Charlotte Bronte at 200: stories inspired by Jane Eyre

While these short stories were both very interesting, I would have preferred them to be longer. Both stories left me asking "what happened next?" If I had to choose which story I enjoyed more, it would have to be the second one. I loved the carefree and simple nature of it. The main character, Ed, was seemingly on the verge of falling in love with Jen. The only reason he even knew she existed was because of how different she was from the rest of their mutual friends. Jen was always too busy reading a novel or trying to stay out of people's way to be noticed. Ed may have been drawn towards Jen because she showed no interest in him.

I believe that in this particular short story, Ed resembles Jane in circumstance. Jane falls hopelessly in love with Mr. Rochester, but his status and frequent mood swings render him off limits to Jane. Similarly, Ed feels as if Jen is off limits to him; it is clear she has no interest in romance that involves herself. Mr. Rochester plays a cruel game of hard to get with Jane, which causes her to become so attached to him that it is an obsession. In the short story, Ed experiences the same feeling. The more Jen ignores him, the more he wants to be with her.

Another thing about this story that caught my attention was the use of irony. Nine years before the walk Ed took with Jen, he had been at the same spot with his family. The difference is his attitude; he didn't willingly go with his family the first time, but he followed Jen with his own free will. As they progress further, Ed starts to appreciate the beauty of the view he is exposed to.