Jane Eyre VI -- chapter 6: EVERY KID WANTS TO BE JANE EYRE

Scottish Castle

Take a look at children's novels, or stories--within novels, or novels themselves--which include the realization of childish fantasies: nearly without exception there is escape involved.  Escape from home, from relations, from reality....  Whether the children involved come from strong families like Alice, or broken like Harry, children want to get away.  The escapist fantasy of leaving the mundanity, pressures (and, yes, contrary to silly adultish assumptions, there's big-time pressure for kids), confusion, cruelty, or whatever is ubiquitous.  I had a great childhood, and generally I entirely disregarded my parents, preferring instead the various worlds I created or read about.  But Jane Eyre is not, so far, any kind of fantasy, inasmuch as the connotation of the word tends to positive.  Even the  terrors of Wonderland are exciting and wonderful--or wondrous, at least--and I often went there and enjoyed myself.  The morbid and dreary reality of Jane Eyre seems to prevent it from achieving some similar sort of attraction, yet still it fits the bill.  What possible comfort is there for a kid in reading about Jane's terrible life and fantasizing it for him-/herself?

Reading Questions

1. Teachers have pets and monsters, both are favorites; interesting that one can be both, depending on the teacher.
2. What is the benefit of a place like Lowood, at least in the creation of one's person, self, and identity?
3. Ah, little Helen Burns; a truly complex character at last!  I simply can't imagine she's as simple as the unilateral pedant she pretends, and the measures this farcical pretense requires, and what it must therefore cover up, indicates by necessity of its complexity.  Who is she--or, perhaps more accurately, what is she?  
4. "Probably you would do nothing of the sort; but if you did, Mr. Brocklehurst would expel you from the school; that would be a great grief to your relations. It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you; and besides, the Bible bids us return good for evil."  Define "evil," both in context of the Bible (Romans 12:14-21) and Helen Burns's usage.
5. Deliberately obtuse question: Who is the better teacher (considering a teacher's primary objective and perhaps disregarding method of execution), Miss Scatcherd or Miss Temple?  Bronte's choices for their names seems to indicate her own feelings, or intent at least to influence the reader's prejudice.
6. “Yes, in a passive way: I make no effort; I follow as inclination guides me. There is no merit in such goodness.”
7. Jane's response to this statement is interesting to me--that of striking back strong and hard to preclude further retaliation--and reminds me pointedly of Ender Wiggin from Ender's Game.
8. Bronte Politics.  Which side do you believe Bronte herself is partial to, Jane's or Helen's?
9. Any other thoughts about Jane and Helen's conversation?