Septemb-Eyre: Jane Eyre Readalong Recap #1

Hosted by Kerry at Entomology of a Bookworm

Chapters I - XI

Commentary:

Re-reading these first chapters I am struck by the fact that Charlotte Brontë started our introduction to Jane when Jane finally rebels against her bullying cousin John and the irrational hatred of Mrs. Reed.  It's a powerful representation of Jane's character because although she becomes outwardly subdued and her passionate nature is restrained for much of the book later, it's important to know that this is who Jane is, no matter the cultural conventions.  As a child she's not cute and cuddly and as an adult the "rugged points" in her character must be accepted by the people she allows to get close to her.  

The other aspect I find so interesting is how quick Jane is to point out hypocrisy.  I think I read somewhere that children excel at recognizing hypocrisy and what is and isn't fair and while it's pretty serious how unfair it is that Mrs. Reed shows such disdain for Jane and gives preferential treatment to her children, and how Mr. Brocklehurst is so intent on making the Lowood girls humble and plain yet his family lives in ostentatious luxury, Jane can put her statements about these circumstances in such a way that shows a very ironic and sly wit that I really enjoy.  For instance:

"Abbot, I think, gave me credit for being a sort of infantine Guy Fawkes."

"Breakfast was over, and none had breakfasted.  Thanks being returned for what we had not got..."

"Mr. Brocklehurst was here interrupted: three other visitors, ladies, now entered the room. They ought to have come a little sooner to have heard his lecture on dress, for they were splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs."

It was great to read Jane grow into an adult - with her childhood memories sometimes tempered by the adult Jane who is telling the story so we can get that bit of humor and a little bit of perspective - like why she felt she was an outcast at Gateshead.  Of course now that we are at Thornfield, there's so much stuff to look forward to reading about!

Memorable Quotes:

"It is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear." - Helen Burns, Chapter VI

“If all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends.” - Helen Burns, Chapter VIII

I desired liberty; for liberty I gasped; for liberty I uttered a prayer; it seemed scattered on the wind then faintly blowing. I abandoned it and framed a humbler supplication; for change, stimulus: that petition, too, seemed swept off into vague space: “Then,” I cried, half desperate, “grant me at least a new servitude!” - Jane Eyre, Chapter X

Extra Credit:

"Leah, make a little hot negus and cut a sandwich or two: here are the keys of the storeroom." - Mrs. Fairfax, from Chapter XI

I've decided for each recap post, I'm going to spotlight some aspect or do some activity related to each section I'm reading, so for this post I decided to make a little hot negus and try it myself.  And it's pretty easy so you can try it too! (um, aged 21 and over only obviously)

The recipe (which I pulled over here, with my own modifications since there seems to be a few different recipes out there)

1/2 cup Port wine
1 cup water
Juice from half a lemon
2 tbsp sugar
Sprinkle of nutmeg

And I didn't quite follow the steps of the above recipe... so here's what I did:

Warm up the wine and water in a saucepan (I really should have just warmed up the water to almost boiling and then add the wine to the cup)
Add lemon juice and sugar (could add more sugar to taste).
Sprinkle in nutmeg - I used ground, when the recipe called for grated, so I hope that's okay.

There's a bit of tang to it which I think comes from the lemon, so maybe I'll try adding less lemon next time (and more sugar because I have a sweet tooth!) but it was really a very comforting drink, I can see why Mrs. Fairfax called for it after the long traveling day Jane had to Thornfield.  I actually don't like the taste of alcohol that much, but it's not too bad in this drink, so I highly recommend giving it a try!  Of course I had to try this when the weather's been in the upper 90s and a hot drink is definitely not what I needed, so I'm saving this for colder days!