Works Cited

Works Cited

Davis, Kenneth C. Don't Know Much about Mythology : Everything You Need to Know about the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never Learned. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

Guajardo, Scott A. ""The Wild Wind Whirls Away": An Allusion to Thomas Moore's Sacred Songs in Jane Eyr." 2005. University of Michgan at Dearborn. 30 Nov. 2008 .

"Gulliver's Travels: Plot Overview." Sparknotes. 2008. 30 Nov. 2008 .

"Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night." Bonfire Night. 16 Apr. 2008. 29 Nov. 2008 .

Johnsen, Linda. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism. New York: Alpha Books, 2001.

Krystek, Lee. "The UnMuseum: Tower of Babel." The UnMuseum. 1998. 29 Nov. 2008 .

"Leprechaun." Encyclopedia Mythica. 10 Apr. 1999. Ncyclopedia Mythica Online. 30 Nov. 2008 .

Liukkonen, Petri. "Jean de la Fontaine." Books and Writers. 2008. 30 Nov. 2008 .

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Jean de la Fontaine

Jean de la Fontaine

"Assuming the attitude, she began, "La Ligue des Rats, de La Fontaine." (pg. 104)

Jean de la Fontaine was a French poet who collected hundreds of fables in his time. He borrowed from Aesop and Greek mythology for his fables, of which there are upwards of 200. Most of these fables are simple-minded tales about nature and animals. The use of Adele telling a Fontaine poem shows the simplicity of the little girl and what she knows. It also helps to show her culture and that she has been distinctly influenced by her French upbringing.

Link: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/fontaine.htm

Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels

"...I begged her to fetch Gulliver's Travels from the library." (pg 20)

Gulliver's Travels is a book written by Jonathan Swift and tells the story of a man named Lemuel Gulliver and his fantastical voyages to faraway lands. The reference to Gulliver's Travels in Jane Eyre is especially fitting when thinking in terms of how Jane relates to those around her. Gulliver is often in lands where he is seen as a complete outsider. He travels to lands where he surrounded by tiny little people and he is the largest thing they have ever seen but he also travels to a land where he is tiny compared to the giant-like people that inhabit the land. Gulliver is never with his own kind for very long and always feels out of place. When he finally does find a place he likes and is at home with the inhabitants, they reject him because they find him to be too much like the creatures that act as their servants. Just like Jane, Gulliver is often on the outside looking in but desperate for companionship.

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gulliver/summary.html

Jane as a Feminist

Jane as a Feminist

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel..." (pg. 111)

In this short passage, Bronte gives Jane a very feminist-tuned voice. She talks about how unfair it is for women to be forced into doing simple things like cooking or sewing. Jane puts men and women on equal playing field, saying that women need the same things that men do. Throughout Jane Eyre, Bronte makes equality a very important issue to her protagonist. Even though Jane loves Rochester, she refuses to become his mistress. She knows that they would not be on equal footing and she would always be at his mercy. Only when she knows they are equal in status does she become his wife.

Jane vs. Social Norms

Jane vs. Social Norms

"I don't think, sir, you have a right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have..." (pg. 136)

Throughout Jane Eyre, Jane is seen to be battling against social rules and norms. She refuses to be treated like nothing in Mrs. Reed's house, even though according to class rules, she has no reason to act like she is anything better than a servant. Jane never accepts less than what she believes she deserves, an idea that was fairly radical for a young girl of rather poor means. In this scene with Rochester, Jane bluntly tells him that she doesn't think he should be able to tell her what to do simply because he is older or more experienced. Jane does not hang her head or bite her tongue when it comes to her beliefs. By creating a strong-spoken female character, Bronte has shown several of her own thoughts on the matter of class and social rules.

EDIT: Bronte's use of first-person point of view narrative helps to display her own values though Jane, especially on issues such as feminism and social norms. It would have been easy for Bronte to express her feelings openly while using words such as, "I" and "me". It knocks down a barrier within the expressive mind to use personal first person pronouns instead of "her" or "she".

Leprechauns

Leprechauns

"I shook my head. "The men in green all forsook England a hundred years ago," said I..." (pg. 124)

The "green men" that Jane is referring to are leprechauns. Leprechauns are tiny little men who were said to live in Ireland and cobble shoes for elves. They have since become a famous fairy tale in their own right, with different versions of their excessive drinking and hidden treasures. Bronte's reference to leprechauns in her novel adds a sense of local color and myth. When Rochester asks Jane if she is in league with the leprechauns, it would be just like if someone in Maine asked if you were spending time with Bigfoot.

EDIT: Bronte's decision to use the leprechaun myth adds to the seemingly mischevious characterization of Jane. Rochester's question of Jane's connection with the leprechauns shows that Rochester finds her impish and even playful. In addition, the reference to leprechauns leaving England points to the longstanding tension between Britain and Ireland.
Link: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/l/leprechaun.html

Thomas Moore's Sacred Songs

Thomas Moore's Sacred Songs

"Like heath that, in the wilderness,
The wild wind whirls away." (pg. 117)

This small snippet is from Thomas Moore's work, Sacred Songs. Bronte used this piece for two reasons. Moore was a famous writer of the time and clearly must have influenced Bronte and her writing style. More importantly though, the heath that is swept away by the wind can be seen a metaphor for Jane in this scene. Since she has just been talking about how monotonous her life is at Thornfield, the sudden appearance of a stranger, even though she only speaks to him for a few minutes, has stirred her world up once again. The revelation that this stranger is Mr. Rochester, Jane's future love interest, only gives more weight to her being the heath that is swept away.

Link: http://www.umd.umich.edu/casl/hum/eng/classes/434/charweb/guajardo2.htm (2005)