Jane Eyre - With the Rivers family - Mindmap in A Level and IB English Language & Literature

Created by: RavenF
Created on: 03-12-19 13:28

View mindmap

Jane 'Elliot'
- What if she had stayed at Thornfield?
  - Become Rochester's mistress
    - Link her to Bertha Mason - Rochester would hide her away from the world
  - Would live knowing she had made a bad choice
    - Spend rest of her life in regret, ruin their relationship
  - Would never have inherited her fortune.
    - Would never have had the chance to gain independence
      - Independence gave her the chance to work out what she wants to do in life
        Led her back to Rochester, although this time in a legitimate way - no regrets.
  - Would never have found her real family.
  - Would never have met other men
    - Maybe wouldn't have fully worked out her feelings/ commitment towards Rochester
- The moor
  - Shows how Jane was completely alone in the world
    - Moor - vast expanse of empty space - perfect to highlight Jane's destitution
  - Left her luggage too - now has absolutely NOTHING in the world
    - Reader wonders how she is going to survive
  - Pathos
    - Jane has nowhere to go, no method of getting anywhere
    - No possessions, food or drink, no shelter
      - Reader's instinct is to help her
    - Reader wonders if she may have been better off staying with Rochester, we see how alone she is without him.
    - Emphasises how hard iwas for Jane to leave Rochester/ do the right thing.
  - Jane accepts her fate - Blamed nobody, didn't expect anyone to help her, although she hoped they would.
  - Jane's new identities - 'stranger' - 'well-dressed beggar'
- Pseudonym - Elliot
  - Symbolises start of new life, leaving past behind
  - Shows conviction to forget Rochester, make sure he doesn't fine her.
    - Shows her strong moral character
- Rivers' family life
  - Reflects Bronte's
    - Both families strict and religious - part of a parish
- Marsh End/ Moor House
  - Affected Jane's state of mind
    - Found a place to forget about painful memories of her past, esp Rochester
  - Suits Jane's character - hardiness of the house and its surroundings - Jane understands it - 'I felt the consecration of its loneliness
- Charity/ hospitality
  - Charity - Jane receives job from the Rivers family
  - Hospitality - Rivers allow her to stay with them, join in their studies and become part of their family.
  - Difference - charity is voluntary, cares for basic necessities/ hospitality is generous/ comes from the heart
- Appearance
  - Allowed Rivers family to determine their thoughts about Jane before she woke from fever
    - Observed she needed help, so felt glad to give it to her
    - Observed she 'was not uneducated'
    - Imagined her 'physiognomy would be agreeable' from her 'peculiar face'
  - St John Rivers on Jane's appearance
    - 'she would always be plain', 'sensible but not at all handsome'
      - Bronte reiterating that it's Jane's character, what comes from her heart rather than her looks that gets her the good things in life
      - Shows how the Rivers family care for Jane out of the goodness of their hearts
      - Would highlight how St John's later attachment to Jane is based on her character rather than her looks.
- Jane
  - Desires
    - Wants a job/ work to become independent and be free of charity
      - Will help her state of mind as she could take her mind off Rochester and all that she has lost
  - Her mind has settled - learned to take control of her own life, doesn't need much else to be comfortable.
    - Grateful to be guided to this place, thankful, no resentment for what she has lost.
  - Feelings about Rosamond
    - Motherly - enjoys watching her interact with St John
      - Links her to Adele, maybe feels she can teach her a few things
    - Admires her beauty, took pleasure in drawing her portrait
      - Shows selfless nature, doesn't resent her own lack of beauty.
  - Dreams
    - Show her inward yearning/ desire for a fuller life, with the adventure/ mystery that Thornfield had offered.
    - Show up everything she doesn't allow her mind to dwell on in her conscious state.
    - Dreams extensively of Rochester and his love.
      - Shows she will never be able to forget him, she will continue to dream and yearn for him
        Hasn't fully come to terms with being apart from him
- St John
  - Gothic villain
    - Has 'heroic' qualities to be seen as more than a villain
    - Cares for Jane, yet is very cold/ aloof towards her
    - Misses nothing in Jane's speech, coolly examines her character
    - Hard, nothing seems to affect his heart/ emotions
    - Similar to Rochester; both are abrupt towards Jane, neither tries to impress her
      - Could show how they view her as an equal, someone to be respected
  - Traits
    - Hard and cold nature
    - Likes to be in control
    - Doesn't like to be on the other end of analysis/ keeps his thoughts to himself, makes sure nobody gets close enough to fully understand him
    - 'Considerably more calculated to embarrass than to encourage' - shows lack of human affection
  - Religious
    - Tries to show humility - 'I am myself poor and obscure' - Sort of contradicts his nature, he acts superior to people
    - Views similar to Brocklehurst - devout in his actions, severely follows Christian rules
    - Doesn't appear to be a true Christian - Jane says 'didn't appear to enjoy the mental serenity' that a Christian should enjoy
      - Not similar to Helen Burns
  - Feelings about Rosamond
    - Shows his passionate nature underneath his self-control
      - If he gave into his emotions, he could be just as earnest in showing affection towards those he loved as to his work for his parish
      - Curbs his passion, has a very resolute, self-controlled nature, hard to sway his opinion
        Similar to Jane, she shows self-control also against the one she loves
    - Adoration/ passion for her, manages to curb his desire, doesn't think she would make a good wife for a missionary.
      - Forsakes all feelings between them to achieve his ambition
        Cold, hard, ambitious man
        
        Jane is concerned for him giving up all that he desires to become a missionary, which St John clearly feels as a duty rather than a pleasure.
        Maybe shows slight wistfulness in forsaking her own pleasures, although she doesn't allow herself to dwell on this.
    - Tries his utmost not to let her affect him, cannot hide his feelings
    - Sees her as a dream, something he cannot have
    - Resents the control she has over his feelings
- Diana and Mary Rivers
  - Very knowledgeable
  - Friendship with Jane - mutual one. Well-matched and natural friendship, full of affection

Get Revising

Jane Eyre - With the Rivers family

Comments

Similar English Language & Literature resources: