tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post7063270231646839713..comments2024-03-29T04:12:48.987+08:00Comments on The Reading Life: "Jane Eyre" Charlotte Bronte. - Colonialism, Racism and Jane EyreMel uhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714473754458914681noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-76002829830623289792010-08-24T10:58:00.999+08:002010-08-24T10:58:00.999+08:00Laura's Reviews-thank you very much for your k...Laura's Reviews-thank you very much for your kind remarks-Mel uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08714473754458914681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-71146697492696121742010-08-24T08:36:25.059+08:002010-08-24T08:36:25.059+08:00Wow - what a great review! I love your in depth l...Wow - what a great review! I love your in depth look at racism in both Jane Eyre and The Wide Sargasso Sea. I read The Wide Sargasso Sea for the first time this year and it was eye opening to say the least.Laura's Reviewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13904763940307902364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-86238732093718699222010-03-04T06:23:57.934+08:002010-03-04T06:23:57.934+08:00Mel another great summary....
Thank you for the ...Mel another great summary.... <br /><br />Thank you for the great discussion... <br /><br />E.H>Erotic Horizonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02236771670599353453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-25150173212974871522010-02-22T15:36:16.899+08:002010-02-22T15:36:16.899+08:00I adored Jane Eyre and read it when I was fairly y...I adored Jane Eyre and read it when I was fairly young (14) Since then I have read it many times, although haven't re-read it in quite a few years. Thanks for your in-depth review, it was very interesting :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13838008635965872830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-53326781106626231662010-02-21T01:04:21.568+08:002010-02-21T01:04:21.568+08:00heidenkind: Yup, that's exactly my point. He&#...heidenkind: Yup, that's exactly my point. He's not a tyrant, he was a young and naive at the time and was tricked into marrying a woman he never got to be alone in the same room with before he was already married to her, and that both his father and brother had betrayed him in their greed. They'd sold him off in order to secure the Mason family fortune, and to a mad woman as well. If she hadn't been insane, perhaps they could've made it work somehow. Frosty relationships didn't seem uncommon in those days, after all, but as she's mentally ill, that's not an option. He's the dutiful husband and keeps her safe, even though he could've just had her locked up in an asylum. He cared (perhaps a bit too much) about Bertha, and at the time of marriage, he was infatuated with her and thought he was really in love with her, so the way he came across in WSS just felt incredibly wrong, as it showed none of that. :/<br /><br />mel u: Interesting perspective of review! Good job! Thanks for the mention as well. :) Having just finished "The Professor", I'd probably say Charlotte was "a bit" of a xenophobe, and wow, did she have a grudge against Catholics!Traxyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13249884092846934427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-71266117966865708422010-02-14T09:22:51.612+08:002010-02-14T09:22:51.612+08:00Jenners-I hope you will share with us your thought...Jenners-I hope you will share with us your thoughts on Wide Sargasso Sea<br /><br />heidenkind-you make some great points-Bertha was a creole-a lower class person than Jane-Creole were in many cases the descendents of trasported servanta or convicts often thought to have mixed blood or to have "gone native" and thus of a lower class than Jane-also I think Rochester does look down on Jane-they do not reach a status where they can marry each other until he is blinded and partially crippled-he needs her as a servant whatever else may go on in his mind-I see him as condescending to her throughout-he does not seem to want a wife of his on social class-there is a lot going on here-Mel uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08714473754458914681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-5381909948040140732010-02-14T07:00:36.099+08:002010-02-14T07:00:36.099+08:00I haven't read Wide Saragossa Sea, but I would...I haven't read Wide Saragossa Sea, but I would have to say that from your summary, I agree with Traxy that Mr. Rochester is out of character. I think he did resent Bertha, but for obvious reasons--because both his family and hers tricked him into matrimony for economic reasons! If you read Jane Eyre, he really did try to make it work with Bertha. Also, if he looked down at people who were of a different class and education, why didn't he look down at Jane, who was basically a nobody?<br /><br />However, I do like the idea of a story being told from Bertha's perspective.Heidenkindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494625457587427781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-37576684951614396572010-02-11T10:57:10.360+08:002010-02-11T10:57:10.360+08:00This was fascinating ... I read Jane Eyre for the ...This was fascinating ... I read Jane Eyre for the first time last year and now I'm interested in the Wide Sargasso Sea.Jennershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08044537551139633301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-61901863805533054262010-02-09T10:34:48.253+08:002010-02-09T10:34:48.253+08:00Jane Eyre was quite scandalous in its time because...Jane Eyre was quite scandalous in its time because it spoke to the deep fears of the genteel class regarding governesses.<br /><br />Also, I know it may not seem like it, but Jane was pretty badass for her time. She creates agency when she has none, she speaks up for herself, and, of course, in the end, she gets the man after he is emasculated. Heh.<br /><br />I haven't met anyone who reads Jane Eyre the same after reading Wide Sargasso Sea.Akilahhttp://theenglishist.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-80850598628041701192010-02-09T06:54:14.238+08:002010-02-09T06:54:14.238+08:00Mrs B-thanks and will look forward to your comment...Mrs B-thanks and will look forward to your comments on Wide Sargasso Sea<br /><br />Suko-thanks as always<br /><br />Emily-thank you for visiting my blog and reading my post-in my post I am trying-maybe streching-to give Charlotte Bronte the benifit of the doubt-the attitudes of Jane toward Jews and POC were the common place ones of England at the time-I also found the characrter of Mr Rivers not all that well realized and was not happy with the closing remarks praising his work in India, attempting to convert the residents of India to a religion acceptable and understandable by the English. -The antisemtic remark of Jane-we it does convey Jane is antisemetic, anti Gypsey (a forgottten people of color) and purely Christian centered in her religion-in defense of Ms Bronte and of my claim that she Jane may not be speaking words acceptable to Bronte, take a look at my post on Prize Stock by Kenzaburo Oe to see how the black WWII POW is described by the Japanese characters-we could even look at Shaekespeare's treatment of Jews in the same light-I am giving Charlotte Bronte the respect she deserves (or at least trying to)-but you maybe right after all-I hope some others will comment on this issue-thanks again for visiting my blog and I commend to you and all Wide Sargasso SeaMel uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08714473754458914681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-71977286134892212342010-02-09T00:54:23.425+08:002010-02-09T00:54:23.425+08:00I did read Jane Eyre, many years ago, but haven...I did read <i>Jane Eyre</i>, many years ago, but haven't read <i>Wide Saragossa Sea</i> (yet). The comparisons you make between the two novels are fascinating--I almost feel as if I'm taking a brief course in comparative literature when I read your thoughtful review.Sukohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11893742747135555499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-88472768095146883452010-02-08T21:22:31.209+08:002010-02-08T21:22:31.209+08:00Thank you for this enlightening perspective. &quo...Thank you for this enlightening perspective. "None of this is to say that this work betrays racist attitudes or is very English biased." But isn't this sort of the point you're making...and in light of your evidence, I think maybe this wasn't an intentional portrayal on Charlotte's part, but maybe a reflection of her own racist attitudes expressed through Jane. I don't know...I'd have to go back and reread through different lenses. I have always had a problem with the christianizing the savages story, because it devaluates and dehumanizes the natives...maybe this is why I've always disliked the character, St. John Rivers...so arrogant. <br /><br />Not to mention the anti-semitic comment...terrible, terrible. Can I still call this one of my favorite books in light of this? I don't know....I don't know :-(Emily H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13787399247392317028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023956444265128672.post-49393620042681540992010-02-08T15:54:53.315+08:002010-02-08T15:54:53.315+08:00Great review! This is one of my favourite novels o...Great review! This is one of my favourite novels of all-time. I still haven't read Wide Sargasso Sea but managed to find a second hand copy recently. I'm so excited to read it now.Astrid (Mrs.B)https://www.blogger.com/profile/00504736603540947661noreply@blogger.com