Jane Eyre is a typical novel of its time. Discuss. Essay -- English Li

Jane Eyre is a typical novel of its time. Discuss. Discuss this quotation, paying particular attention to the social, cultural and historical context within which it was published. There are a large number of elements in the novel 'Jane Eyre' that are very typical of the way of life in the mid 19th century, and also of other novels at that time. Through the novel Charlotte Bronte puts across exactly the factors which were characteristic of the late 18th and 19th century: class and status – both of women and of poor people; public health and illnesses at the time; religion, as well as the gothic elements which were particularly common in 18th/19th century books. Outside even of the actual story, we see evidence historically of the status of women during the 18th and 19th century through the fact that because Charlotte Bronte was a woman, to get her novel published – regardless of its quality - she was forced to use a male pseudonym, Currer Bell. This is a classic demonstration of how women at the time were seen as inferior to men and the sexist views that restricted them in the mid 19th century. The second example of typicality in the novel is the "Red Room"; Charlotte Bronte uses the room to incorporate into the novel the gothic elements which were popular culturally at that time. Bronte puts the room across as a gothic, sinister omen through Jane's fear of it and the association she makes with it and her uncle's death. Further gothic elements are seen later in the novel through Bertha Mason. Jane's arrival at Lowood introduces the reader to the appalling public health conditions which were customary to Bronte during her lifetime. It's likely that the death of Jane's close friend, Helen Burns i... ... similar to Bronte’s experiences which were characteristic of the time she was alive – public health and illness in the 19th century; social incongruence and status; the importance of religion and the position of the poorer class and of women. What, however, is most definitely not typical of the mid 19th century, is the radical feminism which is expressed through ‘Jane Eyre’. Jane’s belief in herself as an equal individual is arguably the impetus of the questioning of class, status and male superiority that followed the mid 19th century. Subsequent to ‘Jane Eyre’, the late 19th and 20th century saw the disintegration of social segregation. The absolutely unique themes of the novel, in particular the extreme feminism and strength of a woman’s mind confirm that there are aspects of ‘Jane Eyre’ that are most definitely not typical of the time it was written.

Conflict ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Essay

How important is the theme of conflict in the play Romeo and Juliet? Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, is the most famous love story in English literature. However love isn’t the only theme that runs through the play. Shakespeare makes this typical love story more striking when he pits the romance in the context of family feuds, fights and deaths. The issue of conflict is as central to this play as the issues of love/honour/betrayal and death. It should come as no surprise that Shakespeare would include conflicts in this play as otherwise the play would simply be a dull statement on teenage love. Adding the conflicts highlights the tensions that the teenagers feel between their attachments to their own families and each other. Also, adding the conflict is important for dramatic effect. We see this clearly in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet but also see it in many modern forms of storytelling, such as film. The film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is another example of two star-crossed lovers struggling to be together against their family’s wishes. The conflict in the film is between brothers, but also with others outside the characters immediate families. The dramatic effect of the conflict has the audience on the edge of their seat, willing the pair to escape their terrible lives of abuse and live happily ever after. Slumdog is Romeo and Juliet for the 21st Century.As in Shakespeare’s play, in Slumdog the audience are told what will happen in the story by way of a prologue The prologue in Romeo and Juliet tells the audience the story and the ending (the two lovers will mend their family feuds by taking their own lives) â€Å"From forth the fatal loins of these two foes. A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. .† The prologue is an unusual storytelling device as it reveals the end of the story at the beginning. But it also draws the audience is to know why the lovers take their own lives and the audience remains shocked by that event, despite being warned about it. In Bas Learhmann’s film the audience is surprised when Juliet wakes from her sleep to find Romeo lying dead next to her. Her reaction of killing herself is a shocking ending to the film (play) despite the audience knowing what is coming. In Shakespeare’s prologue the  Chorus describes two noble households in the city of Verona. The houses hold an â€Å"ancient grudge† against each other that remains a source of violent and bloody conflict. The audience are told that the families live in â€Å"Fair Verona† and who the main characters in the play are. So within a few minutes of the play commencing the audience (reader) is primed with enough information to generate an interest to read on. The first scene comes immediately after the prologue and Shakespeare commences the scene with two Capulet servants (Sampson and Gregory) who talk about the conflict between the two family’s. It is interesting that even though they are servants (â€Å"Slaves†) they say that the family’s feud is their feud: The quarrel is between our masters and us their men It is important to remember that the play is written at a time when servants were obliged to honour their masters, and that included laying down their life for their ‘betters’. The tone of the conversation between the two servants replicates the conflict that we hear about in the prologue. Shakespeare has established a thread for the reader to follow here. The violence of the conflict is clear when the two servants talk of what they will do to the Montague women once they defeat the Montague men. Brutalising the women of a defeated enemy is something that has happened throughout history. True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montague’s men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall The public brawl started by Tybalt is joined by members of both families, including the Montague and Capulet ‘fathers’. Seeing old enemy (Montague) Capulet says to his wife: My sword, I say! Old Montague is come, And flourishes his blade in spite of me. The street fighting and hatred between the Capulets and Montagues is only one form of conflict in Shakespeare’s play. Shakespeare’s writing about conflict extends to Juliet’s family too. In Act 3 Scene 5 Juliet is told  by her mother that she will marry. Juliet’s unhappiness at this arranged marriage (she is told to report to the church on Thursday) leads to a conflict with her father who calls her a ‘young baggage and disobedient wench’. The family conflict repeats one faced by some young women whose husbands are chosen for them. This cultural obligation is also made clear by Juliet’s mother when she says to Juliet that by the age of 14 (Juliet’s age at the time of the play) she was already pregnant with Juliet. The tradition of marrying girls off young, and to wealthy older men, has largely been overcome in some communities, however, in others it still creates tension. Sometimes with tragic outcomes. The theme of conflict is important in this play because it reflects the type of social conditions that existed at the time that Shakespeare wrote his play. It is interesting that although our social conditions have changed, the underlying themes and circumstances here could apply to our society today. Young, violent, men fighting over territory/honour and (like Tybalt) being killed in the crossfire. Shakespeare’s decision to talk about the unfairness of Juliet’s father’s insistence that she marry, may be a brave attempt to raise the issue of forced marriage. But, alternatively, it could also be seen as a source of gaiety and merriment for the Shakespearean audience. Despite some really difficult language, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a play that transcends time in terms of its underlying themes. This makes the play as relevant now as it was when it was first played.

Ancient Egyptian Boats - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 427 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Ancient Egypt Essay Did you like this example? The Nile in Ancient Egypt was practically everything to them. They didn’t have to use extra resources for roads. Instead, they built boats and traveled the Nile (Nelson, 2018). Boats were so important they also made their way into many different aspects of Egyptian mythology. The first boats were made of papyrus reeds and held together by rope made of papyrus (Ganeri, 1999). When they went north, they used oars because that is the way the Nile flows. As time went on and they needed to travel South, they made sails to harness the wind and built wooden boats to better support the sails (Nelson, 2018). They didn’t use nails because they were invented until the 1600’s and weren’t mass produced until the 1800’s (Visser). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ancient Egyptian Boats" essay for you Create order Around 1100 B.C., Ancient Egypt was attacked from the mouth of the Nile by the Sea Peoples. King Ramesses III built warships and sent them out to defend Egypt (Ganeri 1999). The way that they succeeded was all because they had both oars and sails and they could maneuver a lot better. The Sea People only had ships with sails (Ganeri, 1999). The wooden boats were made with acacia, found in Egypt, or cedar wood from Lebanon (Nelson, 2018). They were more powerful than the papyrus boats. These boats made of wood were also the most popular funeral boats for the rich (Ganeri, 1999).  Boats played a big part in Egyptian mythology Egyptians believed that the souls of the dead got ferried into the underworld by boat (Ganeri, 1999). They believed that Ra the sun god, or the sun itself, rode a boat through the sky and at night rode through the underworld (Nelson, 2018). Most Ancient Egyptians were buried with tiny models of boats to help their soul travel to the underworld. King Tut was buried with 35 different boats (Nelson, 2018). Regardless of their everyday importance, most of their boats did not survive. A lot of the research is based on drawings and religious works. There were only a handful of wooden boats that were discovered and studied (Nelson, 2018). Imagine the time it took to make all of Tut’s boat’s. In conclusion, the Nile River was the main way the Ancient Egyptians did anything. Because of this, boats were the main mode of transportation. They were known to carry all kinds of stuff from food to funerals. They were even used to explain where they went when they died and how the sun traveled through the sky. These boats kept Ancient Egypt together, but the only thing holding the boats together were rope and papyrus reeds.