Fancy meeting you fine folks here.
For this blog, take a look at the following cover art for Jane Eyre.
Your assignment is to explain (with textual evidence, mais oui) which cover strikes you as being most appropriate and most fitting, based on the parts of Jane Eyre that you have read. Also, specifically reference details on the book covers. Finally, ake sure to reference a classmate if you are not the first!
Peace, love, and Victorian-Era reform politics,
Ms. Rouleau
Oh, PS: This is due by Saturday morning at 10AM. Therefore, if you are prone to still be recumbent at that hour, I'd recommend getting this done in advance. #earlybirdgetstheworm
the pictures don't work on google chrome on a PC :(
ReplyDeleteOkay so I remembered the pictures from class and I looked them all up online because I wanted to get this done!
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First of all, I’d like to say that I think all four of the covers have unique ways of portraying the story, and they all have positive aspects to them. However, the art on the cover of our book, which depicts Jane sitting off in the corner in a long black dress with a book in her hand and other, more brightly dressed Victorian women in the background, is the one that I believe best fits the novel. The reason I believe it is the best is because, from only what we have read so far, I think it really captures the essence of Jane and her personality and inner struggles. Because Jane is dressed in her black long dress, it depicts her simplistic, plain manner throughout the first twenty chapters. Jane says at one point "I dressed myself with care: obliged to be plain – for I had no article of attire that was not made with extreme simplicity… I sometimes regretted that I was not handsomer: And why had I these aspirations and these regrets? It would be difficult to say: I could not then distinctly say it to myself; yet I had a reason, and a logical, natural reason too” (Bronte 47), which demonstrates how her simple way of dress and unspectacular looks make her feel held back and wishes she could be more beautiful. She is also sitting away from everyone, in the shadows, which demonstrates her struggle with equality and social class. She is separated from the other women in the picture and is looking away, as if she feels insignificant to them. This mirrors the scene in which Jane is sitting in the back of the room while Mr. Rochester plays charades with his guests. She feels out of place and unequal with them, so she sits in the back of the room. She also is holding a book, which represents her love for knowledge and education. I think this cover truly encompasses Jane’s struggle with quality, love for learning, and simplicity. The only fault I find with it is the lack of a depiction of Mr. Rochester, because he is very important to the novel. I did not choose the other covers because I feel that the silhouette one is too simple to capture the Victorian setting and somewhat complex plot, the one with the tree focuses too much on Mr. Rochester and not enough on Jane, and the rose one is too sexualized, considering that sex was taboo in the Victorian era, and I don’t feel like the rose is really a symbol in the book (yet?).
sorry its really long...:/
DeleteI agree with Jessica Simpson when she says the cover with Jane sitting off to the side is most fitting and appropriate to the context of the novel. In the picture, Jane holds a book which commonly occurs throughout the novel. Jane wears a long, simple, black dress, a quite frequent sighting in what we have read so far. In the cover, Jane is secluded from the other women who are close to the door. This describes the way Jane feels at the beginning of the novel. Jane enjoys sitting with a book away from everyone in silence. She takes a book and finds the window seat as she draws “the red moreen curtain nearly close” (Bronte, 7). Jane later goes on to say that she “was shrined in double retirement” (Bronte, 7). In her window seat, Jane feels in her own little world, but cannot fully escape her difficult situation. Even though the “folds of scarlet drapery shut in [her] view to the right,” and the “clear panes of glass” to the left protect her, she still does not feel separated from the “drear November day” and the torturous position she is in. Jane feels as though she does not belong where she is. Referring to Jess, Jane is away from everyone “which demonstrates her struggle with equality and social class.” I think Jess nailed it with that comment. Later in the novel, Mr. Brocklehurst makes Jane stand on a stool and tells all the girls at Lowood that she is a liar. He tells them not to talk to her all day, making Jane feel socially rejected. The other covers to the novel do not strike me as truly meaningful, or at least not yet. We will see what Jane Eyre has in store for us beyond chapter twenty.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jess when she says, “The only fault I find with it is the lack of a depiction of Mr. Rochester, because he is very important to the novel” when she is talking about the cover she chose. For this reason I think that the cover that most appropriately portrays the novel Jane Eyre is the cover with the man on the horse. The man on the horse is Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester is very essential to the story. The moment when he was on his horse and his horse slipped on the ice, was the first time that Jane and Mr. Rochester met . . . it was the beginning of their relationship (even though Jane was unaware that the man on the horse was Mr. Rochester). This moment is not only important because it introduces an essential character, but it also gives a deeper insight into the kind of person that Jane is. At one point in the conversation with the man who fell off of his horse Jane says, “I cannot think of leaving you, sir, at so late an hour, in this solitary lane, till I see you are fit to mount your horse” (Bronte 116). This shows the true care and compassion that Jane has for other people. She refuses to leave him until he is okay to ride his horse away. It also shows how Jane is not afraid to talk to men, even though many women in this era were.
ReplyDeleteThis moment has such an important meaning to the book for so many reasons that I find it to be the most fitting cover for Jane Eyre. I believe that it is okay that Jane, herself, is not directly on the cover because the reader knows, after reading chapter 12, that Jane is associated with the part of the story being referenced on the cover.
Like Jessica and Zach, I find the first cover presented to be the most efficient in capturing the mood of Jane Eyre. Also, like Jessica I find the cover of the woman holding the rose to be rather inappropriate to subject and time period of the novel. One day I was looking at the cover and it reminded me of a part of the book I had read beforehand. The part in the book where Jane was secluded from her aunt and cousins where she would sit alone as if she did not even exist. The body language present in the picture says it all when it comes to what had taken place at Gateshead in the beginning of the novel. The woman in the far left hand corner in the black dress is to be seen as Mrs. Reed whose head is turned from Jane who is seen as the girl who sits alone in a pink dress. The girl in the pink dress alone, Jane, is seen holding a book like as Jane would frequently be reading due to her lack of any real human contact from the inhabitants of Gateshead other than Bessie now and again checking up on her welfare. The two girls in the background of the picture are Jane's cousins Eliza and Georgiana who are seen to be in much higher spirits than Jane. The facial expressions present in each of the women on the cover fully encapsulate the feelings of Gatesheads' inhabitants. The lowered eyes of Mrs. Reed show her indifference towards the manner in which she treats and ultimately ignores Jane. Jane's sheepish glance towards her cousins show the longing she feels to be accepted by them but ends up being forgotten by them. Jane's face can be read with a sense of hopelessness towards her situation as her familys' treatment towards her is set in stone. A line from the text which explains my feelings towards the book cover fitting with the contents of the book is as follows: "Mrs. Reed surveyed me at times with a severe eye, but seldom addressed me: since my illness, she had drawn a more marked line of separation than ever between me and her own children; appointing me a small closest to sleep in by myself, condemning me to take my meals alone, and pass all my time in the nursery, while my cousins were constantly in the drawing-room." (Bronte 26). That being said, I also find promise in the second cover with the man on the horse as that would be Rochester on his arrival to Thornfield where he first meets Jane, but as the novel is entitled Jane Eyre and not Edward Rochester, it is not exactly the best choice of book cover. The third book cover is about the second most fitting book cover of all four presented on the blog. The portrait of the woman depicting Jane is not a very flattering one. The portrait is one that Jane herself probably felt she looked like and one that people would commonly suggest she was similar to.
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DeleteI would like to start off by saying that I am kind of sad that my cover was not present, as I actually think it is very appropriate for the book. However, as it unfortunately does not seem like an option, I chose the same cover as Zach, Jessica, and Katie. As Jessica and Zach have both mentioned, the cover gives a look into Jane’s character through the books present and her simple black dress. The desk also symbolizes her time as teacher throughout the novel, to various pupils. As Jessica observed, “She is also sitting away from everyone, in the shadows, which demonstrates her struggle with equality and social class.” Social class is a very large part of the book, especially with Jane’s constant struggle to feel like she is an equal or that she belongs. We see Jane sit away from people throughout the entire book, starting with when Jane secludes herself from the Reed family behind the red curtain on the windowsill in the first chapter. Later in the book, we see her again seclude herself from the wealthy party at Thornfield. Jane is often an observer, which is made clear in the cover, as she is observing the other women. The cover also demonstrates the contrast between Jane and elite Victorian women. This mirrors the contrast we see between Georgiana and Jane, or Blanche and Jane. Jane is simplistic, often dressed in dark clothes, while the other women have curly hair and bright dresses. This addresses Jane’s physical appearance, which is often at the forefront of her mind. As Jessica mentioned, Jane’s “unspectacular looks make her feel held back.”
I think there is also another important symbol in the cover, which would be the sky. As we have addressed in class, Jane is often surrounded by bird-like imagery, such as the sky. We see it in each of the paintings she shows to Mr. Rochester in their first conversation. The open window and blue horizon symbolizes Jane’s desire for freedom, which is made clear to the reader when Jane looks at the skyline in the attic of Thornfield and thinks “…I belived in the existence of other and more vivid kinds of goodness, and what I believed in I wished to behold” (Bronte 111). This line shows, quite plainly, Jane’s desire to see the world, and experience life outside of Thornfield. The last thing the cover presents are some of the Victorian trends we learn about in the novel. Jane remarks how curly hair is lovelier, especially if it is natural, especially in the later part of the novel. The three women in the background are more cheerful, or “agreeable” as women are often expected to be. One of them is touching the curls in the other’s hair, and you can imagine them gushing over how lovely she is. I think this is important because Victorian ideals are important in the novel, and it furthers the contrast between what a Victorian woman is supposed to be, and what Jane is. This is also a theme in the novel, as we often see Bronte get quite political through Jane’s narrative, especially concerning a woman’s role in society. Jane defies social norms, leading her to be called “original” by a few male characters. I chose this cover because it includes many themes and symbols of the novel, such as Victorian rules and society, Jane’s desire for freedom and equality, and the political nature of some of Bronte’s writing.
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ReplyDeleteSo I just wrote everything out and was about to hit publish when my "Blogspot" decided to delete everything... thanks ms.rouleau
ReplyDeleteSo I agree with Jess, Zach, and Katie that the best cover for the first twenty chapters of Jane Eyre is the one with Jane, and her aunt and cousins. I think that this cover shows how Jane is a an outcast which is a reoccurring theme. In the first twenty chapters Jane does not feel as though she belongs anywhere. She does not belong in Gateshead where her "generous benefactress" takes care of her. She is a poor orphan who does not belong mingling among the Victorian upper class. By societal standards she certainly does not belong fraternizing with Mr. Rochester. This cover shows just how much Jane does not belong by displaying her in a plain black dress, while the other women wear bright colors. She is portrayed alone , while the others are together. She is also holding a book which indicates that she reads often (you have to be alone to read.) Lastly, she appears to be looking at the other girls, which shows that she wishes she was with them. This best represents the first twenty chapters.
I hypothesize that the best cover for the entirety of the book is the one displaying Mr. Rochester falling off the horse. Due to the fact that we have only read twenty out of thirty-eight chapters we see Mr. Rochester as important, but kind of dispensable. He has not been around long enough, he was only introduced eight chapters ago. So maybe he is not getting the credit he deserves because we have yet to finish the novel? And who knows, maybe one of our future blogs will be named "Should Jane Eyre be renamed to 'one of the many views of Edward Rochester - by Jane Eyre'."
I do think that the other covers have great relevance to the novel.
Hannah Coderre
Like Marrissa said, I was going to choose the cover with the silhouette, but instead I choose the cover that is on our books. This cover can represent each part of Jane's life. The cover represents the isolation in all three parts: Gateshead, Lowood, and Thornfield. In the cover, Jane is isolated physically in her location, as well as in her appearance. She is separated from the other women because she is in the shadows, and because she is dressed in black while they are dressed in color. At Gateshead, Jane is isolated from the Reeds. Often, Jane has been "dispensed from joining the group" (Bronte 6). Like Jess said, this separation "demonstrates her struggle with equality and social class." This same separation occurs at Lowood, when Jane is forced to be "exposed to general view on a pedestal of infamy" (Bronte 67). Once again she is isolated from those around her physically. Also, Mr. Brocklehurst separates her by calling her a liar. Then, Jane is further isolated at Thornfield. When guests arrived, Jane "retired to a windowseat" (Bronte 173). She isolates herself from those around her. Just as in the cover, she also wears black, while the rest of the Ingrams are in "spotless white" (Bronte 175). This cover perfectly encompasses the isolation that Jane encounters throughout her life. The covers with the roses, I believe, will be more appropriate as we read more of the book. It even becomes more appropriate for what we read this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI believe, along with the majority of the class, that the cover of the book that we use in class is the most appropriate cover for the novel Jane Eyre. On the cover, Jane is portrayed as the girl on the left. There is some heavy symbolism surrounding her character here. She is sitting at a desk, which symbolizes her teaching years at Lowood. Also, she is dressed all in black, just as she would at Lowood and later at Thornfield. Jane comments to Mr. Rochester "I am your plain, Quakerish governess” (Brontë). On the cover, Jane is not particularly depicted as pretty, either. She is holding a book and is surrounded by more, representing her love for reading, education, and knowledge. Also, as Jessica said, Jane is "sitting away from everyone, in the shadows, which demonstrates her struggle with equality and social class." She is mentally and physically separated from the Victorian women on the cover and in her life. Jane never fit in with Mrs. Reed, Eliza, and Georgiana as a child nor did she fit in with Blanche and the crew as an adult. The Victorian women in the cover are shown wearing bright colors in contrast to Jane. They are seen as bright creatures whereas Jane is in the corner, alone. Also, the open window in the room Jane is sitting in is a symbol for Jane’s wish for freedom and adventure. I believe the other covers are not suited for the novel. The one with Mr. Rochester on the horse, while depicting a scene, does not depict the whole book as the cover I chose. Also, the book is called Jane Eyre—not Mr. Rochester—so it would be fitting to have the protagonist on the cover of the book. The one with just Jane on the cover is too plain. While Jane is a plain-Jane so to say, it does not illustrate enough of the plot to be considered cover art. The last photo is too sexual for the time period and we as readers have not seen enough imagery with roses to consider this a main plot element.
ReplyDeleteThe most appropriate cover for the novel is the one our class books have. The cover depicts Jane sitting behind a desk in a dim room with a book in her lap, which portrays Jane's solitude and her love for reading and education. Jane is plainly dressed in her black clothes and especially in comparison to the bright dresses of the other women on the cover. As Jordan said, the open window shows Jane's wish for freedom. My only objection is the utter lack of Mr. Rochester who is clearly a large part of Jane's life. He's always kinda lurking around, covering up vampire attacks and stuff.
ReplyDeleteI think my personal favorite is the rose cover. I like the contrasting red and white and the reference to the rose Mr. Rochester gave her, wherever in the book that was. Totally not sexual, you pervs. Just kidding. It kinda is. I think the rose is a symbol of Jane who is just coming into her own and becoming an adult, blooming so to speak.
I believe, along with many others in our class that the cover of the books that we have is the most fitting for the novel of Jane Eyre. I think that it represents Jane well in her mannerism and appearance. Jane always wears dark clothes, due to her upbringing at Lowood, so the black dress suits her well. The desk and the books are also befitting her because, like Marrissa said, “the desk also symbolizes her time as teacher.” Also Jane, like Jess said, “…is also sitting away from everyone, in the shadows, which demonstrates her struggle with equality and social class.” I think this represents her well, too.
ReplyDeleteThe setting of the cover is also appropriate for Jane, because the entirety of her life has been more or less centralized in and around houses. In this picture, Jane is in a house. Also, in the background “outside” the house is a wall. I think that this wall could symbolize how the three “homes” Jane has had: Thornfield, Lowood, and Gateshead, have all felt restricting to Jane. Gateshead was a prison to Jane and Lowood was not much better at first. When she arrived at Thornfield, Jane felt like she was missing something and even once she desired to not return to the house that held her from the society she inwardly desired.
One thing that I disagree about regarding this cover, however, is that the woman in the cover are Georgiana and Eliza. Eliza told Georgiana, “Georgiana, a more vain and absurd animal than you was certainly never allowed to cumber the earth. You had no right to be born, for you make no use of life.…You need not think that because we chanced to be born of the same parents, I shall suffer you to fasten me down by even the feeblest claim: I can tell you this—if the whole human race, ourselves excepted, were swept away, and we two stood alone on the earth, I would leave you in the old world, and betake myself to the new.” (Bronte 239-240) and Georgiana responds with her dislike of her sister. So the two ladies in the background, who are joyfully with each other, cannot be the two cousins who despise each other and are complete opposites of each other.
One last thing on this cover, there is a little note in Jane’s hand. I think that this is the note that she received from her aunt before she died. It is a very important note because her response to it containing information about her upcoming marriage is the reason why Mr. Mason came to Thornfield to expose Mr. Rochester before he falsely married Jane.
In regard to the other covers, I think that the rose one is too seductive, although roses have been popping up quite a lot now in the book. The one with Mr. Rochester and Jane on the horse I do not find good enough because it only depicts one scene in the book, whereas the cover we have for our books encompasses more about Jane. The one that is the sketch of Jane I do not think does as good as a job as the one we have, but I would choose it as a second place because it depicts Jane as a plain girl and the fact that it is sketched could represent how Jane liked art.
I would like to start off by explaining my thoughts while looking at the covers of the book. Right away, I eliminated the cover with Mr. Rochester on the horse. With the title of the book and the name of the main character being Jane Eyre, I figured that the cover would not be the most fitting. As I looked at the cover with just Jane on it, I quickly eliminated it because the cover with Jane and her family fits better. Then I got to the cover with the hands holding the rose and I liked it a lot. I saw the rose as a symbol of Jane and her growth as a person but I still feel as though Jane has not fully grown into who she will be at this point in the novel. That left me with the cover we have now. The cover with Jane and her family members is the most fitting cover for a few reasons. First of all, the black dress jumps out right away and definitely represents the Jane of the book. Her dress is described as “quite simple: a black merino cloak, a black beaver bonnet; neither of them half fine enough for a lady’s-maid” (116). It sets Jane apart from other women in society because of her dress. She is also separated from the rest of the people on the cover and she is constantly alone in the book because of her social class. Even when she gets to Thornfield for the first time, she says “half-an-hour elapsed and still I was alone” (95). I also agree with Jess when she points out Jane’s “simplicity” and plainness. Jess also makes a good point when she speaks about Jane’s struggle in society. Hannah makes a very solid point when she mentions the book in Jane’s lap. It represents Jane’s education at Lowood that brings her to where she is in the novel now.
ReplyDeleteThe picture titled "Jane Eyre 1" Is the most appropriate for the content of the novel. Bronte desrcibes Jane's appearance as plain and not overly beatiful and this is depicted in the cover. The woman on the front of the conver is also poised and has a pensive expression on her face. Jane was rebellious and outspoken as a child, but as she grows older she learns to keep her composure and keep her opinions to herslef. She becomes a poised and learned lady. The colors on the cover depict the mood of the book because the light grey and off white depict a dreary mood. Thic cover describes many aspects of the novel. I also agree with Marrissa that the cover with the rose on it is not fitting to the content of the novel. The cover makes the book seem like it will be a romance novel and that the person in the novel is vein, this does not fit the story at all.
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