Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

Welcome to our next lesson of "Jane Eyre." In our last lesson somebody set Rochester's bed on fire.

Now we're not quite sure who this might be.

Maybe it was Grace Poole or maybe somebody else committed this crime.

It's clear, however, that some terrible secret is being kept at Thornfield Hall.

Join us in today's lesson when a beautiful and rich young lady arrives at the Thornfield.

Will she steal Rochester's heart from Jane? We will find out, 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.

Here's the question for you.

Who set Rochester's bed on fire? You have four options.

Option one, Grace Poole set Rochester's bed on fire.

Option two, James set Rochester's bed on fire.

Option three, nobody knows who set Rochester's bed on fire.

Or option four, Rochester claims that Grace Poole set his bed on fire, but we do not know whether this is true.

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

Off you go.

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

Rochester claims that Grace Poole set his bed on fire, but we do not know whether this is true.

We do not know whether to believe Rochester's words.

Well done if you got that right.

Although some of you may have got one of the wrong answers.

You may have chosen option one, Grace Poole set Rochester's bed on fire.

The problem with this option is that Jane did not actually watch Grace Poole commit this crime.

We cannot therefore say with certainty that Grace Poole is the criminal.

Some of you may have chosen option two, Jane set Rochester's bed on fire, but that's not likely because we know that Jane loves Rochester very much.

Some of you may have chosen option three, nobody knows who set Rochester's bed on fire but as you will see, someone actually does know who is responsible for this crime.

Well done if you got that right again.

Let me now tell you what our plan for today's lesson will be.

First of all, we are going to think about Grace Poole's strange behaviour.

Then we're going to answer this question.

How has Jane had a low social status throughout this novel? Then we're going to look at how Blanche Ingram arrives at Thornfield.

That's a new character that you'll meet today.

And we're going to answer this question.

How does Bronte contrast Blanche Ingram with Jane? Let's begin.

Let's first of all learn about Grace Poole's strange behaviour.

The day after this fire in Rochester's room, Jane approaches Grace Poole.

Jane is convinced that Grace Poole is responsible for this crime.

However, Grace Poole appears to be strangely calm for someone who committed such a terrible crime the night before.

Let's read.

"Grace Poole was intent on her work, in which our whole thoughts seemed absorbed: on her hard forehead, and in her commonplace features, was nothing either of the paleness, no desperation one would have expected to see making the countenance and face of a woman who had attempted murder, and whose intended victim had followed her last night to her lair, and as I believed, charged her with the crime she wished to perpetrate.

I was amazed, confounded." So why is Jane amazed and confounded here? That word confounded means very confused.

Well, Jane cannot understand how Grace Poole could look so calm if she was indeed the person who attempted to set Rochester's bed on fire the night before.

Jane is now beginning to doubt whether a Grace Poole could really be responsible for this crime.

Now what confuses Jane even more is that Rochester does not fire Grace Poole.

Rochester continues to employ Grace Poole as his servant.

This makes us wonder whether a Grace Poole was really responsible for this crime.

Perhaps it was someone else.

Okay, I now want to test your memory upon these ideas.

Here's a few sentences for you summarising what we've just learned.

On the morning after the fire, Jane meets Grace Poole.

Jane is amazed by how calm Grace looks.

It seems strange that the servant was responsible for setting Rochester's bed on fire.

Jane is also confused when Rochester does not fire Grace Poole from her job.

He continues to employ her as a servant.

Press the pause button on your video now.

Read through those three points, trying to memorise the key ideas before I test your memory.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now go on to our test.

Go through these three points, reading out the full sentences to your screen, including the words in blank.

Off you go.

Let's now take a look at the right answers.

Number one, on the morning after the fire, Jane meets Grace Poole.

Number two, Jane is amazed by how calm Grace looks.

It seems strange that the servant was responsible for setting Rochester's bed on fire.

And number three, Jane is also confused when Rochester does not fire Grace Poole from her job.

He continues to employ her as a servant.

Well done if you got that right, Let's now have a think about how Jane has been presented through this novel.

How has Jane had a low social status throughout this novel? Now, when we talk about someone's social status we're talking about how important someone is in the eyes of other people.

If you have a high social status, other people think you're important.

If you have a low social status, other people do not think you are important.

And as you're going to see throughout this novel Jane has consistently had a low social status.

You may remember that at the beginning of a novel, Jane lived with Mrs. Reed at Gateshead Hall.

Now, Mrs. Reed has three children.

She has John Reed, Georgiana and Eliza.

Now Mrs. Reed loves her three children very much but Mrs. Reed and the other children do not love Jane at all.

She is completely isolated from this family.

She is treated as someone who is not nearly as important as the other children.

Jane has a low social status in the Reed household.

Now, why might this be? Why does Jane feel less important than the Reed children? Well, this is basically for two main reasons.

Number one, Jane is an orphan from another family.

She's therefore treated as a dependent on the family who is living off Mrs. Reed's money.

And secondly, she doesn't feel as attractive as the Reed children.

In fact, this is what she says.

Jane says that she is "humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza , John, and Georgiana Reed." In other words, Jane feels that she looks rather ugly and rather plain compared to the other Reed children who all appear to be far more handsome and beautiful than she does.

Now Jane continues to have such insecurities about her social status when she becomes an adult.

She still describes herself as being rather plain-looking.

She does not think that she's very beautiful at all compared to other women.

And Jane also has low social status because she is a governess.

And remember in Victorian times, governesses had a low social status.

They lived with the family that they were working for, but they were not treated as being as important as other family members.

They were still treated as a member of staff.

Okay, let's now test your understanding of these ideas, true or false? Number one, Jane is not treated as a true member of the Reed family.

Number two, Jane does not think that she is attractive.

And number three, Jane has a high social status in Thornfield Hall.

Press the pause button on your video now and tell the screen whether these three sentences are true or false.

Off you go.

I will now tell you the right answers.

Number one is true.

Jane is not treated as a true member of the Reed family.

Remember, she is an orphan and she's not treated as being nearly as important as Mrs. Reed's own children.

Number two is also true.

Jane does not think that she is attractive.

She's always viewed herself as being very plain-looking.

And number three is false.

Jane does not have a high social status in Thornfield Hall.

Remember, she's just a governess.

She is just a member of staff.

Well done if you got those right.

Now Jane's insecurities about her social status and appearance are heightened when a lady called Blanche Ingram arrives at Thornfield Hall.

Mr. Rochester has been away for a number of days at a party with some friends and Rochester decides to bring all these people back to Thornfield to continue the party at his hall.

One of these friends is Blanche Ingram.

Now here is a picture of Blanche Ingram.

And the thing that people always describe about Blanche Ingram is her stunning physical beauty.

This is what Mrs Fairfax says about Blanche Ingram.

"Tall, fine bust, sloping, shoulders; long, graceful neck: olive complexion, dark and clear; noble features, eyes rather like Mr. Rochester's: large and black, and as brilliant as her jewels.

And then she had such a fine head of hair; raven-black and so becomingly arranged: a crown of thick plaits behind, and in front of the longest, the glossiest curls I ever saw.

She was dressed in pure white; an amber-colored scarf was passed over her shoulder and across her breast, tied at the side, and descending in long fringed ends below her knee.

She wore an amber ed-colored flower, too, in her hair: it contrasted well with the jetty mass of her curls." This description of Mrs. Blanche Ingram's appearance reflects a great deal about her social status.

Mrs. Fairfax says that Blanche has noble features.

Now this description of Ms. Ingram's features both reflects her beauty but also our high social status.

That word noble is connected with the upper class.

Through this description of Blanche Ingram's noble features, Bronte is hinting about the idea that this lady must have a lot of wealth.

She is very rich.

This is further reinforced by the description of Blanche Ingram's eyes.

Mrs. Fairfax describes these eyes using a simile, as brilliant as her jewels.

So Mrs. Blanche Ingram's eyes are very large, they're black, they're like jewels.

So they're very beautiful.

That description of her eyes being like jewels is also, once again, connected with her high social status.

A jewel is a very expensive and valuable object.

So Bronte is once again hinting that Blanche Ingram is very rich.

So we have Blanche Ingrid.

She is very rich and very beautiful.

She has a high social status.

As you can see Blanche Ingram is a very different character to Jane.

Whereas Blanche Ingram is rich, Jane is rather poor.

While Blanche Ingram is incredibly beautiful, Jane views herself as plain-looking.

While Blanche Ingram has a high social status, Jane, as a governess has a low social status.

Now you can imagine that this causes Jane a great deal of anxiety.

She is worried that Rochester is going to choose Blanche Ingram rather than her.

So we're going to read an extract in a minute.

In this extract, Jane describes watching Mr. Rochester talking to Blanche Ingram.

It looks like they might both be rather attracted to one another.

Let's read.

"Mr. Rochester stood on the hearth as solitary as she stood by the table: she confronted him, taking her station on the opposite side of the mantelpiece.

'Mr. Rochester, I thought you were not fond of children?' 'Nor am I.

' 'Then, what induce you to take charge of such a little doll as that?' Pointing to Adele.

'Where did you pick her up?' 'I did not pick her up; she was left on my hands.

' 'You should have sent her to school.

' 'I could not afford it: schools are so dear.

' 'Why, I suppose you have a governess for her: I saw a person with her just now, is she gone? Oh no,! There she is still, behind the window-curtain.

You pay her, of course; I should think it quite as expensive, more so; for you have them both to keep in addition.

' I feared, or should I say hoped? The allusion to me would make Mr. Rochester glance my way; and I involuntarily shrank farther into the shade: but he never turned his eyes.

'I have not considered the subject,' said he indifferently looking straight before him.

'No, you men never do consider economy and common sense.

You should hear mama on the chapter of governesses: Mary and I have had, I should think, a good dozen at least in our day; half of them detestable and hateful and the rest ridiculous, and all incubi, all terrible burdens, were they not, mama?'" Now these words reveal a great deal about Blanche Ingram's character.

Even though Blanche on the outside is very beautiful, she actually has a rather unpleasant personality.

Blanche here describes governesses as been detestable, that means hateful and ridiculous.

Now these words are very, very mean.

Considering Blanche is aware that Jane is listening to this conversation.

Blanche Ingram is being deliberately mean towards Jane by talking about governesses in this way.

It's clear that Blanche is a very judgmental and unpleasant character.

Blanche also describes governesses as incubi.

Now an incubi refers to terrible burdens and incubus is a one terrible burden.

So it's clear that Blanche Ingram really, really judges governesses because of their low social status.

She views them as nothing but burdens upon a family.

As we can see Blanche Ingram, she's beautiful on the outside, but she's got a very mean, judgemental, and unpleasant personality.

Later on at this party, Blanche Ingram talks about her views of marriage.

Let's hear what she says.

"'Whenever I marry,' she continued after a pause which none interrupted, 'I am resolved that my husband shall not be a rival, but a foil to me.

I will suffer no competitor near the throne; I should exact and undivided homage: his devotion shall not be shared between me and the shape he sees and his mirror.

Mr. Rochester, now sing, and I will play for you.

' 'I am all obedience,' was the response." These words, once again, reveal a great deal about Blanche Ingram's unpleasant character.

She says that she wants to be more important than any husband that she has when she gets married.

She says, "I will suffer no competitor near the throne." So Blanche Ingram is using language here suggesting that when she gets married, she is going to be like a monarch, like a queen who has absolute power, whose power is completely unchallenged by her husband.

So Blanche Ingram comes across here as being rather power hungry and very domineering.

This is also reflected through the way that Blanche Ingram talks to Rochester.

Notice the way that she orders him around.

She says, "Now sing, and I will play for you." So Blanche Ingram comes across as being very demanding, rather bossy and very domineering here.

Now, as this party goes on, Jane becomes more and more anxious at the amount of attention that Ms. Ingram seems to be winning from Rochester.

"I still see the consultation which followed each scene: I see Mr. Rochester turn to Miss Ingram, and Miss Ingram to him; I see her incline her head towards him, till the jetty curls almost touch his shoulder and wave against his cheek; I hear their mutual whisperings; I recall their interchanged glances; and something even of the feeling roused by the spectacle returns in memory at this moment.

I have told you, reader, that I had learnt to love Mr. Rochester: I could unlove him now, merely because I find that he had ceased to notice me, because I might pass hours in his presence, and he would never once turn his eyes in my direction, because I saw all his attentions appropriated by a great lady, who scorned to touch me with her hem of her robes as she passed; who, if ever her dark and imperious eye fell on me by chance, would withdraw it instantly as from an object too mean and ugly to merit observation.

I could not unlove him, because I felt sure he would soon marry this very lady." These words here reflect Jane's heartbreak as she watches how Rochester seems to give Blanche Ingram far more attention than her.

Jane here writes, "I've told you, reader, that I learnt to love Mr. Rochester: I could unlove him now." And it's for this precise reason that Jane feels great jealousy right now as she watches Blanche Ingram appearing to get on very well with Rochester.

Jane next of all writes this, "He would never once turned his eyes in my direction, because I saw all his attentions appropriated by a great lady." So Jane's begun to notice that at this party Rochester seems to be ignoring her all together.

Instead, all of his attention is fixed on Blanche Ingram.

And then she writes this.

She talks about how Blanche Ingram also deliberately ignores Jane at this party.

"If ever her dark and imperious eye fell on me by chance, would withdraw it instantly as from an object too mean an ugly to merit observation." In other words, when Blanche Ingram looks at Jane she turns her eyes away from her because Blanche Ingram believes or seems to think that Jane is not even worthy of being looked at.

That is how low Jane social status is to Blanche Ingram.

Now the thing that bothers Jane most is that Rochester appears to be considering marrying Blanche Ingram.

This is what Jane writes, "I saw he was going to marry her, for family, perhaps political reasons, because her rank and connection suited him; I felt he had not given her his love, and that her qualifications were ill adapted to win from him that treasure." So why might Rochester choose to marry Blanche? Well, it's not because he loves her.

It's because of her family and political reasons, her rank and connections.

In other words, Rochester would marry Blanche because this would make him more powerful and more wealthy.

He would be marrying someone who also has a lot of wealth and a high social status.

But Jane is confident that Rochester does not love this lady at all.

Rochester would love this lady for the sake of making more wealth and more power for himself rather than from any love for her.

Now in the next extract that we're going to read, Rochester talks to Jane at the end of this party.

And Jane is rather upset about the way the Rochester's been ignoring her throughout the whole night.

Let's read.

"'How do you do?' He asked.

'I'm very well, sir.

' 'Why do you not come and speak to me in the room?' I thought I might have retorted the question on him who put it: but I will not take that freedom.

I answered, 'I did not wish to disturb you, as you seem engaged, sir.

' 'What have you been doing during my absence?' 'Nothing particular, teaching Adele as usual.

' 'And getting a good deal paler than you were as I saw at first sight.

What is the matter?' 'Nothing at all, sir.

' 'Did you take any cold that night you half drowned me?' 'Not the least.

' 'Return to the drawing-room: you are deserting too early.

' 'I'm tired, sir.

' He looked at me for a minute.

'And a little depressed,' he said.

'What about? Tell me.

' 'Nothing, nothing, sir.

I'm not depressed.

' 'But I affirm that you are: so much depressed that a few more words would bring tears to your eyes.

Indeed, they are there now, shining and swimming; and a bead has slipped from the lash and fallen on to the flag.

Well, tonight, I excuse you; but understand that so long as my visitors stay, I expect you to appear in the drawing-room every evening; it is my wish; don't neglect it.

Now go, and send Sophie for Adele.

Goodnight, my.

." He stopped, bit his lip, and abruptly left me." This conversation reveals a great deal about Rochester's feelings towards Jane.

He tells Jane that even though she's going to withdraw from the party, from the drawing-room early that night, he expects to see her in a drawing-room every evening.

It's clear that Rochester wants Jane to be at the party.

This is probably because he enjoys her company more than the company of anyone else at the party, including Blanche Ingram.

Rochester clearly still has feelings for Jane.

This is most clearly reflected in these lines here.

He says, "Now go, and send Sophie and Adele.

Goodnight.

my.

." And at this point he stops.

bites his lips and leaves Jane.

It's clear that Rochester was about to say another word.

He probably was about to say, "Goodnight, my love," but decided not to.

It's clear that Rochester still loves Jane.

So Rochester has a very difficult decision to make.

Will he choose Blanche who is wealthy, powerful, has a high social status, and very beautiful.

Or will he choose Jane instead? The lady that he truly loves.

Let's now think about this question.

How does Bronte contrast Blanche Ingram with Jane? Now on the outside Blanche Ingram appears to be a very attractive lady.

First of all, she's very beautiful.

Bronte describes how Blanche has noble features.

Now this description of Blanche Ingram's physical appearance is also a reflection of her high social status.

That word noble is associated with the upper class.

Blanche also has eyes as brilliant as jewels.

Once again, this reflects her wealth.

Her eyes are sparkling, they're beautiful, just like jewels.

And a jewel is a very expensive and valuable object.

Bronte uses these descriptions of Blanche Ingram's physical beauty to reflect this lady's wealth and high social status.

And that's the second thing that makes Blanche Ingram very attractive.

She is very rich.

She comes from an upper class background.

Upper class gentlemen such as Rochester would look to marry a rich young lady like Blanche Ingram.

But even though Blanche Ingram's very attractive on the outside, she's actually got a very unattractive and rather unpleasant personality.

First of all, she's very domineering.

If you're domineering, you like to have power over other people.

She talks about marriage and she says, "I will suffer no competitor near the throne." So she compares herself to a monarch, to a queen who has absolute power.

She wants to hold all of the authority over her household.

And she orders Rochester to play the piano.

So she comes across as being rather bossy and very domineering.

Blanche Ingram is clearly a lady who looks to have power over other people.

And she's also rather cruel too.

She makes fun of governesses in front of Jane.

She's aware that Jane's listening to the conversation and she talks about how governesses are detestable creatures, how incubi, heavy burdens and they're ridiculous.

These words are clearly meant to hurt Jane's feelings.

As I said, she refers to governesses as incubi, as heavy burdens.

And these words also reflect Blanche Ingram's judgemental perspective.

She looks down upon people with a lower social status than her such as governesses and judges them.

Okay, press the pause button on your video now and take some notes on these ideas.

Off you go.

Great, it's now time to do some writing.

You're going to complete these sentences.

Number one, Rochester seems to love Jane but.

Number two, even though Rochester does not love Blanche Ingram comma, blank.

Whereas Jane is plain-looking and kind, comma, Blanche Ingram is.

Number four, Bronte creates tension in this extract through.

Okay, so press the pause button on your video now and complete those four sentences.

Off you go.

Let's now take a look at our acceptable answers.

Number one, Rochester seems to love Jane but he also seems to be considering marrying Blanche Ingram.

Number two, even though Rochester does not love Blanche Ingram, he might still marry her because she is rich and beautiful.

Number three, whereas Jane is plain-looking and kind, comma, Blanche Ingram is beautiful and mean.

And number four, Bronte creates tension in this extract through making it unclear which women Rochester prefers.

If you've looked at your answers now and you think you can improve your answers based upon these acceptable answers, press the pause button on your video now and improve your answers.

Off you go.

Let's now take a look at our good answers.

Number one, Rochester seems to love Jane, but he may reject her due to her low social status.

Rochester may instead marry Blanche Ingram because she belongs to his social class.

Number two, even though Rochester does not love Blanche Ingram, he may marry for political reasons.

This great lady is rich and powerful and could improve Rochester's social position.

Number three, whereas Jane is plain-looking and kind, Blanche Ingram is strikingly glamorous but also domineering and cruel.

Number four, Bronte creates tension in this extract through making it unclear whether the conflicted Rochester will follow his heart's love for Jane or follow society's expectations and marry Blanche Ingram.

If you would like to improve your work based upon these good answers, press the pause button on your video now and improve your work.

Off you go.

Okay, here's an extension task if you'd like to do some more work.

How does Bronte contrast Jane and Blanche Ingram? In your answer, you could mention: their contrasting appearances, they're contrasting social positions, their contrasting characters and Rochester's feelings for each woman.

If you would like to complete this task, press a pause button on your video now and write this answer in your book or on your page.

Off you go.

And we're now coming towards the end of the lesson.

Here's our credits for 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 a man is stabbed at Thornfield Hall.

Things are going to get pretty bloody.

I'll see you next time.

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

I'll see you next time.