic protagonist?
5. How are gender and empire paralleled in Wide Sargasso Sea?
6. In how many different ways does Rhys shift perspective? Whose perspective?
7. Does Religion play into the narratives of both novels? What about the respective authors' view of religion or morality?
8. What is 'Englishness'? How is it represented in each narrative? Is there a contrast?
9. What are the tensions present in Wide Sargasso Sea if read as a post-colonial text?
10. Is Antoinette actually insane? How could you argue either side?
11. What role does victimization play in both novels?
12. How do conceptions of class and status affect the fate of characters in both novels?

Summer Reading Thesis

Because both novels are based on history, setting is crucial to understanding the character's struggles against society.

Thesis Statement-Estrella

Charlotte Bronte uses imagery, motif,diction, and setting throughout the novel Jane Eyre to reflect her life in Jane's.

thesis

jane's life is autobiography of Charlotte Bronte with a more ideal ending.

Jane's Strength

Desert Academy 2010 Jane's Survival

''Most true is it that 'beauty is in the eye of the gazer'.'' (pg.203, Bronte)

        Jane goes through many hard ships throughout the novel.  From her aunt and her cousins miss treating her to the betrayal at the alter from Mr.Rochester.  Jane does not always find happiness but finds a way to put the humiliation in the past.  In the quote above it refers that "beauty is in the eye of the gazer', as happiness as well.  Jane survives throughout the novel because she is the gazer of beauty, happiness, and love.  By being her own "gazer", Jane controls what and how she feels.  Even though certain characters and events spark her, she ultimately controls the way she feels.  In the novel as well in real life, the only person you can control is yourself.   Jane also controls her feeling by simply moving on, leaving her regrets in the past. Everyone makes mistakes but it's not the mistakes that are recognized, it's what you do in response to them.    Jane is a strong and happy woman when she wants to be and controls how she feels.

Thesis- Toby

Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys utilize secondary male characters to establish fear in the lives of the female protagonists of their novels Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea.

Onima's Thesis

There are many similarities between Jane Eyre,and the author Charlotte Bronte's life; supporting the idea that Jane Eyre is in part autobiographical.

Stuart's Thesis

Wide Sargasso Sea shows Rochester as a more careless man, where as Jane Eyre represents Rochester as a victim.

Emily's Thesis Statement

In the novels Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea , Charlotte Bropnte and Jean Rhys express the downfall of femininity through character development.

Thesis statement

By: Maddy-E

Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhyes use differing perceptions of Mr. Rochester in order to reveal the complexity of his character.

Thesis Statement

It is evident from the many parallels between the lives of Charlotte Bronte and Jane that Bronte drew heavily from her experiences as a girl and a young woman when writing her now infamous novel, Jane Eyre.

Annie's Thesis Statement

Early secondary characters create adversity which helps character development and to form Jane's sense of self worth and disconnect from conventional ideals.

luca's theses

The main character Jane Eyre in Bronte's book "Jane Eyre", is representing Charlotte's life, the only difference is that Jane Eyre has a "happy ending" and Bronte doesn't.

Ariana's Thesis.

Jane Eyre is effectivally an autobiography of the author Charlotte Bronte's life.

Ariana's Thesis.

Jane Eyre is effectivally an autobiography of the author Charlotte Bronte's life.

Thesis Statement

Rochester has two side to himself in both Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea. Mr. Rochester's good and bad sides will be compared.

Thesis

The represented types of feminism shows two aspects of women trying to escape confinement, jane succeeds through passive perseverance.

Summer Reading Thesis

Jean Rhys and Charlotte Bronte represent the character Rochester in a negative manner in both of their novels, but Bronte redeems him and offers him redemption, while Rhys makes him out to be the villain of her novel.

Jane, from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, is able to better succeed in her relationships with the people she loves than Antoinette, from Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea, because of her strong morals.

Thesis

Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre reflects Bronte's life because Jane was a strong independent woman, in need of love, had a similar careers and lost a lot of family members early in life.

Jane Eyre Thesis Sophie

The setting in the novel "Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jane Rhys causes the downfall of Mr. Rochester's relationship with Bertha, because of its role as a third player in their love affair.

Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys use the maids and servants in Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea to reveal the true moods of each house and their masters.

Elliot's Thesis

In the novel's Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea, Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys depict the aid of men as women's main role in society.

Thesis

The life of the character, Jane Eyre, in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Erye, typifies many aspects of life that Bronte herself encountered, although portrayed in a more idealized way.

Thesis

In the novels Jane Eyre and Wide Sarasso Sea, Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys portray setting as a character, affecting and reflecting both tone and character mood as well as foreshadowing plot development.

it's muh Thesis

The aspect of feminine condition in both books is a second class existence. The societal choices available for women are more limited compared to those available for men.

Summer Reading Thesis Statement

Bronte and Rhys create their heroines in different ways to comment on the repression of women in a patriarchal society - Jane represents an independent, assertive feminist who breaks free from Victorian expectations, and Antoinette represents a victim who is literally caged by her husband.

Summer Reading Essay: Thesis

In the books Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, secondary characters such as Helen Burns and Tia serve to establish a feeling of loneliness surrounding the respective main characters.

Thesis

Perspective shifts between novels in order to reveal what each character represents.
-gabriella medina

Jane Eyre Outlook

In Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre the main character, Jane, seems to have always kept a positive and happy outlook on everything. I think that Helen had altered Jane's look on life, for example on page 42, Helen tells her: " 'Love your enemies; bless them that they curse you; do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you.' " (Bronte, 42) By saying that I think Jane took it to heart and lived by it, for example, she went and visited her dying Aunt Mrs. Reed, even though Mrs. Reed had treated her terribly when Jane was a child. By doing this she had a clear mind and by being so forgiving she didn't allow the trouble other people gave her bring her down.

Summer Reading Essay: Post and Comment

All,

Post your approved thesis for the Summer Reading essay and comment on a minimum of two other theses (from your class or the other).

Jane Eyre's Happiness

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte main character Jane has two happy and sad side's. From [her] terrible childhood to her interesting love towards Rochester [she] has [her] hand's full. Almost marring St. John [she] is afraid to leave him due the the fact [she] would lose her emotional life. So [she] is careful of not wasting certain feelings that [she] has. Jane cannot leave Mr. Rochester for work reason's and the confusing love towards him." I thought: " then I should not have to make the effort of cracking my heart strings in rending them from among Mr. Rochester. I must leave him, it appears. I do not want to leave him I cannot leave him" (284). Jane encounters Happiness towards the end when Bertha Mr. Rochester's wife burns down the house and kills herself and Mr. Rochester is faced head on with blindness, burns, and loss of a hand from the fire. Jane returns to him, and has the role now of being the boss in a way. [She] then marries him and everything starts to go well Mr. Rochester starts to regain his eye sight around two years later, and they have a boy. So even though [she] is faced with a hard life, in the end god begins to favor her. " I thought anger would be better than greaf. But if you wish me to love you, could you but see how much I do love you, you would be proud and content."(425)

Jane Eyre's Survival

Throughout Jane Eyre's life she has been in constant pain and suffering. The only breaks to Jane's misfortunes is when for a short time she is friends with Helen Burns and when she is about to marry Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester demands that Jane "make [him] happiness , [he] will make [hers] ," (pg. 21). Jane is seduced by the idea of happiness that she never had and ignores the "pang," in her side. Jane does not marry Mr. Rochester because he betrays her at the alter and Helen Burns dies leaving Jane with no sense of what real happiness is. Because Jane goes through so much turmoil and because Jane has an abusive upbringing her standards of happiness are much lower than the others in the book. So in the end when Jane is taking care of her 50 year old blind, crippled and hideous husband she still finds happiness .

Jane's survival

Jane throughout her life is a strong willed person. In the beginning of the novel we see Jane in conflict with her cousin John. John, who had antagonized her pushed over the edge whereabouts she speaks her mind comparing him to a "slave-driver", (brote 5). This is one of the first times we see Jane speak her mind. Jane also eurpts towards her aunt Reed before she leaves to go to Lowood girls school. Here she speaks of her aunts cruelty to her. Being the strong willed person she is she is able to speak her mind to one of the more terrifying characters of her childhood. Jane also shows to be very strong willed when she discovers of Bertha being Mr. Rochester's wife. Rochesters wife "whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight tell" (Bronte 300) is the reason Jane at first leaves. Her strong willingness is apparent after she leaves Thorn field hall with little money and ends up almost starving. Jane not returning to rochester when she is in need of help shows how strong her will is. Having stong will has helped Jane survive.

What Led Jane to be Happy in the End?

Jane's childhood was dysfunctional and emotionally abusive, with her aunt Sara Reed continually degrading her, and dying with no repentance of her mistreating Jane. Jane had to cope with her nasty and spoiled cousins, one of whom gave his life to gambling and drinking, and then killed himself. John Reed didn't give himself any worth, and I feel that Jane took something from that and made a point of treating herself the way she felt she deserved, and finding someone who would do the same for her. Also because of her loveless childhood, and 8 years of school, every hint of empathy or sincerity she saw in others was amplified and very appreciated.
Jane distinguishes herself at Lowood because of her intellectual abilities and hard work. She develops a strong sense of self, and trusts her capabilities. When Rochester admits to her that she is indeed his mistress, she is torn and distraught, yet "forgave him immediately". Her wish to be loved was broken, and it became her intolerable duty to ask of his departure. Out of self worth and strong principles, she knew she must leave him immediately, and shouldn't be expected to remain his wife.
"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself... I will hold to the principles recieved by me when I was sane, and not mad - as I am now." [pg. 365]
Jane had finally found an inner power in leaving him that supported her, and gave her absolute independence and the ability to be self-sustaining. This victory is what allowed her to return to Rochester, and "be happy in the end".

Response to "How Does Jane Survive?" Tobias Burger

Jane Eyre handles the problems that are presented to her throughout her life with a tenacious, stubborn pursuit of equality. Throughout her childhood and adulthood, she is striving for equality with others, despite her social and physical status. As a child, Jane is "humbled by the consciousness of [her] physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed" (Bronte, 9), the children of her adopted mother. She suffers due to the unequal treatment she receives from Mrs. Reed. Her tenacity for equality ultimately convinces Mrs. Reed to send her off to school, sparing her of one of the major problems presented to her in her life. Later on in her life, she justifies her love for Mr. Rochester, a rich man easily double her age, by insisting that the two were intellectual equals. In addition, after inheriting her family fortune, Jane insists on splitting the money with her three newly discovered cousins: "Were we not four?" she explains to St. John, "Twenty thousand pounds shared equally, would be five thousand each - enough and to spare: justice would be done - mutual happiness secured" (Bronte, 445). This clearly connects Jane's idea of happiness with equality. Jane ultimately ends up happy because she achieves her life long goal of equality, living a humble life with the man she loves, neither of them being better or worse than the other in a major way. -Tobias Burger

Jane's Exceptional....duh....

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a story of an exceptional character. Jane's rise to happiness was not a pleasant journey. The reason Jane eventually found success is because of her ability to negotiate her circumstances and find comfort within her own mind. At Lowood she learns the joys in education, "even for [her], life had its gleams of sunshine" pg 37. Her aptitude to critical think played a critical part as well. If its wasn't for her questioning manner she would not of had the courage to leave Lowood and explore the outer world, but more importantly Mr Rochester would not of found her so appealing, "[he] found her full of strange contrasts, [her] garb and manner came refined with nature" pg 241. Conclusively, Jane's ability to find her happiness was due to her naturally inquisitive nature and trying nurture.

why does jane survive?

In the novel Jane starts of as a young naive girl who longs for some form of love and compassion. From a young age Jane realizes she does not have the looks, money or love her cousins have. She was left an orphan the closest form of love she ever saw was from Bessie, who also saw the grief in Jane's situation . Bessie sang her a song that represented Jane and her current life at that period in her life:" my feet they are sore, and my limbs they are weary; long is the way, and the mountains are wild; soon will the twilight close moonless and dreary over the path of the poor orphan child"(Bronte pg18) and that is exactly what Jane was a "poor orphan child". This is what brought Jane upon creating a strong sense of character she became tough,independent, and created her "voice" through her life's difficulties she learned to cope and this in turn made her strong. After her extended absence for some form of compassion she then meets Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester at this point was making Jane feel differently about love "its as if he where my relation rather than my master"(Bronte 168). Her new found love was what made Jane realize that love existed in her life and that her life troubles made her stronger. Because of all that she had been through she learned to survive on her own.- Gabriella Medina

How Jane Survives

In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane acts as one of the narrators. She is remembering and commenting on her own life. She is able to look back upon her life with positive thinking despite all of her hardships, because these struggles are what make her who she is. Growing up Jane was forced to fend for herself against her abusive cousin, John Reed, who "bullied and punished [her]" (Bronte, p.8) constantly and also having to live with an aunt who held no compassion for her. After growing up and 8 years in a school, Jane experienced very little love or nurturing and as a result saw every little act of kindness as a paramount occasion. This allowed her to go into life being able to cope with very difficult situations and appreciate the little things. The culmination of these two attributes are the underlying reasons for Jane's happiness at the end of the novel. Because of these characteristics, Jane sees her job as a governess in Thornfield as a blessing, but is also strong enough to run away from her love of Mr. Rochester with a "cry of [her] heart as [she] left him" (Bronte, p.320). Although Jane has many things in her life to be sorrowful about, she ends up happy because in order to reach happiness one must work to obtain it, which is unique in Jane's character compared to the others. -Elliot Palestine

Response to 'Jane Survival'

Jane was able to survive due to her agressive nature and an unshakable faith in God. At Gateshead Hall, she was persecuted but resisted the tyranny of its occupants:"John thrust his tongue in his cheek whenever he saw me, and once attemted chastisement; but as I instantly turned against him...he thought it better to desist, and ran from me." (pg 23). At Lowood, she was accused of being a liar. After some encouragement from a friend, she challenged the claim and proved her own innocence. Later, at Thornfield, Jane fell in love with E. Rochester, her master, and agreed to marry him. At the wedding she found out that Rochester was already a married man. Afterwards, she was left with a choice, either enter into a false union with the man she loved, or leave him and be at peace with herself. When she was most vulnerable, Jane looked to Providence to guide her. And so she chose: "I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man."(pg 342)
TimD.

9-1-10 Jane's Survival

Jane's survival throughout the novel was completely due to her charm and the care she received from

others. Jane does have an extremely independent voice and manner to her; however Jane herself is not

independent. She can read and wright but she cannot live on her own. It can also be said that Jane's one

attempt at being independent ended with her "trembling, sickening; conscious of an aspect in the last degree

ghastly, wild, and weather-beaten." (Bronte, 342) .She was only taken in because of St. John's kindness, and

then only let live at the moor house because of her charm.The only reason that Jane survives is due to men

who are hypnotized by her charm. Jane's charm comes from the fact that she, unlike most women of the time,

is not afraid to speak her mind. Jane does not believe that "[superiors] have a right to command [her]".

(Bronte, 136). Rochester falls in love with her partially because she can keep his attention during

conversion. It is Jane's charm that saves her from from a death on a doorstep and lands her a place in

Mr. Rochester's heart, not her independence.

How does Jane survive?

Jane Eyre is a character of considerable strength, but I think that the force that causes her the most misery is the same one that gives her that strength and, in turn, great happiness. It is primarily Jane's strong desire to do what is right that helps her to survive and eventually end up happy. She is guided by morals and hugely infuenced by religion. The need to see "responsiblity fufilled," (Bronte, 351) causes Jane to leave Mr. Rochester, yet it is also the reason for Jane declining St. John's offer of marriage and returning to Rochester. Jane feels that she is "right when I adhere(d) to principle and law," (Bronte, 390), and that "God directed me to a correct choice," (Bronte, 390). This belief brings her a peace that she would never have experienced had she chosen not to "flee temptation," (Bronte, 345), and the fact that she clung so tightly to what she believed in only adds to her bliss at the end of the novel.

why does jane survive?

i think jane survives because from a very early age she has to learn how to endure mrs. reed and john. john being cruel to her and and mrs. reed having no compassion for her . i think this discipline is important for the rest of her life, the boarding school has the extremely unfair dean but she can survive it because she has learned how to cope with unfair people like john reed

“he bullied and punished me not two or three times in a week nor once or twice in the day but continually”