Cons: They were sometimes hard to understand, partly because they talked too fast and their accents on top of that. They mumbled at times. I felt like they talked too much about Charlotte Bronte's early life, and not enough about Jane Eyre. It also got boring because it lasted so long.
One thing that I thought was interesting, was how one woman explained Jane Eyre as a Cinderella story. She said it's like a fairy tale where Jane Eyre is growing up an orphan, with an aunt that is not nice to her. Her cousins, which are like the step sisters, also treat her badly. She becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets the strange character, Mr. Rochester. They sort of fall in love, and at the wedding, we find out that he is already married to Bertha Mason. When she flees, she meets two other women who turn out to be sisterly-like, which is kind of ironic. Later, she finds out that they are her cousins. Jane then inherits a large amount of money from her uncle and her cousin proposes to her. She rejects him and goes back to Mr. Rochester, and finds out that Thornfield Hall has been burned down. In the end, Jane marries him, and they live happily ever after.
After the woman got done explaining how Jane Eyre is like a Cinderella story, it makes a lot of sense with how the two stories relate to each other. Jane had a mean aunt and cousins, like in Cinderella. Jane meets her "Prince Charming" and they sort of go back and forth on a chase with each other. Throughout, they always seem to find each other, like when Mr. Rochester goes on his trips and when Jane flees from Thornfield Hall. This is like when Charming has to go find Cinderella. Mr. Rochester seems to 'call out' for Jane, after she gets proposed to, but in this case, Jane finds him. They have this dramatic fairy tale ending where they profess their love for each other, and we find out that they get married. Although the two stories are alike, Cinderella and Jane are more alike than the two men. After the woman explained this, it makes a lot more sense of how they relate to each other. Overall, I thought this part in the podcast was very interesting.
It is very interesting the connections between Jane Eyre and Cinderella. When first thinking about it, most people would not put them together. Cinderella, while it has its sad moments, is such a happy and bright story. Jane Eyre is presented in a gothic way, so it is much darker. Cinderella is gorgeous, Jane is presented as plain. Yet, their stories are very similar. It shows how the way information is presented can affect how it is perceived.
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ReplyDeleteI definetly see the comparision between Cinderella and Jane Eyre. After reading your blog, I did my own research on the comparisions of Jane Eyre and Cinderella. Jane also lived with a wicked step-mother (Aunt Reed) and step-siblings (cousins). She also eventually arrived to the castle (Thornfield). There, at the castle, she met her Prince Charming (Mr. Rochester). Just like Cinderella, at the end of Jane Eyre, we learn she lived happily ever after. Overall, one can conclude stories form out of other stories. From the book we read this summer, How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, we are reminded in the end, no story is completely original. There will always be another story we have read, heard, or watched, that will remind us of the one at hand.
ReplyDeleteI had also never thought of the comparison between Cinderella or Jane. You are right though. Once it is explained in the podcast it makes a lot of sense. There are many striking parallels between Jane Eyre and Cinderella. I find it kind of surprising that everyone (including me) is just now realizing this. It seems so obvious after it is explained by some British lady on a podcast and there is even a whole chapter about literature based on fairy tales in Foster's book. Even though most people caught it late, it's still a nice comparison to thin about.
ReplyDeleteLike it has been said in the other comments, comparing Jane Eyre to Cinderella took me by surprise. It's seems very unlikely the two would fit together. After you explained it though it all made sense. I realized comparing literature to other works can help understand the novel better.
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