The podcast was great and really help me personally understand some important things in the book.
Pros
The people speaking are great at reading deep into what Charlotte Bronte wrote.
The summary of the book mentioned in it does a great job and while it ruins somethings, helped me understand what I had been reading, showing the story's "Big Picture."
Cons
The time limit. The best information was at the end and it was rushed due to the time. Some good insights were missed because the speakers had to keep moving topics. The connections from Bronte's life to The book Jane Eyre were few and rather short. I would have liked to have heard more connections, but I bet this was partly due to the fact that the speakers seemed to better understand Jane then Bronte.
Some insights shared in the podcast about Jane were how her character thrives on rejection and opposition. Because the reader can observe that Jane has rational boundaries for herself, events and occurrences that push and test those boundaries make Jane interesting because the reader wants to know if that boundary will change or if Jane will stay the same. When Jane's boundaries are tested they get stronger and with it, Jane's character as she learns what might challenge her. This really shows her independence as a woman and is also what makes her most passionate. Her boundaries show the reader that Jane will take care of herself. The boundaries she sets for herself in the story can be read whenever Jane talks to herself.
There are many Other things that caught my interest but I want to bring up the point that while I was listening I was reminded of some things that are mentioned before the first chapter of our book where the author shares some things in the introduction. Some of the ideas about what events or characters represent are different from the podcast and made me think about what they represent. Characters such as Bertha, Hellen Burns and St. John. For example; I think Betha Jones is a representation of perhaps a scarier side to Mr. Rochester and also what Jane could be if her boundaries were lost. What are some things you see that relate to Jane, Charlotte Bronte or the time period?
I saw lots of connections to Charlotte Bronte's life while listening to the pod cast. I think Bertha Mason could be a representation of what Mr. Rochester or Jane could turn into if they let lost their boundaries. The part about the time period was interesting too. Charlotte Bronte might have been writing a little bit ahead of her time with some of the Gothic and Supernatural elements. Helen Burns was the kind of person and friend that Jane wanted to be like. From when Jane was little, she always noticed the beauty of others and took time to admire them. Helen was one of the first of many people through Jane's life that she looked up to or wanted to be more like.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the podcast they talk about how Bronte and Jane are similar and how the book has its autobiography aspects. And Bertha Mason could be showing Mr. Rochester's dark side. How people can lose themselves and become insane like Bertha is in the novel. Bronte writing for the future is a cool thing to think about.
ReplyDeleteJane, while being a revolutionary character, still adheres to some conflicting social conventions. She is very proper, but yet has a passionate side. Her proper side keeps her passionate side in check. That is a main difference between Bertha and herself. Mr. Rochester has a dark side too, and Jane seems to balance him out.
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