TheatreWorks for Schools X

F O R S C H O O L SPerformance Study Guide

Book and Additional Lyrics by John Caird

Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon

Based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë

For the Teachers

Live theatre offers students an opportunity to experience new ideas,challenge the status quo, and discover people previously unknownto them. It is our hope that this studyguide will help your students get themost out of their TheatreWorks matinee. Among the things you willfind in this study guide are:

• Vocabulary & Reference Materials• Plot Synopsis• Historical background• Student preparation activities

If you would like additional information, contact Mary Sutton,Director of Education at650.463.7134,mary@theatreworks.org.

We look forward to seeing you andyour students at the theatre.

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F O R S C H O O L S

Study Guide for

Jane EyreCreated by TheatreWorks www.theatreworks.org March 2003

About Student Matinees

The Matinees will begin at 11:30 AM on April 30th and May 1st, 2003 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. The show runs approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes with one intermission.

The post-show discussion with actors typically lasts 30 minutes. Student audiences are often the most rewarding and demanding audiences that an acting ensemble can face. Since we hope every show at TheatreWorks will be a positive experience for both audience and cast, we ask you to familiarizeyour students with the following theatre etiquette.

When the performance is about to begin, the lights will dim. This is a signal forthe actors and the audience to put aside concerns and conversation and settleinto the world of the play.

The performers expect the audience’s full attention and focus. Performance is aa time to think inwardly, not a time to share your thoughts aloud. Talking toneighbors (even in whispers) carries easily to others in the audience and to theactors on-stage. It is disruptive and distracting.

There is no food in the theatre: soda, candy and other snacks are noisy and,therefore, distracting. Please keep these items on the bus or throw them awaybefore you enter the audience area. There are no backpacks in the theatre.

Walking through the aisles during the performance is extremely disruptive.Actors occasionally use aisles and stairways as exits and entrances. The actorswill notice any movement in the performance space. Please use the restroomand take care of all other concerns outside before the show or at inter-mission.

Pagers, watch alarms and other electronic devices should be turned off beforethe performance begins. When watch alarms, cell phones and pagers go off it isvery distracting for the actors and the audience.

There will be a brief informal discussion with the cast immediately following theperformance. Students will get a chance to ask questions they had while watch-ing the production.

We would like to reiterate that attending a live performance is a time to sit backand look inward, question for yourself what is being presented to you and becurious about worlds that are different than yours. As theatre artists weapproach our audiences with respect and expect the same in return.

REMEMBER: NO BACKPACKS IN THE THEATRES

What to bring to the theatre—

IntrospectionCuriosity QuestionsRespectAn open mind

What to leave behind—

JudgementsCell phones, etc.Backpacks

T H E M U S I C A L

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TheatreWorks would like to thank ourTheatreWorks for Schools partners whosefinancial support enabled us to bring our

vision to over 15,000 students throughoutSilicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Areaduring the 2001-2002 school year.

Government SupportCalifornia Arts Council

Foundation SupportAir Systems Foundation, Inc.Arrillaga Family FundCharter Oak FoundationCommunity Foundation Silicon ValleyWilliam & Charlene Glikbarg FoundationRichard and Rhoda Goldman FundThe Grove FoundationThe Michelson FoundationPalo Alto Community FundPalo Alto Weekly Holiday FundPublic Welfare FoundationRathmann Family FoundationThe Sand Hill FoundationThe Sequoia Trust Fund of the San Francisco

FoundationVanLobenSels/RembeRock Foundation

Corporate SupportAdaptec, Inc.Alza CorporationApplied Materials FoundationBank of America FoundationCisco Systems FoundationSBCSynopsys, Inc.Washington Mutual

Individual SupportBill & Marsha Adler, Jean Bagileo, Gene & MarahBrehaut, Bob & Maggie Cant, Malcolm Cohen &Suzana Gal, Claudia Coleman, Chris Compton,Bob Crowe, Jane & Tony Cuneo, Kathy & JimDanaher, Jennifer & Rick DeGolia, Brad & PamEhikian, Rebecca Follo & Tom Bentley, Sally J.Fong Family Fund, Diane & Bob Frankle, Terry &Carolyn Gannon, Rosie & Bill Garlock, SusanGellen & Thom Bryant, John & Marcia Goldman,Robert Horstmeyer, Betty and Bob Joss, JulieKaufman & Wally Niemasik, Tom & SharonKelley, Gail & Fred Kittler, John Lerch, Susan &Dick Levy, Mac & Carol MacCorkle, HenryMassey & Amie Chang, Linda McPharlin, KathyKennedy & Dave Miller, Nicola Miner & RobertAnderson, Patricia McClung & Allen Morgan,John P. Morgridge, Nancy Mueller, Bob Rodert &Beverly Klitz, Susie & John Roos, StuartRosenberg, The Rosewood Foundation, TheRalston School, Ron & Lila Schmidt, William J.Schroeder, David & Andrea Shearn, Grayson S.Taketa, Terri & Joseph Tiffany, Ann & Neil Wolff,and Jean Young.

A MESSAGE TO OUR TEACHERS

September 11, 2001—a turning point in history! As the shock wore off andthe devastation settled, each of us emerged, transformed by the tragedy,searching for answers to new questions about the purpose and connect-

edness of our lives. This is equally true of our education department atTheatreWorks: What is the goal of our work in our community?

If looked up in a thesaurus, community yields rich ideas like public, society,and affinity. For me the one that stands out is fellowship, a concept I believe isalso at the root of theatre. The very act of bringing human beings together, asthe theatre does, articulates the fundamental connection that binds one personto another. At no other time in my career was this more evident than the daysand weeks after 9/11. We gathered in theatres for fellowship, hoping to con-struct meaning through the sharing of our stories.

Today our communities are swamped with so much information technology thatsome develop a sense of apathy and powerlessness. Yet stories about specificindividuals and their situations, shared through the theatre, usually have theopposite effect. By giving unwieldy problems a human face, they also bringthose problems down to a human—and thus manageable scale. They let usglimpse the lives of those older or younger, richer or poorer, of different races,or from places we'll never even see. They give us images for what is trulyworth seeking, worth having, worth doing. The theatre can show us the linksbetween our choices and their consequences, and it can train our sight to seein new ways.

This is the goal we embrace—to create images for students of all ages to decipher the world and its complexities to help create healthy or healed orinformed citizens. In large part that was the theme for TheatreWorks forSchools this year.

Traditionally, theatre education programs such as ours are formed to fill in thegaps where public arts-in-education budgets have been cut. While we embracethe opportunity to develop the audiences of tomorrow by exposing students toour art, and hope they will develop a lifelong habit of attending theatre, as thisyear unfolded, I saw that we were doing much more. We were exposing youngaudiences to a forum for understanding history, cultural legacies, and their ownemotions through meaningful works of art. By providing a focal point for per-sonal and intellectual investigation we were creating stronger individuals, morelikely to give back to our culture in significant ways.

What a profound way to celebrate the potential of the human spirit.

Robert Kelley

Special thanks to Andy and Debbie Rachleff &Frank and Denise Quattrone for providing fundsto produce this study guide and our production

of Jane Eyre, The Musical

2003-2004 Season

NICKEL AND DIMEDA Discovery of AmericaBy Joan HoldenBased on Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in AmericaWhen a prominent journalist went “underground” in workingclass America, she asked: “can anyone survive on the mini-mum wage?” The answer, learned on the job from waitresses,salesclerks, and housemaids across the country, became a run-away bestseller. Mixing irrepressible humor, lively music, and awealth of colorful characters, this wonderfully theatrical adap-tation is an insightful, compassionate odyssey into America’sheart. “Amusing and provocative.”—The Seattle TimesCo-produced with BRAVA! For Women in the Arts September 3–28, 2003 | Mountain View Center

PROOFA Brilliant Contemporary PlayBy David Auburn The first unforgettable play of the millennium, Proof is a rivet-ing masterpiece. A compelling tale of a faded mathematicalgenius and his damaged but brilliant daughter, it is a mysteryof family instability and fledgling romance, an exhilarating,funny, and fulfilling tribute to the humanity that permeates ourworld of numbers, equations, equivocations, and codes.Contains mature language. “Rich and compelling. Full oflife, laughter and hope.”—New York Daily News

June 18–July 13, 2003 | Mountain View Center

BAT BOY T H E M U S I C A L

Good to the Last BiteBook by Keythe Farley and Brian FlemmingMusic and Lyrics by Laurence O’KeefeSomewhere between Everything’s Ducky and Little Shop ofHorrors you’ll find Bat Boy, a wacky new musical with bothtongue and fang set firmly in cheek. The tale of a strange boydiscovered in a West Virginia cave, this off-the-wall winnerblends wit, irony, and intelligence in a feast of the imagination.Mixing rock, Broadway, gospel, and country styles, this exuberant hit combines campy fun with compelling comedy.You’d be batty to miss it! “Big laughs! It’s remarkable whatintelligent wit can accomplish.”—The New York TimesJuly 16–August 10, 2003 | Lucie Stern Theatre

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSICA Seductive Musical MasterpieceMusic and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim | Book by Hugh WheelerSuggested by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a SummerNightAn enchanting waltz by moonlight, Sondheim’s most beautifulmusical celebrates every possible nuance of love, from the tender blossoming of inexperience to the startled rekindling oflong-forgotten passion. Seductively set amidst the art nouveauswirls of the belle époque, its compassion, humor, and heartsweep lover and loner alike into a daring, innovative evening ofglorious music and sensuous romance. “Civilized, sophisti-cated and enchanting.”—The New York Times

October 8–November 2, 2003 | Mountain View Center

THE FOURTH WALLA Dizzying Satirical DelightBy A. R. GurneyThis recent off-Broadway hit skewers the rightward march ofthe nation in a delicious satire of both art and politics. Buoyedby the bright songs of Cole Porter, A. R. Gurney’s delightfullydevious comedy demolishes the boundaries between actors andaudience to tell the tale of a frazzled Connecticut housewifewho rebels against the complacency of her friends, her mar-riage, her government, and eventually even her furniture!“Clever, sophisticated…and deliciously devious.”—TheNew York Times

December 3–28, 2003 | Lucie Stern Theatre

MEMPHISA Riotous Rock ’n’ Roll MusicalBook and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro | Music by David BryanWorld PremiereWe’re talkin’ downtown, down-home Memphis of the ’50s. Rock ’n’ roll is taking over the airways, Elvis is a wannabe, and a downright demented deejay named Dewey is spinning the music of black and white America together for the first time.From the author of Over the River and Through the Woods andthe composer-keyboardist of Bon Jovi comes a rafter-rattlingmusical comedy that immortalizes the man who gave rock itsoriginal roll. Deeeegaw! Co-produced with North Shore Music Theatre

January 21–February 15, 2004 | Mountain View Center

ALL MY SONSA Drama for All TimeBy Arthur MillerOne of America’s greatest dramas, the impassioned, homefrontsaga of a family struggling with its wartime secrets still res-onates today. An award-winning revival at London’s NationalTheatre, this intense, compelling tale of love, greed, and per-sonal responsibility centers on the family of an airplane partsmanufacturer whose profiteering may have compromised his ownson, a pilot missing in action.“A searing realization that thelarger human family also matters.”—The Los Angeles TimesMarch 3–28, 2004 | Lucie Stern Theatre

MY ÁNTONIAA Tribute to the American SpiritBy Scott SchwartzAdapted from the novel by Willa CatherOriginal Music by Stephen SchwartzWorld PremiereOne of America’s greatest novels comes to life in this boldlytheatrical portrait of an immigrant girl whose passion andresilience define the pioneer spirit. Boasting a boisterousonstage band and glorious underscoring by Academy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz, this coming-of-agedrama relives the joys and hardships of the Nebraska frontier at century’s end, discovering in the process the heart of the American character. “No romantic novel ever written inAmerica…is one half so beautiful.”—H. L. MenkenMarch 31–April 25, 2004 | Mountain View Center

RomanticismA return to nature and the belief inthe goodness of humanity.

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The Romantic Movement began with the French Revolution and was arevolt against the rigid rules of classicism. In England, the beginning is

dated from the publication of Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and SamuelTaylor Coleridge in 1798. The movement continued through the first half of the19th century.

The Main Principles of Romanticism

A return to nature and the belief in the goodness of humanity.

The exaltation of the senses and emotions over reason and intellect.

In Literature:

Romanticism in literature was first visible in poetry. Poets such as Lord Byron(see side bar), Percy Shelley, John Keats and William Cowper, focused on theindividual and the poet's personal reaction to life. Poetry became less flowery and more concentrated on personal feelings as a simplification.

In the novel, romanticism brought the introduction of the Gothic romance andthe historical novels of Sir Walter Scott. Gothic romances focused on the mystery and adventure of the medieval period clearly seen in the works of AnnRadcliffe (Mystery of Udolpho) and Mary Shelley (Frankenstein). Jane Eyre hasbeen said to have been a work influenced by Gothic Romanticism.

In the Visual Arts:

Romantic painters emphasized emotion and imagination over rationality and the individual over society. Most of these painters wereFrench. English romantic painting tended to be mostly of landscapes like the paintings of Joseph MallordWilliam Turner and John Constable.

She Walks In Beautyby Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellow'd to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair'd the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!

CONNECTIONS

Ask students to read the poem by LordByron. Silently have them write theanswers to the following questions.

- What is the poem about?- How does the poet feel?- How does the poem make you feel?

Share answers aloud.

Look at the principles of Romanticism.Does the painting fit with the principles?

Other novelists, poets, playwrights andartists of the Romantic Period:

Jane Austen (1775-1817) Pierre Augustin Caron de

Beaumarchais (1732-1799) William Blake (1757-1827)Thomas Chatterton (1752-1770)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)John Constable (1776-1877)Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849) Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) John Skinner (1721-1807)Joseph Mallord William Turner

(1775-1851)

The Wandering Over the Sea ofClouds was painted in 1818 byCaspar David.

CONNECTIONS

Ask students to view the painting byCaspar David. (If possible, have artbooks with a colored copy available ora color transparency) Silently havethem write the answers to the followingquestions.

- What do you see?- What do you think the man is thinkingabout? How does he feel?- How does the painting make you feel?

Share answers aloud.

Look at the principles of Romanticism.Does the painting fit with the principles?

The exaltation of the senses andemotions over reason and intellect.

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Charlotte Brontë

The Brontë family of Haworth, England, boasted three daughters who published

novels of lasting value, despite humble surroundings and tragic lives. Charlotte was

born in 1816, the third of six children of Patrick and Maria Brontë. When Charlotte was four,

her father became the rector at Haworth in northern England and the family moved there

from another part of Yorkshire. Within a year, their mother died of cancer, leaving Patrick to

raise five daughters and a son.

The children were educated at home, until their father sent the oldest children (Elizabeth,

Maria, Charlotte and Emily) to the Clergy Daughters’School at Cowan Bridge, known for

providing a good education at an inexpensive price. But, the teachers proved to be severe,

the food virtually inedible, and the conditions nearly unlivable. Elizabeth and Maria contract-

ed consumption (tuberculosis) and died, the school was racked by a Typhus epidemic, and

the younger girls were miserable. It was this year that became the basis for Jane Eyre's

experiences at Lowood School.

Charlotte and Emily returned home until 1831, reading widely and writing literally thousands of pages with their brother

Branwell and sister Anne about the imaginary kingdom of Angria, which they created. Charlotte's father knew she would

have to support herself, which meant either working as a teacher or a governess—those being virtually the only

"respectable" occupations for women. She was sent to school again, this time with better results, eventually becoming a

teacher at Roe Head School.

In 1838 Charlotte resigned her position at the school and returned home. She stayed with her family for three years and, in

1842, she and Emily went to Brussels for further study. During her stay, Charlotte became emotionally, though not romanti-

cally, attached to the head of the school, finding him intellectually stimulating. His wife did not approve, however, and

Charlotte returned to Haworth once more, Emily having returned the previous year.

Emily and Charlotte tried to start a school of their own after Charlotte's return, but could find no pupils. The three surviving

girls, Emily, Anne, and Charlotte, then paid to publish a book of their own poems under the pseudonyms Currer (Charlotte),

Ellis (Emily), and Acton (Anne) Bell. The book sold only two copies, but the women were not deterred.

The same year, Charlotte attempted to publish a novel, The Professor, with no success. She then began to write Jane

Eyre. She completed the book in five months, and it was published the following year (1847), still under the pseudonym

Currer Bell. It was so successful it was reprinted twice in six months. The same year saw Emily publish Wuthering Heights,

while Anne's The Tennant of Wildfell Hall came out in 1848. The thrill of success did not last long, however, as both Emily

and Branwell died in 1848—Emily of consumption and Branwell of the effects of drink and drugs. Anne died the following

year, also of consumption, leaving Charlotte and her father the only surviving members of the family.

Charlotte published her final novels in 1849 (Shirley) and 1853 (Villette). She married the curate of her father's parish,

Arthur Bell Nicholls, in 1854, but did not survive her pregnancy the following year. Her first novel, The Professor, was the

last to be published, appearing in 1857, the same year as her first biography, Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elizabeth Gaskill.

In the end, the father Patrick outlived his children, but the legacy of his Brontë family lives on in the seven remarkable nov-

els written by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne.

VOCABULARYLooking up these words will give yourstudents the flavor of the Romantic timeperiod. Split this list between groups ofstudents and instruct them to do an inter-net or dictionary search. Challenge themto re-write definitions in their own words.

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From Book to Musical

The musical Jane Eyre tookshape in the hands of Paul

Gordon and John Caird over sevenyears. It began with Gordon, whohad previously written music andlyrics for Greetings from VeniceBeach (1992) and composednumerous award winning pop songsincluding "Next Time I Fall" and"Friends and Lovers". In the early90's he picked up several classicnovels in an airport looking formaterial for a new musical. Hestarted with Jane Eyre and said, "by page ten I was weeping. I could barely restrain myself fromwriting music then and there." He completed the first draft and recorded a demo which lead to anintroduction to John Caird just overa year later.

Caird is best known for his co-direction and adaptation of LesMiserables, but he has directedmany shows including productionsat the Royal National Theatre, theRoyal Shakespeare Company, andseveral Broadway shows. He wonTony awards for best director forboth The Life and Adventures ofNicholas Nickleby (1986) and LesMiserables (1987) and has writtennew versions of The Beggar'sOpera, Peter Pan and the musicalsChildren of Eden and Candide(which also earned him a 2000Olivier Award for best director). Helistened to Gordon's demo of JaneEyre and, as Gordon has said,"[Caird] leafed through the script,corrected my spelling, pointed outwhich words did not exist in the19th century and from there, it justgot better." He and Gordon workedfor the next two years further developing the show from Gordon'sfirst draft.

The piece received its first work-shop at Manhattan Theatre Club,New York, in 1994 turning Gordon'scomputer recordings into live performances. This brought radicalchanges, which continued throughthe second workshop in Wichita,Kansas the next year. Costumesand scenery were added and thepiece began to take shape.

The show was ready for its worldpremiere. The production at theRoyal Alexandria Theatre in Torontowas wonderfully received by enthusiastic audiences, butchanges were obviously warranted.After Toronto, Gordon, Caird, andnew co-director Scott Schwartz,worked vigorously on rewriting themusical. Until this point, the showhad been completely sungthrough— there was no dialoguethat was unaccompanied by music.Some music was removed, sceneswere added (book written by Caird)and characters were combined.Three years later the rewritten ver-sion was introduced at the La JollaPlayhouse in California and this ittime was Broadway bound.

After almost seven years, JaneEyre opened on Broadway at theBrooks Atkinson Theatre onDecember 10, 2000, running for210 performances. The show wasnominated for five Tony Awards in2001 including Best Musical, BestBook (John Caird), Best OriginalScore (John Caird and PaulGordon), Best Actress (MarlaSchaffel), and Best LightingDesigner (Jules Fisher and PeggyEisenhauer). It also received threeOuter Critics Circle Award nomina-tions in 2001, including Outstanding BroadwayMusical. TheatreWorks is proud topresent the first production of JaneEyre following its New York debut.

AestheticsAppraise

Arpeggios Auspicious

AvariciousBach

BattlementsBenefactress

BlightedBourdeaux

Brass Butler

CadenceCadenzaCajoled

Cardinal sinCasementCharadeChasten

Commandment Conjugal

Constitution Crag

CurateDenounced Dependent Depraved Desolate

DestituteDroll

Dungeon Eclipse

Elf Exile

Festoons Frock Glen

GovernessGroom Grudge Gypsy Hack

Impediment Infirmary Innuendo Insipidly

Kinship Leer

Lilting Linnets Madeira ManorMartyr

Masquerade Missionary

Moors Mountain Eagle

MozartParfait

Parquetry Peevish

Persecution Perverse

Pestilence

Vocabulary continued

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Plot Summary

The story begins with an older Jane in narration. Young Jane, an orphan, lives withMrs. Reed, the widow of her maternal uncle. Mrs. Reed and her son treat Jane withcruel contempt. She is sent away to Lowood, a bleak charity school run by the brutalMr. Brocklehurst (The Orphan).

Life is harsh at Lowood (Children of God), but here Jane meets fellow-student, HelenBurns, from whom she learns the virtues of forgiveness and faith (Forgiveness).

Jane grows up to become a teacher at Lowood. She advertises for a position and isoffered employment by Mrs. Fairfax, housekeeper of Thornfield Hall (Perfectly Nice)as governess to Adele Varens, young ward of the absent master of Thornfield,Edward Fairfax Rochester.

Rochester returns to Thornfield and questions Jane about her past. As the weeks goby, he begins to reveal some of his own secrets (As Good As You). Despite his gruffand cynical manner, Jane finds herself drawn to him. A fire in the house leads her tosuspect that Thornfield and its master harbour a dark secret.

Jane is beginning to fall in love with Rochester when she learns that he plans tomarry the beautiful, wealthy Blanch Ingram. When Blanche arrives with her familyand friends for an extended stay (The Aristocrats Arrival), Jane paints portraits of herself and Blanche (Painting Her Portrait) as a reminder to herself of her lowly station in life and of the unbridgeable gulf between Rochester’s world and her own.

The visit of a mysterious stranger, Richard Mason, intensifies Jane’s curiosity aboutthe secrets of Rochester’s life. Both Jane and Rochester admit privately to theirgrowing love for one another (Secret Soul).

Rochester’s aristocratic friends remain in the house, now bored and listless. A gypsycomes to tell the fortunes of the young women in the house, including Blanche andJane (The Gypsy).

Blanche leaves abruptly when the gypsy tells her Rochester has no fortune.Rochester declares his love for Jane and asks her to marry him (The Proposal). Mrs.Fairfax initially opposes the match, but is won over (Slip of a Girl).

On the day of the wedding, Jane’s happiness is shattered when the secret of thehouse is finally revealed. Unable to proceed with the marriage, Jane flees Thornfieldand Rochester mourns her departure (Farewell, Good Angel). Days later, Jane is rescued, sick and starving, on the moors by a young pastor, St. John Rivers.

Jane is brought to the bedside of the dying Mrs. Reed, where she learns that shehas a paternal uncle who has been trying to find her to adopt her. After Mrs. Reed’sdeath, St. John and Jane grow closer and he asks her to marry him and go with himto India, as a missionary. Jane does not love him but is about to accept when shehears the voice of Rochester calling her across the miles of desolate moorland thatseparate them (The Voice Across the Moors). She hurries back to Thornfield to findthe house a ruin, destroyed by fire. Rochester, in attempting to rescue those in thehouse, has been blinded. Jane finds him living at nearby Ferndean Manor. Thelovers are reunited, never to part again (Brave Enough for Love).

Please Note: song titles appear in parentheses

Act 1

Act 2

PhilanthropistPhysiognomy

Plague Poise

Propensities PurgeQuaint Quell

Rembrandt ReverenceRock of Ages

Rooks Sage Salon

SalvationSchumann

Slander Sorceress

Solace Stallion StationStaunch Steward

Strap Tempered Temptation

Terse Thorntrees Thrushes

Torrid Trills

Typhus Van Dyke

Vault Vow

WanderlustWard

West Indies Yorkshire

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The Social Hierarchy

Achild born into English society during the 1800s encountered a world in which fate and social des-tiny were largely predetermined. Large gaps separated the classes and moving from one to anoth-

er was nearly impossible and socially unacceptable. Even though 19th century fiction featured characterslike Pip (in Dickens’Great Expectations) or Jane Eyre, who were released from the confines of their socialclass by a generous benefactor or a long lost relative's bequest, such situations were rare. For most, thecourse of their lives, from the professions they could enter to the status they might acquire, was directlydependent on the social class of their birth.

When Jane Eyre was orphaned and left penniless, her aunt and uncle took her in, thoughthey were under no obligation to do so. Once grown, her poverty meant that she could

expect no male suitors and thus no financial security. A woman of Jane's social posi-tion had only two respectable options: working as a teacher or a governess. Inbecoming a governess at Thornfield Hall, Jane mirrored the experience of CharlotteBrontë herself and over 21,000 registered governesses at the time. A governesslived a mostly solitary life in the home of her employer but was neither a servant nora member of the family. She would often be as educated as her employers and from

a similar social class; but because she was paid a salary, she was perceived as aservant. (For more on servants, see page 10.)

The masters of these great houses, like Rochester, were born into aristocratic land owning families, and were gentlemen by right of birth. Although titleswere important, land was the single most important indicator of a family's wealth andstatus, and often a family with large landholdings and a distinguished family name,like Rochester's, would supersede the status of titled families. Regardless of title,the first born son was the most privileged of the children, the one entitled to inheritvirtually all the family wealth and property. Younger sons were given an allowancebecause they only inherited the family land if their older brother died. Their socialposition was negatively affected by their lack of tangible wealth. Daughters of aristocratic families were in a worse position as they could never inherit land andwere merely given small, yearly annuities. (For more on the status of women duringthis time period, see pages 11-12.)

The social strata beneath the nobility and great landowners of England consisted of squires, knights, andsome clergy with smaller properties. The character of St. John, like Charlotte Brontë's own father, was amember of the clergy. As a curate, St. John was a full-fledged clergyman but lacked a parish of his own.This meant he would assist a clergyman who owned a "living," as a parish was often called and was, therefore, considered middle class.

This rigid structure of the social classes prevailed throughout the 1800s. Although the advent of theIndustrial Revolution lent shape to an emerging middle class and promised the possibility of upward mobility, most people remained hemmed in by their social rank. Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, published inthe middle of the century sought to change these firmly entrenched attitudes regarding class. As a critiqueof the intransigent nature of 19th century class distinctions, Jane Eyre suggested an equality of intellect andsocial ranking between men and women despite social background and personal wealth - a petition whichremained unheeded by society for years after it was published. (See chart on the following page.)

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As detailed in the article on page 8, the societal structure during the

early 1800’s was very rigid and for the most part readily accepted by

people as right, good, and the proper order of things. It was so rigid that you

could pretty much fit everyone into a category. Below is a breakdown of the hier-

archy in a pyramid formation. Characters from the play are listed to the left in

the category to which they would have belonged.

CONNECTIONSWhy

do you think we would

use a pyramid to illustrate the structure

of society during this time?

Keep in mind, it was extremely rareto move from one category to anoth-er. Also, keep in mind that those atthe top were the ones with the mostmoney, the most power compared tothose at the bottom.

Into which class (upper, middle orlower) do you think most peoplewere born?

Can we create a pyramid of powerand wealth for our society today?

Is it as difficult to move from oneclass of society to another in presentday America?

During the time of the play, Americawas still operating under a system oflegal slavery. The United States wasprogressing towards a civil war thatwould begin in 1861. It would still beanother 100 years after that beforeour Civil Rights movement wouldtake place. When we look at the“pyramid of power” in our modernsociety, what ethnic groups aremore often represented at the top, inthe middle and at the bottom?

How about women during this time?Where are they represented in thisstructure? For more on women’sroles in the 19th century, see pages11-12. Where are women within thepower structure today? Was JaneEyre over-stepping her boundarieswhen she agreed to marryRochester? Would that occur today?

The Social Hierarchy

At the top of the hierarchy, youwould find the king (or queen).During the time when JaneEyre was set, George III (pic-tured here) was king.

UPPER CLASS:NOBILITYGENTRY

GENTLEMEN

MIDDLE CLASS:DoctorsClergy

LOWER CLASS:TradesmenSurgeons

ApothecariesWorking Poor

ServantsFarm Laborers

The Ingrams (Blanche’sfather was a Baron)

Edward Rochester Mrs. Reed (Jane’s aunt)

Mr. Brocklehurst(headmaster at Lowood)

St. John Rivers

The upper class was made up of the nobility, (dukes, marquess, earls, viscounts, barons),and the gentry (baronets, knights and gentlemen). "Gentleman" was a generic term used todescribe a large number of people in a wide variety of circumstances, however, there weresome basic requirements for this term: one had to have at least two servants (one maleand one female), a carriage, and must own land. They made money off their land, but didnot perform manual labor.

The middle class consisted mainly of doctors and the clergy. The minimum qualifications forbeing middle class was to have servants and a carriage. The main difference between themiddle and upper classes was ownership of land. Sometimes a doctor might own a housebut not a substantial piece of land like an estate, so he still had to work for a living and wastherefore considered middle class. The other difference between middle and upper classfamilies is that middle class families were not given titles.

Anyone who handled moneyor performed manual laborwas considered lower class.

Ms. Scatcherd (teacher)Jane Eyre (governess)

Mrs. Fairfax (housekeeper)Grace Poole (servant)

T he number of servants in a household depended on the family’s

income and the size of house. Large houses of wealthy families

employed a great many servants while smaller households might have as

few as one servant to do everything, in which case the ladies of the house

would help with the housework. Just as there was a social hierarchy outside

the house, there was also a hierarchy among the servants within the house.

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About the Servants

Costume rendering for the character of“Mrs. Fairfax”in TheatreWorks 2003production of Jane Eyre. All renderingsby costume designer Fumiko Bielefeldt.

Upper ServantsSteward

Collected the rents from the tenants and supervised thewhole estate (grounds and household).

Butler HousekeeperSupervised and presided over the male and female staff of the household.

Also in charge of hiring and firing servants.

Addressed by the family by hislast name and by the staff as “Mr.” (i.e. Mr. Smith) In charge ofthe wine cellar, the silver,announcing visitors and supervising the footmen.

Addressed by everyone as “Mrs.”(i.e. Mrs. Fairfax) even if she isunmarried. In charge of thehousehold linen, keeping thehousehold accounts, and super-vising the housemaids’ work.

Valet Lady's MaidDidn't report to the butler or housekeeper.

Attended the Master and Lady of the house directly,helping them to dress and managing their clothes.

Lower Servants

FootmenWaited at dinner, carried coal,polished silverware, and attendedthe family when they went out,riding on the back of the carriage.Expected to be good looking andimposing (tall).

House maidsCleaned the house (dusting,scrubbing floors, etc.), kept thefires going, brought fresh waterfor all the bedrooms and tookaway old water.

CoachmanDrove and maintained the coach(carriage).

CookSupervised the preparation of allthe meals for the house. (Menuswere chosen by the lady of thehouse, but in the absence ofspecifications the cook chose themenu instead.)

Gardner and GameskeeperThe gardner looked after the gar-den and greenhouses on theproperty. The gameskeeperraised and protected all the gameon a country estate.

Kitchen maidsHelped the cook prepare themeals.

GroomLooked after the horses.

Scullery maidsWashed the dishes.

A governess actually ranked higherthan all the servants in a household.A housekeeper oversaw the entirehousehold staff, yet was still a steplower than the governess. A womanfrom the middle class, like Mrs.Fairfax in Jane Eyre, sometimesworked in a household for financialreasons. Most servants, however,were culled from the lower classand consisted of uneducatedwomen with no other opportunities.Servants of the 19th century werepaid very poorly and worked cease-lessly within their master’s home,beginning their day before dawnand often not finishing work until

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The Status of Women

One hundred and fifty years ago, the status of women was vastly differentfrom today. During Charlotte Brontë’s lifetime (1816–1855), women were

seen by most as subservient to men. A woman was expected to stay in thehome, raise the children and create a warm, comfortable environment forher husband. She had almost no legal rights and was expected to haveeven fewer ambitions. In England, these notions of femininity were forwardedby organizations like the Women’s Mission which advocated that a womanbecome an "Angel of the Hearth," caring for the private home while her hus-band dealt with the public world. Not only did most people believe a "woman’splace was in the home" but, the ideal woman of the period possessed severalessential qualities including self-restraint, self-sacrifice on behalf of others, gen-tleness, delicacy, and obedience.

Before marriage, a girl of the upper and middle classes spent her time master-ing duties associated with womanhood. She would learn to sew, embroider andknit with grace, perfect a foreign language (most likely French) and learn to playan instrument. She also learned the proper decorum and etiquette of entertain-ing in her home. Girls had limited academic opportunities. Although most girlsfrom the middle and upper class were educated by governesses or sent toboarding schools while young, they were barred from advanced education. Strong emphasis was placed on female friends and maintaining solid relation-ships with the women in one’s life. Most middle class women of 19th centuryEngland spent their lives in the company of other women, sisters, teachers andfriends. While single, women under the age of thirty were not permitted tobe in the same room with a man unchaperoned, unless he was a close rel-ative like a brother, father or uncle.

Women had little choice in whether they wanted to marry, remaining single invit-ed particular hardship on them, both financially and socially. Wealthy familiespassed down the bulk of their money to the sons; girls only received a smallpercentage intended to cover basic day to day needs. In theory, marryingensured a woman that she would be taken care of financially since most middleand lower-class families could not afford to keep their daughters at home aftermarrying age (their early twenties). Moreover, even if they didn’t want to getmarried, few women could afford to remain single, as few professions wereopen to them. Women without financial security had only two respectableprofessions to pursue; they could become a teacher or governess.Socially, the woman who remained single was pitied and disapproved. Divorcedwomen (a rare phenomenon), unmarried mothers and children, especially girls,born out of wedlock were all seen as outcasts.

Even when married, many women suffered hardship. Legally, she gave up allher rights to her husband. For example, everything a woman owned, inherit-ed or earned would belong to her husband, as well as all of her children.She had no right to leave her spouse even in cases of cruelty and adul-tery. Also, as there was no form of birth control, women became pregnant oftenand families with half a dozen children were not at all uncommon. Childbirthwas much riskier in the 1800s; the ratio of women dying in childbirth was 1 in200 in 1870, as opposed to the current U.S. maternal mortality rate of 7 deathsper 100,000 live births.

Charlotte Brontë was one of manynotable women of the 19th century.Have students research other famouswomen.

Hold a “Woman’s Summit” with students portraying the historicalcharacters in which they share theirviews on politics and the status ofwomen in their time. What would theyhave to say to women today?

George Sand (1804–76) was the pseudonym of 19th century novelistAmandine Aurore Lucie Dupin. She led anunconventional life—first joining a conventwhich she later left, then marrying anddivorcing (a rare practice during the time)and wearing men's clothing. She wrote morethan 80 very popular novels which oftentackled issues like equality between thesexes and the right of a woman to love whothey wanted and have an interesting career.

Harriet Tubman (1820–1913) was born intoslavery in America. She escaped to freedom in 1849 and went on to help morethan 300 people out of slavery as one of the"conductors" of the Underground Railroad.She also went on to help the Union army inthe Civil War, working as both a nurse and aspy.

Sojourner Truth (1797–1883) was given thename Isabelle Van Wagenen when she wasborn a slave in New York. She was laterfreed by New York's Gradual EmancipationAct. In the 1840s, she adopted the nameSojourner Truth and began traveling through-out New England as an advocate for slaveemancipation and the rights of women. Shewas a powerful orator despite the fact thatshe never learned to read.

Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) wasborn in Italy and is considered the founder of modern nursing. During the 1850s, sheworked as a nurse in the Crimean War andby its end had gained acclaim for her tirelesswork ethic. She was nicknamed the "Ladywith the Lamp" and spent the rest of her lifeteaching others to be nurses, which she feltwas a noble profession. She was awardedthe British Order of Merit in 1907.

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Despite the cultural pressure for young women to conform to convention-al practices, some were starting to question the constraints and limita-tions women endured. One of the reasons for this shift may have been thatEngland, during the mid-1800s, contained an overabundance of young singlewomen. Charlotte Brontë was one of these so-called "superfluous women."According to the census of 1851, over 2 million single women, age fifteen andup, lived in England. Most of these women would never marry and had to findways to support themselves from very limited opportunities.

Simultaneously, a new social reform movement with personal freedom as itsheart began to appear among different minority groups. In the pre-civil warUnited States, African American slavery was being questioned and middle-classlandless men were demanding the same rights accorded to the land-owninggentry class. About the same time Charlotte Brontë published Jane Eyre(1847), women in the U.S. organized a convention in Seneca Falls, NYwhich issued a declaration of independence for women. The declarationdemanded full legal equality, full educational and commercial equality, equalcompensation, and the right to vote, a right women wouldn’t secure until 1920.

In England, many writers and thinkers of the time began to ponder the"Women Question," asking whether women possessed more intellectualability than merely sewing and entertaining and what type of educationthey should receive. As a result of these questions, the first institute of highereducation for women was established in London in 1849. Legally, women werealso starting to gain ground. Beginning during the 1840s, British novelistCaroline Norton actively campaigned for better rights for women and by the1880s, she had successfully secured pivotal rights for women including the rightto ask for a divorce from a cruel or adulterous husband and the right to retainone’s own money and property after marriage.

Women also began asking if certain qualities belonged to a man alone.Could women possess "manly" qualities like self-assertion and ambitionwithout forsaking her womanhood? Charlotte Brontë was one of thesewomen. In her letters and her novels, Brontë consistently called for equality ofintellect and social ranking between men and women. Her novel Jane Eyrecaused quite a stir in England when it was published because Brontë ’s heroineJane is independent and passionate and Jane (acting as Brontë ’s mouthpiece)expressed views of equality between the sexes that were seen as radical bymany.

It has been more than a century since Jane Eyre was first published and muchhas changed for the rights of women. However, Brontë’s eloquent petition forthe equality for all remains current, as women continue to fight for equal footing,in all aspects of life.

Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) andElizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902) wereAmerican reformers and leaders of thewomen’s-suffrage, or right to vote, movement.With several other women, Stanton organized the first women’s rights conventionin the United States in 1848 and helped drafta bill of rights for women. Anthony andStanton began to work closely in 1852 andbecame leaders within the new women’srights movement.

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) was thefirst American woman to receive a medicaldegree. She helped to found the New YorkInfirmary for Women and Children in 1857. In1868, she expanded it to include a Women’sCollege for the training of doctors, the first ofits kind. She also helped establish theLondon School of Medicine for Women inEngland.

Emily Dickinson (1820–1886) is consideredto be one of the greatest poets in Americanliterature. She lived a mostly solitary life inher hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts,and wrote poetry reflecting on the themes ofloneliness, love and hope. Her style wasunusual for the time: her lyrics were straightforward and original, conveying profound emotion. Although she wrote morethan 1000 poems during her lifetime, herwork was not published until after her deathin 1886.

George Eliot (1819–1880) was the pseudonym of the English novelist Mary AnnEvans. Her best known novel, Middlemarch,deals with small-town rural life in Englandduring the 19th century. Mary Ann was well-schooled as a young woman and whenshe was in her early thirties, she began publishing stories under the name GeorgeEliot, as men’s fiction was taken more seriously than women’s. Over the next 25years, she published 6 novels and manyessays and poems.

Clara Barton (1821–1812), born inMassachusetts, dedicated her life to humanitarian causes. During the Civil War,she worked tirelessly aiding and caring forsick and wounded soldiers. After the war,President Abraham Lincoln appointed her toa position searching for missing prisoners, aswell as identifying the dead. In 1881, shefounded the American Red Cross and servedas its president until 1904.

Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) was an Americanborn painter and artist who became part ofthe inner circle of influential FrenchImpressionist artists like Manet and Degas inthe latter part of the 19th century. She wasremarkable for being one of the only publiclyrecognized female painters of the 19th centu-ry and for making a lasting contribution to theImpressionist style of painting.

Questions/Connections

How were novels like Jane Eyre important forhelping women in their movement towards equality?

Are women treated equally today?

Have students research the history of thewomen’s movement from Brontë’s timethrough today. Use the women listed in theside bar as a guide, or add others.

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Marriage in the 1800’sM arriage was often considered to be an economic arrangement

rather than a union of two people in love. This is not to saythat love was not a factor, or that it did not prevail in some cases.However, people did not often marry without attention to the financialand social standings of the people involved; especially in the middle andupper classes.

The most common scenario was a gentleman with a title or respectedfamily name and an old family estate choosing a wealthy woman tomarry. Men with title and high social rank could actually be quite poor.The appearance of respectability was expensive, especially if a largehouse with many servants had to be maintained. With the rise of tradeand the number of rich gentlemen with no titles, the easiest way for mento bring in money was to marry a daughter of one of these families—atitle or social rank in exchange for ten to thirty thousand pounds or more.This explains why Mr. Rochester's father is so insistent on marrying himto Bertha Mason in Jane Eyre. As a younger son who would not inherithis father's estate he would have little or nothing to live on if he didn'tmarry a rich woman. For a man of his class marriage was his onlyrespectable choice. If he did not marry a wealthy woman he would beforced to work as a clergyman, a sailor, or a lawyer, diminishing his status as a gentleman.

Women, similarly, often strove to marry men of high rank. Not only woulda marriage assure that they would be well taken care of, they wouldadvance up the social ladder and see their children with a distinguishedfamily name.

The following lyrics are sung by thecharacter of Jane in “Painting HerPortrait” where she compares herselfto Rochester’s intended bride,Blanche Ingram:

[I] will liveAll of [my] life as a governess[Blanche] will always be happyAnd marry a man who will carry

her awayAnd should you fancy That he really loves youJust compare the picturesTwo completely different mixturesYou should be ashamed JaneWhy would he trade his silver?For some unpolished metal?Why would he settle for a slaveWhen he could have a queen, Jane?

It’s foreseen, Jane!Don’t even dare anymore to

compareSay a prayer for your sorry soul,

Jane!

Costume rendering for thecharacter of“Jane” in herwedding gown.

Connections:

The lyrics in the side bar are sung by Jane as she contemplates herbeloved Rochester’s proposed marriage to Blanche Ingram, a beautiful,wealthy women of high society.

How does the societal structure with its ingrained prejudices regardingclass affect the way Jane determines her own self worth?

Do we have limitations in selecting our mate today that are imposed onus by society, family, friends? When answering consider:

-race-age-sexual orientation-socio-economic class (How much money we have?)

Are these limitations accepted and readily acknowledged by society asthey were in the 1800’s or are they more veiled and hidden?

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The play opens with an adult Jane narrating her story for the audience. Ayoung Jane is seen in the attic of Gateshead Hall with her book and doll...

Later, when Jane is sent to the Lowood School for orphan girls, she exclaimsto Helen Burns, “If others don't love me, I would rather die than live!” If at suchan early age this sentiment can be so passionately spoken by one who hasalready been deprived of the very thing of which she speaks, it is not surprising that what unfolds over the course of this play is, at its heart, a por-trait of love. Jane’s journey embodies many different types of love: the awareness of self-love and self-worth, the capacity to forgive those who havehurt her, the love she finds through her faith and belief in God, and herromance with Rochester. Jane’s journey is not an easy one, but is ultimatelytriumphant as she clings to that young girl’s belief that we must all love and beloved. It is a journey that requires the utmost strength and bravery as sung bythe ensemble at the close of the play:

Jane Eyre and “Love”

All human beings must love something, and for want of a worthier object of affection, I had my little rag doll.

I will never lose faithI will never lose heartFor you have restored my trust

And I know you’re afraidI’m as scared as you areBut I’m willing to be brave

Brave enough for love.

Costume rendering for the character of “Young Jane” inTheatreWorks 2003 production of Jane Eyre.

Love Instead of relying on a dictionary to define this word, have your class develop

their own working definition.

- Divide your class into small groups- Instruct each group to talk about the word and conduct an internet search

on the word- When the class gathers together again make a list of the definitions that

build to encompass more and more information.

You may want to include pictures or diagrams in your working definitions.Often they reveal more about a complex idea than a definition that relies onlyon words.

How do we act when we are “in love.” How do we shape our thoughts onlove and romance? Use the exercises on the following page, to explore thesequestions with your students.

C harlotte Brontë came of age during

the height of Romanticism. (For more information on this genre of literature, seepage 4.) As an educated woman she wouldhave been familiar with and influenced bythe writers of that time period. Other thanthe spoken word, writings were the only means of disseminatinginformation. Today, thanks to technology, we have many moremeans of communication such as the television, radio, and theinternet. We can also distribute this information faster and moreeasily, making it readily available to a wider number of people.Almost anyone can pick up the newest issue of a popular magazineto find out what our favorite celebrities are up to, see “the hottestnew look,” or read tips on how to get a boyfriend or girlfriend. Dothese and other forms of popular culture (songs, movies, etc.) influ-ence our sense of self worth? Do they mold our feelings about loveand romance? Is this good or bad—or a little of both?

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Modern-day Love?

Sonnet VIIby Hartley Coleridge

Is love a fancy, or a feeling? No.It is immortal as immaculate Truth,'Tis not a blossom shed as soon as youth,Drops from the stem of life--for it will grow,In barren regions, where no waters flow,Nor rays of promise cheats the pensive gloom.A darkling fire, faint hovering o'er a tomb,That but itself and darkness nought doth show,It is my love's being yet it cannot die,Nor will it change, though all be changed beside;Though fairest beauty be no longer fair,Though vows be false, and faith itself deny,Though sharp enjoyment be a suicide,And hope a spectre in a ruin bare.

“A Moment Like This”sung by Kelly Clarkson(from AMERICAN IDOL)

What if I told youIt was all meant to beWould you believe me,Would you agreeIt's almost that feelin'That we've met beforeSo tell me that you don't think I'm crazyWhen I tell you love has come andnow...

(CHORUS)For a moment like thisSome people wait a lifetime,For a moment like thisSome people search forever,For that one special kissOh, I can't believe it's happening to me

Some people wait a lifetime,For a moment like this

Everything changesBut beauty remainsSomething so tenderI can't explainWell I maybe dreamin'But 'till I awakeCan we make this dream last foreverAnd I'll cherish all the love we share

CHORUS

Could this be the greatest love of allI wanna know that you will catch mewhen I fallSo let me tell you this...Some people wait a lifetime

OHHHH, YEAH, 'cuz people search forevery moment like this.

Compare and contrastthe sonnet by Hartley Coleridge (1796-1849) below with the lyricsfrom the new hit love song by Kelly Clarkson (right column).

- What do they say about love and romance?- Are there other songs or pieces of writing that reflect your ideasof love? - Do you think we view romance the same as people did inCharlotte’s time? How is it the same or different?

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Education

Costume rendering for the characters of the“school girls” in TheatreWorks 2003 productionof Jane Eyre.

Education in the early 19th century was different in many ways from today.First of all, upper class boys were the most likely to have access to an

education, although many girls and lower class boys had limited access. The poorwere only beginning to be educated at this time.

Young men were taught at public schools or by private masters or governesses athome. Public schools were only open to young men of the area surrounding theschool, but not to the poor. Middle and upper class boys were educated for thesake of education, especially since upper class men didn't actually have to havean education in order to earn their living, since most of them didn't work, but livedoff their estates. Boys were taught reading, writing, math, history, the Bible, Greekand Latin. Those from the middle and upper classes could also continue their education at institutions of higher education like Eton, Oxford, and Cambridge.

Education for young women was either through a governess at home or at boarding school, like Lowood in Jane Eyre, but was still considered controversial,like educating the poor, which really only began around 1811. It was believed thateducation of the poor would be "bad" for them, giving them more knowledge thanwould be of use to them in their menial occupations, and they were taught to readonly so they could read the Bible. In addition, women were considered by many tobe incapable of more than basic learning and the purpose of educating them wasto give them skills to promote their advance in society and enhance their opportu-nities in marriage. Both groups were taught the same subjects as the boys, exceptat a more basic level, and subjects like Greek and Latin were generally considered to be "above" them and were not usually available. Instead,girls were taught sewing skills and social etiquette. Other training was available tosome women. Boarding schools for girls who hoped to make a living as a governess, some of them charitable establishments, like Lowood, offered French,music, dancing, drawing, geography and natural sciences. For women of the middle and lower classes, that was the only education available and higher education was not an option for any woman, no matter what her station.

CONNECTIONS

Compare and contrast establishments of education in the 19th century with today.- How is it different? How is it the same?- What has changed? What hasn’t changed?

Imagine you lived during this time period. What type of education would you have received?What options would you have for your profession? (See social status on page 9 for moreideas regarding professions.)

Would you have the same opportunities as you have today?

Would you be content with the opportunities you had back then or would you want more?

Does this make you appreciate today’s educational opportunities more or less?

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Fashion in the 1800’sThe Ladies

Women wore dresses in theempire waist style, with a belt orthe waist of the dress just underthe breasts. This style, which started at the beginning of thecentury, was a return to simplicity from the full skirts andsmall waist silhouettes of the18th century. During the 1810'sdresses remained high waisted,but more detailing appeared inthe form of slightly puffy sleevesand trimming on the lower edgesof skirts. Dresses were floorlength falling to the ankle andwere very pale and often white atthe beginning of the century withdarker colors appearing in the1810's. Underneath, women worestays - a garment like a corsetdesigned to support and cleanlyencase the torso. Unlike a corset,stays did not cinch the waist in.The result was a smooth line thatfollowed the outline of the dress.What we think of as underwearwas not generally worn bywomen until the 1830's.

The Gentlemen

In 1815 trousers, or pants,became the normal choice forday wear and breeches wereonly seen as evening wear or onceremonial occasions. The riding outfit that developed during the end of the 18th century inspired the frock coatand style of clothing generallyworn during the day at thebeginning of the 19th century.Frock coats resembled moderntailcoats, the main differencesbeing the smooth cutaway linefrom the bottom front to thetails and two rows of buttonsinstead of one. In addition to thefrock coat, waistcoats and cra-vats made up the rest of aman's outfit. The waistcoatresembled a modern tuxedovest and cravats were worninstead of ties for a fuller look,building up the chest. Bootswere often worn during the daywhile shoes tended to be wornat night. Colors tended to bedark for most of the outfit withthe exception of the shirt andcravat.

“WOW! THEY SURE DID DRESS FUNNY BACK THEN!”

We often say that about people in times past. Did you ever stop to think that’s just what they’llbe saying about you 200 years from now? Styles of fashion are often a reflection of the timesin which people lived.

Look through the sketches throughout this study guide and think about the history you havelearned. What sentiments are reflected in the fashion of this time period?

We have more options in our fashion today. Think about your own fashion choices. What sentiments are reflected in your personal style? Analyze others’ styles. How does their per-sonal style fit their personality?

“Jane” and “Rochester” in TheatreWorks’ 2003 production of Jane Eyre: The Musical. All costumerenderings by designer Fumiko Bielefeldt.

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After the Performance

We want to hear from you!RESPONSES FROM STUDENTS:

It is very important for us to hearyour students’ reactions to ourwork. Some of the following exercises may be used as a general follow-up activity.

Write a letter to the director,actor or author of the play tellingthem what you appreciated aboutthe show.

Write a review of the show as if itwere to appear in the schoolnewspaper. Would you recom-mend it to your fellow school-mates? What did you like? Whatdid you dislike?

If you participated in a workshopbefore the performance, what didyou like best about it. What didn’tyou respond to in the workshop?

FROM TEACHERS:

What about this experience wasmost valuable to you?

Did this program impact yourteaching in any way: i.e. ideas forlesson plans and activities?

Did this experience affect yourclassroom instruction? If so, how?If not, what can we do different-ly?

Please mail or email responses to:

TheatreWorks

Attn: Tiffany Cothran

PO Box 50458

Comparing the Novel to the Play-When you were reading the novel, what did you visualize (or picture) in yourmind? How did the characters look? What did the setting look like?-Were any of your visualizations similar to what you saw onstage?-Did you see anything onstage that made you think of something you hadn’tconsidered while reading the story?-Was it helpful to see the story in this form? Why or why not?

Jane Eyre as a MusicalGiven what you now know about the time period, how did the different theatricalelements assist in telling the story and creating the period? Consider the costumes, the lighting, the projections, and the scenery.

Heightened Language in MusicalsIn musicals, such as the version of Jane Eyre you saw, actors suddenly burstinto song. This is a convention of musicals. Different conventions exist in all artforms. For example, in movies and television, characters don’t really get fromone place to another as quickly as they appear to, but we understand that theboring part of their journey has been cut. Conventions help the poetry of thework of art come to life. A song is often described as “poetry to music.”Characters in the theatre live in a heightened state of reality or a heightenedsense of life in which they experience emotions with great force. It is almost as iftheir passion, their pain, their happiness is so overwhelming, it can only beexpressed through song.

What heightened moments were expressed through song in the musical JaneEyre? Could you tell how the characters were feeling (happy, sad, angry) by theway the actors delivered the song? Is this different or similar to songs you hearon the radio? Why are we drawn to listening to stories through song?

Why Jane Eyre?Why did Paul Gordon and John Caird choose to make it into a musical? Why dowe still read the novel after 150 years? Sure, our English teachers make usread it because it is a “classic.” But why is it a classic? What does it say to usthat is still relevant today? What are the universal themes that we can still learnfrom today? Consider status in society, gender roles, and love. (See previouspages of study guide for more specific questions.)

Discussion Questions1. In the novel, Rochester tells Jane, “if you are cast in a different mould to themajority, it is no merit of your; Nature did it.” What does he mean? Do you agreeor disagree? Why?

2. Jane asserts her equality throughout the story. What does she mean byequality and why is it so important to her.

3. What is the balance of power between Jane and Rochester when she is agoverness in his house. Does this balance change when she accepts his pro-posal? when she finally marries him? by the end of the story?

Write a letter to Charlotte Brontë!Why were Charlotte’s achievements so phenomenal? Write a letter of commendation. Tell her how her book has affected you.

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Sources and References

Ackerman’s Costume Plates: Women’s Fashions in England 1818-1828 edited by Stella Blum

The Illustrated History of the World vol. 7 by J.M. Roberts

Oxford History of Art: Art in Europe 1700-1830 by Matthew Craske

A Concise History by Martin Pugh

The Brontë’s: A Collection of Critical Essays edited by Ian Gregor

Charlotte Brontë and Victorian Psychology by Sally Shuttleworth

The Regency by Jennifer Ruby

The Concise Encyclopedia of Romanticism by Francis Claudon

Dickens’ Fur Coat and Charlotte’s Unanswered Letters by Daniel Pool

An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England by Venetia Murray

Everyday Life: The Nineteenth Century by E.R. Chamberlin

A Survey of Six Centuries: Chaucer to Queen Victoria by G.M. Trevelyan, O.M.

James Herriot’s Yorkshire by James Herriot

Life in Regency England by R.J. White

Literary Britain edited by Mark Haworth-Booth

Nineteenth Century Art: From Romanticism to Art Nouveau by William R. Johnston

Our Tempestuous Day: A History of Regency England by Carolly Erikson

The Timetables of History by Bernard Grun

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool

Women in the 19th Century by Fiona McDonald