Jane Eyre AS Revision Notes: Narrative, Preface(AO4) & Chapter 1

Jane Eyre

• First Person Retrospective, eponymous novel

Pros

• Bildungsroman—Jane’s journey, thoughts, views, development; the crux of her journey is the writing of her story. Insight into the protagonist

‘My home, then, when I at last find a home,—is a cottage’

• Crafting of the narrative

‘I am only bound to invoke Memory where I know her responses will possess some degree of interest; therefore I now pass a space of eight years almost in silence: a few lines only are necessary to keep up the links of connection.’ ‘Conscience, turned tyrant, held Passion by the throat.’

• Addressing the reader

‘I had already gained the door; but, reader, I walked back—walked back as determinedly as I had retreated.’ ‘Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt!’ ‘Reader, it is not pleasant to dwell on these details.’ ‘Reader, I married him.’

• Foreshadowing, dramatic irony

‘Goodnight my—‘, Rochester. ‘All at once I remembered that it might be Pilot.’

• Older vs. Younger Jane conflict

• Mature writing style, crafting

Cons

• Narrative altered by prejudice

“No; I should not like to belong to poor people”

• Restricted to the narrator’s perspective, judge reliability

Preface

• ‘…so are certain generous critics who have encouraged me as only large-hearted and high-minded men know how to encourage a struggling stranger’, ‘I say cordially, Gentlemen, I thank you from my heart.’

• ‘…in whose eyes whatever is unusual is wrong; whose ears detect…