THE DAILY VICTORIAN
VICTORIAN 2015
CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 03
Leila Z. Exploring Charlotte Bronte and the semi-autobiographical novel, Jane Eyre
05
Dominique N.
06
Jenna D.
08 10 12
Discover art, poetry and music of the Victorian Era
Dress the best: Victorian woman style
Dominique N. Test your Jane Eyre knowledge with The Daily Victorian 2015 edition crossword
Jenna D. The top trends and latest fashions of the era
Anastasiya T. Investigate the conditions of worksites and workplaces
All
14
Resources and bibliography
THE LIFE OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË By: Leila Zaki There are numerous factors that play an important role in our lives regarding how we act, think, speak and interpret information. People around an individual become greatly affected by what one says, acts and feels. An author’s life, in particular, can greatly influence the plot, creation of characters, and setting of their novels and stories. The past experiences, trials and tribulations, hardships and lessons that the author may have been exposed to affects the motives and theme of their stories. When an individual reads and analyzes the aspects of a novel or story, insight is often gained on the life and experiences of the author. The life of Charlotte Brontë is directly reflected in the semi-autobiographical novel Jane Eyre in multiple ways through the plot, setting and characters because of her childhood, education and life experiences. Charlotte Brontë was born third of six children to Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell. Similarly to Jane Eyre, Brontë lost
her mother at a young age, leaving the six children to be taken care of by Elizabeth Brontë. August of 1824, the Brontë daughters were sent off to the Clergy Daughters’ School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire. The setting and harsh conditions of the school were used as a basis for the Lowood School that Jane attended in the novel. The conditions of the Clergy Daughters’ school that Brontë attended permanently affected her physical development and health. Brontë lost two sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, to tuberculosis contracted because of their unsanitary life at the charity school. The novel reflected these experiences through Jane Eyre’s lack of food and warm clothes which impeded her growth and caused the girls to fall victim to various diseases and viruses because of their low immune systems, just like Brontë and her sisters. Following these deaths, Charlotte returned home and acted as a “motherly friend and guardian of her younger sisters.” Throughout their childhood, Brontë and her surviving siblings created fictional realms and Byronic stories and narrated the lives of the natives of their imaginary kingdoms. The tales they wrote created an obsession whilst preparing them for literary aptitudes in their adulthood. The Byronic tales that Brontë wrote may have influenced the characterization and creation of the Byronic hero character of Mr. Edward Rochester of Thornfield in the novel. In addition, Charlotte’s love for writing was reflected through Jane’s love of books and on many accounts, we find Jane reading books during her childhood at Gateshead.
Helen Burns was a fellow student at Lowood with Jane whom taught her biblical life lessons about forgiving those who act unjustly towards Jane. Following the death of Helen, Jane spent six more years as a student and at age sixteen, she became a teacher. Likewise, Brontë came to know her lifelong friends Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor while she continued her studies at Roe Head in Mirfield. Three years later, Brontë returned to the school to take up a teacher position for next three years.
immortalized the creation of Mrs. Reed in the novel. Blanche Ingram, in the novel, was used as a tactic by Mr. Rochester to make Jane jealous and, furthermore, to make Jane fall more in love with him. Regardless of this, Blanche was never a suitable match for Mr. Rochester due to the rumor of his lack of money that extinguished her desires for him. In the same fashion, Charlotte received and initially declined a proposal from a curate by the name of Arthur Bell Nicholls. Brontë‘s father expressed his disapproval of Nicholls because of his insolvency and poor financial status. The attraction between Jane and Mr. Rochester became increasingly strong in like manner to Charlotte and Arthur. Brontë gained her father’s approval and they married in June comparably to Jane and Mr. Rochester.
Throughout her young adult years, Brontë became governesses to many families in Yorkshire. John Benson Sidgwick, a boisterous child in the Sidgwick family that employed Brontë, occasionally threw books, like the Bible, at Charlotte. This occurrence most likely would have been the catalyst for the opening scene in the ● ● ● novel where John Reed Charlotte’s personality and smacked young Jane with I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am character is analogous to that of a book. Jane Eyre’s. Brontë, being raised a free human being with an independent Charlotte and her in a strict home, was said to be the will. sister, Emily, continued most dominant and ambitious of ● ● ● on the education field. her family. In the novel, when They travelled to Brussels Jane’s character is analyzed, it is to enroll at a boarding school; however, their very similar to Charlotte’s. Jane was very time there was cut short because of the death quick to stand up for herself; she was strong of their aunt Elizabeth Branwell whom and endured many hardships through her looked after the Brontë children after their journeys. She was ambitious due to her mother’s death. Even though there are no needs and desires; everywhere she went, she known accounts of Brontë’s aunt being as was striving to be equal and respected by the abusive and cruel on Charlotte like aunt people around her. Reed was to Jane, this event could have
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