JANE EYRE

1. Can you summarize the book in two minutes?

This book explains the life of Jane Eyre. She is a girl with no parents, because they

both die. Her uncle adopt her and she lives with him and his family, but they die and

the rest of the people of Gateshead begins to hate her. Her childhood is difficult and

cruel, but finally Mrs Reed let her go to a charity school, where meets Miss Temple,

the headmistress of the school, and Helen “Burns”, another girl treated not so good,

who everyone thinks he’s evil but she has a really strong faith to God. After being

eight years in this school, two of them as a teacher, she gets a job as a governess of

a wealthy family. She has to teach Adele, Mr Rochester’s daughter. After some time,

the master of the house arrives and they fall in love to each other, but Edward

Rochester wants Jane to feel jealous pretending he’s going to marry a beautiful

woman, but finally they are who want to get married.

- Truth on the church: Mr Rochester is already married with Mason’s sister. Jane

gets angry.

- She leaves home and Edward is alone again. He explained to her what happened,

but she leaves home anyway.

- After some days, she gets a new home and begins working as a teacher in a

village school.

- She realizes that the people who have helped her are her cousins.

- Finally she hears about Mr Rochester and decides to go again to Thornfield to be

with him, now he is blind and she wants to look after him until she dies.

2. Is there a mystery sentence or a turning point in the story?

I think it’s important the moment that, when Jane is living with her cousins, she

realizes they are cousins and Mr Rochester.

Another turning point is when everything is ruined when they are in the church and

they don’t go on the marriage.

3. When and where does the story take place?

This story takes place in England, in some houses like Gateshead, Thornfield, Lowood

school… in the XIX century

4. Who are the main characters in the story? What’s their role?

The main character is Jane Eyre, a girl who has been a victim her entire life and

finally things are changing to her and she’s building a life. I think Mr. Rochester can

be also a main character, because Jane’s life is around Edward’s life since she meets

him. He is who gaves her a chance to feel what’s love, and he is who suffers her lack

of affection.

5. Choose one character (main or secondary) and describe him/her.

Mr Rochester is a man twenty years older than Jane and he’s desperate to find the

real love. He’s wealthy, but he’s not so happy. I think he’s insecure because he feels

alone. He has friends but they are only friends when they have to organize parties

and get married, he just knows being friends because of interest, and he wants to

feel how does it feel loving without think about money or family, to someone who

can understands him.

6. Can you identify with any character? Why?

I sometimes identify myself with Jane Eyre, because she’s inconformist, at least at

the beginning when she’s not agree with her “family” and tries to fight with her

troubles and before anything she prefers freedom than to be enchained with

someone.

7. Choose your favourite moment in the story

I really like the moment Jane comes again to Thornfield and it’s all burned, so he

goes to a friend of Mr Rochester’s house and finally they are happy together, and

she’s by his side when he’s blind… that’s beautiful.

8. Which new key words have you learnt to understand the story?

I don’t know what words are important but I think “Evil” it’s important, because it’s there in the beginning of the story. I learn what’s a “vicar”, a priest in the church of

England; the “Churchyard”, where dead people is buried next to the church; “seize”,

to take hold on quickly…

9. Provide an alternative ending.

The ending of the book is the ending I expected. But I can imagine an ending in India,

with Jane and John as a missionaries. In this case, Jane would be so sad and

frustrated, because first of all he wants freedom, no chains. From the frustration she

would kill herself and John finally would realize he can’t control other people and…

he would kim himself, too!

10. Would you recommend this book? Why?

Of course. It’s a typical romantic story, like “we love each other-something happens-now I hate you, leave me alone-I’m frustrated-I still love you-we’re happy again”.

But it’s an easy story… I have to say at the beginning I thought it would be difficult

because I began reading and there were a lot of names, but it could be worse, we

just have to remember Pride and Prejudice…