Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

Welcome to our next lesson of "Jane Eyre." In our last lesson, Jane finally left Gateshead Hall.

She is no longer living with the cruel and selfish Reed family.

Jane is now going to begin a new life at Lowood School.

But has our heroine really found freedom, or do more dangers await her? We shall find out in today's lesson.

Let's begin.

For today's lesson, you will need an exercise book or paper, and a pen.

If you do not have this equipment, press the pause button on your video now, go and collect this equipment, and then we will begin our lesson.

Let's begin with a recap from our last lesson.

Which word best describes Jane at the beginning of the novel? Option one, quiet, option two, passionate, option three, logical, or option four, cruel.

Press the pause button on your video now and tell the screen the right answer.

I will now tell you the right answer, which is, of course, passionate.

Jane is a passionate character at the beginning of our novel.

She is a very emotional character who is often overwhelmed by her feelings.

Well done if you got that right.

Let's begin by, with me telling you what our plan for today's lesson will be.

First of all, we'll learn about Bronte's experience of school.

We'll then learn about discourse markers.

This is a really useful tool that will improve your writing.

We'll then read our extract, and after that, we will answer this question.

How does Bronte present Lowood School as an unpleasant place? Let's begin.

So let's first of all look at Bronte's experience of school.

You've already learnt a little bit about this in the previous lesson.

Bronte's experience of school greatly inspired her writing of "Jane Eyre," as you're going to see.

Charlotte and her sisters attended a very strict boarding school called the Clergy Daughters' School.

And Bronte never did very well with formal education.

Even though she was an incredibly talented writer, Bronte's teachers were not very impressed by her work in class.

Here is Charlotte Bronte school report.

Let's read it.

"Charlotte Bronte entered August the 10th, 1824.

Writes indifferently.

Cyphers little, and works neatly.

Knows nothing of grammar, geography, history, or accomplishments.

Altogether clever of her age, but knows nothing systematically at eight years old!" This reveals a lot about how Charlotte Bronte's teachers did not recognise her intelligence at this young age of eight.

So Bronte never did very well at school, and perhaps one of the reasons for this is because Bronte resented the strict rules in her school.

Let's learn a little bit more about the different rules at the Clergy Daughters' School, that Bronte attended.

Here's nine rules for you.

Rule number one, pupils must sleep two per bed.

Rule number two, pupils must rise before dawn.

Rule number three, pupils must wash using a basin of water after they wake up.

This was especially unpleasant during the wintertime, when this basin of water was often frozen.

Option four, pupils must say half an hour of prayers before they have breakfast.

Bronte writes a lot about how this school was very religious and its aim was to ensure that every pupil left the school with a strong Christian faith and the complete knowledge of the Scriptures.

Rule number five, pupils will attend lessons until five p.

m.

So it's a very long school day.

Option six, pupils will do further study at night time.

So they hard to work incredibly hard.

Option seven, pupils must say prayers before bed.

Rule number eight, poor behaviour may be sanctioned through denial of food, that meant that sometimes to be punished, pupils weren't given food, or being made to sit on a stool for hours without moving.

Now, you will see in "Jane Eyre" that one of the pupils in this school is punished by this humiliating ordeal, in which they have to sit on a stool for hours without moving.

Rule number nine, every Sunday pupils must walk five kilometres in order to attend church.

So pupils had to walk five kilometres all the way across the countryside to attend a church service.

Often these church services featured sermons which concentrated upon Hell, and pupils were warned, if they did not live according to a strict Christian morality, they would be sent to Hell and suffer for all of eternity.

So as you can see, the rules at Charlotte Bronte's school were very strict indeed.

Whilst Charlotte was a pupil, the school suffered an outbreak of tuberculosis.

You may remember that I discussed this in the previous lesson.

Tuberculosis was a very serious disease that was common throughout the Victorian times.

Charlotte's sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, caught tuberculosis and were sent home.

They eventually died from this disease.

Now, Charlotte blamed the school for this tragedy.

She believed that Maria and Elizabeth caught tuberculosis because of the poor living conditions of the school.

In many ways, it is likely that Charlotte's writing of "Jane Eyre" is strongly inspired by her feelings of anger and bitterness against her experience at this school.

Let's now test your memory on the key ideas here.

Press the pause button on your video now, go through both of these sentences, telling the screen the full sentence, including the words in blank.

Off you go.

I'll now show you the right answers.

Charlotte attended a very strict boarding school called the Clergy Daughters' School.

Charlotte's sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died after they contracted a disease called tuberculosis in this school.

Well done if you got those answers right.

We're now going to learn about discourse markers.

This is a tool that you can use to really improve your writing.

Now, a discourse marker is a phrase that links different ideas in your writing.

They're basically short phrases that signal to your reader that you're going to move from one idea to another idea.

Now, there's two types of discourse markers that I'm going to introduce in this lesson.

One type of discourse marker is used for introducing similar ideas.

Let me give you some examples.

Also, in addition, furthermore, moreover, blank is further reinforced or emphasised by, and blank is further reflected by blank.

These are all discourse markers that we can use to link similar ideas in our writing.

Press the pause button on your video now and take these discourse markers, write these discourse markers down in your book or on your page.

Off you go.

I'll now show you a second type of discourse marker that we can use.

Here are some discourse markers that we can use for introducing contrasting ideas.

A contrasting idea refers to two different ideas that are both very different.

But, even though, yet, however, despite, and these are our discourse markers that we can use for introducing contrasting ideas.

Press the pause button on your video now and write these discourse markers down in your book or on your page.

Off you go.

I'll now show you a paragraph that uses both types of discourse markers that I've just introduced you to.

Let's read.

Bronte's depiction of Lowood School is inspired by her experiences as a pupil in the Clergy Daughters' School.

It seems that Bronte had a miserable experience of formal education.

Even though she would develop into a profoundly talented writer, Charlotte's teachers were not terribly impressed by her work in class.

Her school report states that she "writes indifferently" and "knows nothing of grammar, geography, history, or accomplishments." In addition, Charlotte struggled under the school's harsh rules.

Teachers used cruel and humiliating punishments for bad behaviour.

Furthermore, Charlotte resented the religious teachings of the school.

In particular, all the pupils had to walk five kilometres to church every Sunday.

They would then listen to a sermon, which often posed a disturbing warning about damnation and Hell for those who did not follow a strict Christian morality.

But Charlotte's most painful memory of her school years was witnessing her two sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, die after they contracted tuberculosis.

This disease killed many pupils due to the school's poor living conditions.

I've used a range of discourse markers in this paragraph to signal to my reader when I'm moving from one idea to another idea.

Here's one discourse marker that I've used for introducing similar ideas.

We've got this discourse marker here, in addition.

Now let's begin by reading the sentence before I've used this discourse marker, in addition.

Her school report states that she "writes indifferently" and "knows nothing of grammar, geography, history, or accomplishments." In addition, Charlotte struggled under the school's harsh rules.

Here's another discourse marker that I've used for introducing similar ideas, furthermore.

Let's read the sentence before I've introduced this word, furthermore.

Teachers used cruel and humiliating punishments for bad behaviour.

Furthermore, Charlotte resented the religious teachings of the school.

I've also used two discourse markers for introducing contrasting ideas.

Let's read this first one.

Even though she would develop into a profoundly talented writer, comma, Charlotte's teachers were not terribly impressed by her work in class.

And here's my second example of a discourse marker for introducing contrasting ideas.

We're going to begin by reading this sentence.

We're going to begin by reading the sentence before I've introduced the word but.

They would then listen to a sermon which often pose a disturbing warning about damnation and Hell for those who did not follow a strict Christian morality.

But Charlotte's most painful memory of her school years was witnessing her two sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, die after they contracted tuberculosis.

These are two examples of discourse markers for introducing contrasting ideas.

Later on in today's lesson, we're going to use these discourse markers ourselves in our writing.

First of all, though, we're going to read our extract.

At the beginning of our extract, Jane is just climbing out of a coach on a dark, windy, rainy night outside Lowood School.

Let's read.

"I was stiff with long sitting, and bewildered and overwhelmed with the noise and motion of the coach: Gathering my faculties and senses, I looked about me.

Rain, wind, and darkness filled the air; nevertheless, I dimly discerned a wall before me and a door open in it; through this door I passed with my new guide: she shut and locked it behind her.

There was now visible a house or houses, for the building spread far, with many windows, and a light burning in some.

We went up a broad pebbly path, splashing wet, and were admitted at the door; then the servant led me through a passage into a room with a fire, where she left me alone." After this, Jane, exhausted by her journey from Gatehead Hall, goes to sleep.

"The night passed rapidly.

I was too tired even to dream; I only once awoke to hear the winds rave and furious gusts and the rain fall in torents.

When I again unclosed my eyes, a loud bell was ringing; the girls were up and dressing; day had not yet begun to dawn, and a rushlight or two burned in the room.

I too rose reluctantly; it was bitter cold, and I dressed as well as I could for shivering, and washed when there was a basin at liberty, which did not occur soon, as there was one basin to six girls, on the stands down the middle of the room.

Again the bell rang: all formed in file, two and two, and in that order descended the stairs and entered the cold and dimly lit schoolroom: here prayers were read by Miss Miller; afterwards she called out, "Form classes!" A great tumult succeeded for some minutes, during which Miss Miller repeatedly exclaimed, "Silence!" and "Order!" When it subsided and quietened down, I saw them all drawn up in four semicircles, before four chairs, placed at the four tables; all held books in their hands, and a great book, like a Bible, lay on each table, before the vacant empty seat.

A pause of some seconds succeeded, filled up by the low, vague hum of numbers; Miss Miller walked from class to class, hushing this indefinite sound.

A distant bell tinkled: immediately three ladies entered the room, each walked to a table and took her seat.

Miss Miller assumed the fourth vacant empty chair, which was that nearest the door, and around which the smallest of children were assembled: to this inferior, lower class I was called, and placed at the bottom of it.

Business now began, the day's Collect was repeated, then certain texts of Scripture were said, and to these succeeded a protracted, long reading of chapters in the Bible, which lasted an hour.

By the time that exercise was terminated, day had fully dawned.

The indefatigable bell now sounded for the fourth time: the classes were marshalled and marched into another room to breakfast: how glad I was to behold a prospect of getting something to eat! I was now nearly sick from inanition and hunger, having taken so little the day before." So the children now go to the dining hall or refectory to have their breakfast, but they are met with a very unwelcome surprise.

"The refectory was a great, low-ceiled, gloomy room; on two low tables smoked basins of something hot, which, however, to my dismay, sent forth an odour or a smell far from inviting.

I saw a universal manifestation of discontent, unhappiness when the fumes of the repast met the nostrils of those destined to swallow it; from the van of the procession, the tall girls of the first class, rose the whispered words, "Disgusting! The porridge is burnt again!" A long grace was said and a hymn sung; then a servant brought in some tea for the teachers, and the meal began.

Ravenous, and extremely hungry, and now being faint, I devoured a spoonful or two of my portion without thinking of its taste; but the first edge of hungry blunted, I perceived I had got in hand a nauseous, sickly mess; burnt porridge is almost as bad as rotten potatoes; famine itself soon sickens over it.

The spoons were moved slowly: I saw each girl taste her food and try to swallow it; but in most cases the effort was soon relinquished.

Breakfast was over and none had breakfasted.

Thanks being returned for what we had not got, and a second hymn chanted, the refectory was evacuated for the schoolroom.

I was one of the last to go out, and in passing the tables, I saw one teacher take a basin of the porridge and taste it; she looked at the others; all their countenances and faces expressed displeasure, and one of them, the stout one, whispered, "Abominable stuff! How shameful!" So we're now going to analyse how Bronte presents Lowood School as an unpleasant place in this extract.

I think the name of the school is rather significant.

This name, Lowood School, is maybe giving us a hint about the sort of school that this will be.

Maybe Bronte is giving us a hint that this will be a low time in Jane's life.

As you're going to see, Jane will experience a huge amount of sorrow and suffering throughout her time in this school.

The name of the school foreshadows or gives us a hint about the sort of experience Jane is going to have.

So the name of this school creates an ominous atmosphere before Jane even arrives.

That word, ominous, refers to something which creates a sense that something terrible's going to happen.

Press the pause button on your video now and take some notes upon this idea.

Off you go.

Let's now move on to our next idea.

Jane arrives to the school as, "rain, wind, and darkness filled the air." This is a very unpleasant way to arrive at your new school.

Rain is pelting down from the sky, the wind is howling all around Jane, and darkness covers everything that she sees.

It is very hostile, unpleasant weather.

And once again, this rain forces the ominous atmosphere around the school before Jane even walks in.

Bronte is hinting that Jane is going to experience great sorrows and challenges and suffering in this place.

Now, throughout the novel, Bronte often uses the weather to reflect Jane's emotions.

Some of you might know that as pathetic fallacy.

I'll talk more about pathetic fallacy in another lesson, but the main idea that I want to get across here is I think the weather might be reflecting Jane's emotions as she arrives at Lowood School.

Maybe this hostile weather reflects Jane's anxious emotions.

Press the pause button on your video now and take some notes on this quotation.

Off you go.

Let's now move on to our next idea.

Throughout this extract, we see that life in this school is very harsh indeed.

First of all, pupils get up before dawn, so they're forced to get out of their beds before the sun even rises.

They then have to wash in a basin of cold water in the freezing cold.

You may remember that this aspect of the extract is inspired by Bronte's own experience in the Clergy Daughters' School.

You can imagine this is a very unpleasant way to begin your day.

Then pupils are served burnt porridge for breakfast, and we get an impression that this happens.

No one's very surprised about this when they get served burned porridge.

The impression that we receive is that this happens on a regular basis.

And then we get this quite interesting description here.

The classes where marshalled and marched into another room to breakfast.

So it's very clear that this school follows very strict routines.

Now, I'm particularly interested in the military language used by Bronte in this description.

The words marshalled and marched is the sort of language which is often used to describe routines in the army.

Bronte perhaps uses this military language to reflect just how strict and disciplined Lowood School really is.

In a sense, we get an impression that the pupils are expected to walk around the school as if they are machinery in a factory.

Bronte creates the impression that Lowood School denies its pupils all freedom.

Press the pause button on your video now, and take some notes on this idea.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now move on.

In a minute, you're going to write an answer to this question.

How does Bronte present Lowood School as an unpleasant place? You can begin with this sentence starter.

Bronte presents Lowood School as unpleasant place through.

And then you've got a set of key words and two quotations there that you can use in your answer.

Now, before you begin, I would encourage you to use discourse markers throughout your work.

So you can use these discourse markers that you should have in your notes for introducing similar ideas, and these discourse markers for introducing contrasting ideas.

Press the pause button on your video now and complete a paragraph answering this question in your book or on your page.

Off you go.

Let's now take a look at an exemplar paragraph.

Bronte presents Lowood School as an unpleasant place.

Through the name of this institution, the writer may be hinting that Jane is about to enter a low and sorrowful period of her story.

Even though Jane has escaped from the cruelty of the Reed household, she will continue to be plagued by troubles as she enters this school.

This sense that suffering awaits Jane is further reinforced by the hostile weather as our heroine arrives at Lowood.

Upon climbing out of the coach, the young orphan finds that rain, wind, and darkness filled the air.

Such wild weather establishes an ominous atmosphere and could reflect Jane's emotions of fear and anxiety as she begins a new, daunting phase of her life in school.

These forebodings turn out to be well-founded.

Life at Lowood is tough.

The pupils are forced to rise before dawn and wash themselves in the freezing cold using small basins of water.

In addition, the girls are poorly fed.

On her first morning, Jane is forced to enter.

Jane is forced to eat a pathetic breakfast of burnt porridge.

Moreover, teachers in this school force the pupils to behave like machinery in a factory.

Bronte describes how the classes were marshalled and marched around the building towards breakfast.

This military terminology reflects the brutal nature of the school regime.

The pupils are denied all freedom.

Jane may have escaped the captivity of the red-room, but she is now faced by a different imprisonment in Lowood School.

Now, you may have seen that I've used a range of different discourse markers in this paragraph.

Here's the discourse markers that I've used here.

If you'd like to take a closer look at how I've used this discourse markers, press the pause button on your video now.

Also press the pause button on your video now if you'd like to your paragraph based upon the exemplar that you've just read.

Off you go.

Okay, so we're coming to the end of the lesson here.

Here's the credits for the different pictures that I've used throughout today's lesson.

Well, that brings us to the end of today's lesson.

Well done for all of your hard work.

Join us in our next lesson when Jane tries to adjust to the harsh life at Lowood School and Jane is going to meet a very mysterious pupil.

I'll see you next time.

And before you go, make sure you complete the end-of-lesson quiz.