ENGL 628 Jane Eyre Neo-Victorian Appropriations Dashboard
Description
Jane Eyre: An Autobiography (1847) is a seminal text in the Western feminist literature canon, published fifty-five years after Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and a year before the Seneca Falls convention launched the feminist movement in Western culture. Scores of authors, directors, and digital producers have attempted not just to adapt but to appropriate, revise, and modernize Charlotte Bronte’s most famous novel. Antonija Primorac contends that the current vogue of neo-Victorianism is “a powerful trend in contemporary Anglophone media” pointing to the “continuous production of adaptations and appropriations of Victorian literature and culture.” In order to be considered neo-Victorian, Ann Heilmann and Mark Llewellyn posit that “texts (literary, filmic, audio / visual) must in some respect be self-consciously engaged with the act of (re)interpretation, (re)discovery and (re)vision concerning the Victorians” (emphasis in original). In this class, we will explore the creative and rhetorical choices twentieth- and twenty-first-century authors have made when appropriating, revising, and modernizing Jane Eyre’s narrative, paying particular attention to gender ideology in the Victorian era and in more recent times. In this course, we will also leverage the new media capabilities of the COVE (Central Online Victorian Educator) web site in order to examine more deeply the impact of multimodal writing and digital technology on literary studies in the twenty-first century.
Individual Entries
In episode 54 of the Vlog, Adele challenges Rochester’s knowledge and asks him if he knows the story in Icelandic folklore of the 13 centaurs and two trolls who went around at Christmastime and devoured bad or misbehaving children. I was amazed to find this this folk tale does exist although Adele got some of the facts confused.
This folktale was first mentioned in the 13th century in a compilation of Norse mythology called the Prose Edda. No specific connection to Christmas was mentioned until the 17th century. The tale is about two trolls, Gryla, a giantess with an appetite for mischievous children and her lazy stay-at-home husband Leppaludi. Current-day Gryla can detect children who are misbehaving year-round. During Christmas time, she comes from the mountains to search nearby towns for her meal. She leaves her cave, hunts children, and carries them home in her giant sack. She devours children as her favorite snack. Her favorite dish is a...
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In Episode 54 of the Vlog, Jane gives Rochester a glass of eggnog and he takes a sip. He immediately complains that it has no rum and thus isn’t consistent with his version of eggnog. He does have a point. Eggnog is a rich, chilled, sweetened, dairy-based beverage. It is traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, whipped egg whites, and egg yolks (which gives it a frothy texture, and its name). In some contexts, distilled spirits such as brandy, rum, whiskey, or bourbon are added to the drink. While brandy is the most traditional add-in for eggnog, according to most recipes, experts recommend a mixture of dark rum and cognac. If you like your eggnog a little stronger, you can also add bourbon, though experts recommend sticking to rum and cognac to preserve the 'nog's flavors.
Throughout Canada and the United States, eggnog is traditionally consumed over the Christmas season from late November until...
moreIn the Vlog, The Autobiography of Jane Eyre, Rochester attributes Bertha's mental illness to post-partum depression when he is speaking to Jane after she finds out about the existence of Bertha. This is a believable diagnosis and represents an accurate modernization of the story in this area. Postpartum depression is very different than what's called "baby blues". The signs and symptoms are more intense and last longer, and may eventually interfere with the woman's ability to care for your baby and handle other daily tasks. Symptoms usually develop within the first few weeks after giving birth, but may begin earlier, even during pregnancy or later, sometimes up to a year after birth. Postpartum depression signs and symptoms identified by the Mayo Clinic andsome of which are representative of Bertha's behavior may include:
- Depressed mood or severe mood swings
- Excessive crying
- Difficulty bonding with your baby
- Withdrawing from family...
On Page 61 of Jane Eyre, Bronte describes young women dressed in "grey fur beaver hats adorned with ostrich plumes". This fashion statement provides historical context for the reader. According to Wikipedia, from 1550-1850 beaver hats were a popular fashion trend in Europe. The addtion of ostric plumes to ladies hats was a trend that grew dramatically throughout much of Euroope during the ineteenth century, supporting the historical context of Jane Eyre. Additionally, on page 86, Jane mentions portrait prints of King George III and Prince Albert being hung in George's Inn in Millcote, an inn...
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Skin color plays a critical role in the prejudices amongst different peoples in the Caribbean. Jamica was originally populated by the indigenous Arawak and...
moreIn the "Kidnapped" episode of The Autobiography of Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester illegally parks his car on the dock in Granville, Island. Because of his choice of parking, Mr. Rochester's car was towed causing Jane and him to use the Waterfront bus station in order to take a bus to their next destination. According to the Waterfront Station website, the station is located between the historical Gastownton and Canada Place (WS). The bus line travels through Vancouver, allowing access to customers through two main points of entry: a main station in Cordova and a second entry on Granville Street (WS). Based on the fact that Mr. Rochester and Jane were at Granville Island when his car was towed, it can be assumed that they entered the station through the Granville entrance. Within the Granville entrance, there are many restaurants, shops, and activities for visitors to partake in (WS).
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