Research Task 4:

Jane’s dreams and paintings:

·    Rochester takes interest in Jane’s three paintings.

·    Jane begins having dreams about children (which she and Bessie had a conversation about)and continues to have a series of dreams after meeting Rochester more personally during a walk through Thornfield.

·    Jane dreams about Blanch Ingram marrying Rochester.

·    After Rochester and Jane’s engagement, she starts dreaming of children yet again.

·    After Jane leaves Rochester and Thornfield, she starts dreaming about the red room.

In Jane Eyre there is a lot to do about dreams and it is a regular theme of the novel that helps us characterize Jane comprehensively. Her dreams tell us that even though she doesn’t have a liking towards fantasy, her dreams occur naturally, meaning she doesn’t force it. Jane’s dreams sum up just how hard she is emotionally trying to cope with the pressure of becoming the ideal Victorian lady, which is something she hopes to become. Jane’s emotions usually reflect her dreams. She later also starts painting and those paintings are mostly the physical images to her dreams. Her dreams expresses cautions of future events that may or may not happen in her life be it good or bad. After every significant dream Jane has, something severe happens that brings her misfortune. Jane’s dreams and paintings do not necessarily characterize her as a dreamer, but, since her dreams are never really joyful, it gives us the idea that she is struggling to cope and adapt with her surroundings.

Research Task 3:

Question 1

The woman question refers to social change in later parts of the nineteenth century and it also questioned the fundamental roles of women at that time in specific countries. Women wanted to be treated the same as men, just because they are female does not mean they do not have the right to an education, to file for divorce, own property or to live independently on their own. Feminist fought for these rights and they wanted women to have a voice of their own. The feminist movement of the nineteenth century enabled women to have certain rights and they gave more attention to what women want, women were removed from the sanctity of the domestic habitat, bringing them into new forms of employment etc.

Question 2

·           Chapter 10: “Miss Temple, though all changes, had thus far continued superintendent to the seminary; to her instruction I owed the best part of my acquirements; her friendship and society had been my continual solace; she had stood me in the stead of mother, governess and latterly companion.” After spending two more years at Lowood as a teacher, Jane decides she is ready for a change, partly because Miss Temple gets married and leaves the school. Jane and Miss Temple had a great relationship and Miss Temple was like a mother to her and she made Lowood a home for Jane. “…and got the lady’s reply, stating she was satisfied, and fixing that day fortnight as the period of my assuming the post of governess in her house. I know busied myself in preparations.” Jane comes to the conclusion that she wants to be a governess and accepts a position at Thornfield.

·           Chapter 12: “I am the governess.” Jane meets Mr. Rochester for the first time without even knowing she did. Mr. Rochester fell off his horse when his horse slipped on ice, Jane is there and helps him to his feet she introduces herself, but she only finds out later that evening that the rider was Mr. Rochester.

·           Chapter 16: “Listen Jane Eyre, to your sentence, tomorrow, place the glass before you and draw in chalk you own picture, faithfully, without softening one defect... write under it, ‘Portrait of a Governess, disconnected poor and plain’.’’ In chapter 16 Jane is asked to draw a picture of herself as a governess.

·           Chapter 17: “Why I suppose you have a governess for her…?” In chapter 17 Mr. Rochester returns accompanied by a party of elegant guests. Adèle joins the party and the guests start a conversation about governesses. The high class ladies start talking and agree that governesses are incompetent. Jane is forced to join the group but spends the evening watching them from a window seat, she gets very upset.

·           Chapter 24: “You shall give up your governessing slavery at once.” Mr. Rochester tries to turn Jane into something she does not want to become. He tells her he will dress her in jewels and he will fit her to her new social station, at which point Jane becomes terrified and self-protective.  Mr. Rochester wants Jane to give up all her governessing duties and become her wife.

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Question 3

Poovey defines the governess term broadly in his excerpts. The Governesses according to Poovey, were constantly placed under social stress to do certain tasks and therefore struggled to adapt to their lifestyles. These tasks were to act as a mother and teach young girls the art of getting an honourable man. They were not allowed to show or express any sort of desire and were seen as sexless beings