Author Topic: Jane Eyre "You almost unearthly thing!"  (Read 11944 times)

Sandy

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Re: Jane Eyre "You almost unearthly thing!"
« Reply #80 on: August 26, 2016, 01:03:25 PM »
...I would be stunned myself if the point of the exercise was to tear it down.

Yes, that's how I feel about the book, like she had to destroy something in an attempt to make sense of her own stuff.

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You know I have serious problems with that entire plot line. Instead of just not including it all and feeling like it wouldn't leave an appreciable hole; this feels like an attempt to fill a hole. Because it's unusual in a book of such character depth to leave one person so much a demon. So in terms of demonising Bronte does that herself with Mrs Rochester.

I see it as the one, two punch of the Gothic climate of literature of the day (think Zombies today. :) ) and the need to keep the protagonists apart, so she could explore their characters and give them that "trial by fire", to forge a bond so strong, nothing could part them in the end (borrowing smirnoff's metaphor :) ).

The ways he tried to help Mrs. Rochester, showed Mr. Rochester's compassion for her and pity for her predicament. So she's not a monster, as much as she's a victim of her inherited madness.

verbALs

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Re: Jane Eyre "You almost unearthly thing!"
« Reply #81 on: August 26, 2016, 01:48:17 PM »
I didn't realise you read it.
I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don't do that so much anymore. - Banksy

Sandy

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Re: Jane Eyre "You almost unearthly thing!"
« Reply #82 on: August 26, 2016, 06:41:41 PM »
I haven't read the book, just pages of excerpts, concentrating on Rochester's words and actions. I think what bugs me the most is when people say they'll never look at Rochester the same again. Really? They're so easily swayed by someone else's interpretation of a character, that they forget what they learn about him in Jane Eyre? And do  they forget that the book ends 10 years after Jane's marriage to him and that all the qualities she saw in him (as well as the ones buried down inside), were real and actualized? And, if he really did want to rid himself of Bertha, as WSS likes to point out, then why keep her in the attic? He could have committed her long ago. His reasons for keeping her there, were compassionate ones. From what I've read of WSS, the narrative is interesting with her decent into madness amidst cultural and gender conflict, but I don't like that it's taken as truth over Bronte's story... Defaming someone else's created character rubs me the wrong way.

verbALs

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Re: Jane Eyre "You almost unearthly thing!"
« Reply #83 on: August 27, 2016, 01:32:34 AM »
Then the first thing to say is that both are stories. Only stories. There is no truth to defame. Is there?

Rochester is clearly a quite horrible man and seeing him as he truly is, which might be Jane's special gift, doesn't change his appearance to the world in general. So when I say that, what is your reaction? I'm entitled to feel that way aren't I? Take one step back and colonialists in all parts of the worlds were exploiters. None of it is romantic is it? The reasons Rochester goes to make his fortune aren't especially galant ones if I remember at all correctly.

As for the book I've expressed both admiration; now a favourite book, and real frustrated amusement at how poor the lady in the attic plot is. I can imagine more easily that Bronte wrote a much longer and better sequence here to give the lady a story but that this would be too much of a tangent. Hence the hole. Now these are all opinions of mine, which I'm sure you see I'm entitled to. I'm not defaming the book am I? Goodreads has over 33,000 (out of 1.5 million) 1 star reviews. The first one described it as "507 pages of needlepoint"!  ;D that's not defamatory either. It is funny though and I can love Jane Eyre and get the joke too.  ;D

Some of those ladies came to Jane Eyre via WSS. They may have preferred WSS and they may have done so because they read it first. Still it meant more people found Jane Eyre as a result. It didn't put them off nor make a derisory mess of their opinion of JE. Surely that proves the other books worth?
« Last Edit: August 27, 2016, 02:06:57 AM by verbALs »
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Sandy

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Re: Jane Eyre "You almost unearthly thing!"
« Reply #84 on: August 27, 2016, 09:55:07 AM »
Then the first thing to say is that both are stories. Only stories. There is no truth to defame. Is there?

no

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Rochester is clearly a quite horrible man and seeing him as he truly is, which might be Jane's special gift, doesn't change his appearance to the world in general. So when I say that, what is your reaction? I'm entitled to feel that way aren't I? Take one step back and colonialists in all parts of the worlds were exploiters. None of it is romantic is it? The reasons Rochester goes to make his fortune aren't especially galant ones if I remember at all correctly.

He goes there, because his father told him to. According to Bronte's writings, Rochester's horribleness was because life had dealt him a blow, one that devastated him and left him without hope.

Yes, your feelings are your own. I don't wish to change them.

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As for the book I've expressed both admiration; now a favourite book, and real frustrated amusement at how poor the lady in the attic plot is. I can imagine more easily that Bronte wrote a much longer and better sequence here to give the lady a story but that this would be too much of a tangent. Hence the hole. Now these are all opinions of mine, which I'm sure you see I'm entitled to. I'm not defaming the book am I? Goodreads has over 33,000 (out of 1.5 million) 1 star reviews. The first one described it as "507 pages of needlepoint"!  ;D that's not defamatory either. It is funny though and I can love Jane Eyre and get the joke too.  ;D

Me too :)

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Some of those ladies came to Jane Eyre via WSS. They may have preferred WSS and they may have done so because they read it first. Still it meant more people found Jane Eyre as a result. It didn't put them off nor make a derisory mess of their opinion of JE. Surely that proves the other books worth?

Rhys has the right to write what she wants and people have the right to like her book or not, or read it, or not. If people enjoy her work and/or find it compelling, then it has worth to them.

 

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