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A.P. English Literature/RBHS
Summer Reading 2015
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Print out these pages and bring to class. This will be the first handout in your AP Lit notebook.
Note: Sometimes in the fall we may have a student may want to drop AP Lit because they haven’t done the summer reading
assignment. Please note that you won’t be allowed to drop for this reason.
Task: In preparation for our class in the fall semester of 2015, students will read Jane Eyre in its entirety. Like many 19th
century novels, Jane Eyre is a longer work, but A.P. Literature students should not find completing it particularly difficult. The
vivid characters and compelling story make it one of the most entertaining of classic novels. Read it at a leisurely pace over a few
weeks and enjoy. Students who have read and digested the novel will be ready to get off to a great start in our class.
Reading Process: Strike a balance between leisurely pleasure-reading and literary study. Enjoy the story, but use a few margin
notes, post-its or book marks to highlight key material. After you finish a chapter, go back to the first page of the chapter and
make a few descriptive bullet notes to sum up the key events of that chapter. For example, on the first page of chapter one you
might write,
· Lonely Jane reads bird book
· Cruel John Reed hits her
· Jane unfairly sent to “red room.”
In this way you can reinforce what you have just read, and create a handy reference for future review. If you find that you don’t
remember facts or names as well as you’d like, make a quick note every few pages without interrupting your reading. If you lose
focus on the reading, stop, refocus your attention, or take a break. If you get bogged down in a section that doesn’t seem
interesting, mark it and skip ahead a paragraph or two. Come back later to the skipped part after you know what is going to
happen next. Good readers know how to mentally question what they are reading, refocus attention, skip forward or backward
and process the story. Weaker readers plunge ahead even when they lose concentration and miss too much of what’s in the text.
College-bound readers should be able to read for extended periods of time, keep focus, and digest a novel like this one. Use this
assignment to build your skill.
Assignment: The only written assignment is to make notes in your copy of the book as you read. If you buy a copy, write
directly in the book. Use post-its if it’s a school book. Not too much – just enough to fix important things in your mind. Required
notes:
> Write bullets at the start of every chapter to capture main topics in that chapter (see “Reading Process”
above).
> Note when new characters are introduced
> Note key turning points or moments of high drama
> Note when one of the vocabulary words (see below) appears in the text
In the fall, you will have to show your written work for credit.
Edition: Our school library can provide students with copies of Jane Eyre. Check the library schedule for check out times in
June. Mark key passages with post-its. Owning a copy to highlight and write notes in is especially convenient. When buying a
copy get the “Penguin Classics” edition. With this edition, students can refer to the very helpful explanatory endnotes. There are
inexpensive copies (new and used) available on Amazon.
Background: Charlotte Bronte first published the novel in 1847 under the male pseudonym, Currer Bell, (female novelists were
not taken seriously) and it became an instant favorite with readers. In an era when girls—especially plain, poor, orphaned girls—
had few rights and no freedom, the spirited Jane advocates for herself just as any man would do. In Jane, Bronte created a
variation on the classic hero—the young person who must journey through life essentially alone, searching for her place and
purpose. But Jane is also a prototype for the modern hero; like a modern character she isn’t content to just find her place in the
world, she insists on meaning and identity that an unjust world may deny her.
Style: The enduring popularity of the novel comes not just from the engaging character of Jane, but from the plot structure. In
Jane Eyre, Bronte combines two very popular plot structures—the bildungsroman (a story that focuses on the growth of a
character from childhood toward adulthood) and the Gothic Romance (entertainment fiction that features a young woman
protagonist, a mysterious male love interest, and a castle or mansion with dark passageways and hidden secrets). Over the
framework of a romantic novel, Bronte adds layers of realistic detail and psychological complexity. The result is compelling
combination of page-turning entertainment and artistic interest. Today Jane Eyre remains one of the most popular of all literary
characters, and her novel is one of the most widely read in English literature.
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Jane Eyre Study Guide (Refer to this guide to help prepare for discussion)
Each section below represents one of the places Jane lives on her journey toward adulthood. Jane is a compelling
character because with each phase of her life she not only gains knowledge of the world, she gradually gains an understanding of
herself. As you read, consider how each new event brings Jane closer to an understanding of who she is, what she wants, and
what her life means. This kind of knowledge is the essence of evolving maturity and what all individuals should strive for. The
individual’s search for meaning will be our thematic focus all year.
You will be responsible for the details of the book when you come to class in the fall. Be prepared to respond to the discussion
questions.
Gateshead
Characters:
Mrs. Reed
Bessie
John Reed
Abbot
Eliza Reed
Mr. Lloyd
Georgianna Reed
Mr. Brocklehurst
Jane’s essential character traits are introduced in chapter one: what traits are revealed? What is
revealed as she reads the bird book in the window seat? What is revealed during her fight with John Reed?
What are her virtues? What are her flaws? Are any of the negative opinions of Jane (held by
members of the household) justified? Why does Bronte put such emphasis on the fact that Jane is not pretty?
What happens in the red room? -- How might this episode be symbolic?
Discussion Question #1: In chapter 4, Jane has a revealing interaction with Mr. Brocklehurst.
Based on this conversation, what is revealed about Jane’s character? What are her strengths and
weaknesses? What does Jane understand about herself? What does she not yet understand?
Lowood
Characters:
Mrs. Temple
Mrs. Scratcherd
Mr. Brocklehurst
Helen Burns
Jane ages eight years during this section of the book. How does she change and grow? What does
she gain? What is she still missing? How do other characters influence her?
Discussion Question #2: In chapters 6 and 8 Helen Burns explains her philosophy to Jane. What is Helen’s
philosophy and approach to life? How does Helen help Jane to mature and understand herself better?
Thornfield
Characters:
Mrs. Fairfax
Mr. Rochester
Adele
Blanche Ingram
Grace Poole
Mr. Mason
At the age of 18 Jane leaves Lowood and becomes a governess at Thornfield. This section forms
the core of the novel, and events here change her life forever.
Discussion Question # 3: Pay particular attention to the first conversations Jane has with Rochester in
chapters 13 and 14. What is revealed about Rochester? What is revealed about Jane? What do they have in common?
How do these conversations foreshadow the relationship that develops later?
Discussion Question # 4: In chapter 27, Jane and Rochester have a discussion about their future
together; each has a different proposal on what to do next. How good an argument does Rochester make?—how
convincing is his reasoning? Why must Jane reject his proposal?
Moor House
Characters:
St. John (pronounced “sinjin”) Rivers Mary Rivers
Diana Rivers
Rosamond Oliver
Discussion Question # 5: In chapters 31 and 32 we are introduced to the relationship between
Rosamond and St. John. Jane and St. John discuss this relationship, or potential relationship, at some length. What is
Bronte revealing here about the subjects of love and beauty? Why is this a significant episode in Jane’s developing
understanding herself and relationships?
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Vocabulary
Jane Eyre is a book that will help you build vocabulary. You wouldn’t want to worry about every new word, but we’ll make an
attempt to learn or reinforce the words below—words we should know. As you read, note these words and their meaning in
context. Mark them, but don’t slow down your reading. Look them up later. We will learn them.
1. heathen
2. approbation
3. vehement
4. slattern
5. antipathy
6. raiment
7. physiognomy
8. trepidation
9. haughty
10. sardonic
11. despotic
12. incredulous
13. sojourn
14. capricious
15. visage
16. avaricious
17. propensity
18. sullied
19. liaison
20. discourse
21. eschew
22. taciturn
23. pertinacity
24. timorous
25. sylvan
26. lachrymose
27. phlegmatic
28. conjugal
29. mien
30. dissipation
31. spasmodic
32. effluvia
33. providence
34. interlocutor
35. cicatrice
36. soporific
37. paroxysm
38. lucre