Chasing the Janes

Looking over our itinerary, I think I've bitten off more that I can chew, so to speak. I've always known that England is much smaller than the USA and thus, it's easier and quicker to move from point A to point B.

Well, it's a bit larger than I thought.

It's my custom to name our trips, and this one is "spot on". We will truly be chasing Jane Austen and Eyre all over the English countryside. Which will be lovely. Really.

Although driving on the left side of the road will be daunting (to say nothing of the round-a-bouts strewn about England), at least for the northern portion of our trip, I will hire an automatic vehicle. Just one challenge at a time, please!

So why this fascination with the Janes? What power does Austen and Brontë have over us?

Well, I admit that I am a romantic. It's the artist in me. But that is not wholly why Olivia and I drink in their novels. It's all about CHARACTER.

Losing his wife and two daughters within two years, Patrick Brontë, a curate, cloistered his three remaining girls and son safely at home. Charlotte (Jane Eyre), Emily (Wuthering Heights) and Anne (Tenant of Wildfell Hall) never married (except Charlotte, who did so only a year before her death). Yet they had amazing insight into relationships and human nature.



Jane Eyre is a woman with inner strength and purpose. She has an incredibly unfortunate start to life, but manages to make do in all situations she finds herself thrown into, until she meets Mr. Rochester, a seemingly dark-spirited and hardened man with troubles of his own. Finally learning to trust, Jane slowly, almost unawares, falls in love (and he with her). But, he has a devastating secret, which,  causes Jane to flee, influenced by her moral courage.

Trials either make or break a person, and they are both broken, but not without repair, and thus enters the theme of REDEMPTION. The story reveals depth of character, meaningful (and sometimes anguishing) conversation, and spell-binding intrigue.

Which is why I love Jane Eyre.



So, we will travel north to the Yorkshire Moors, and to Haworth, where the Brontë sisters lived and wrote. The area featured so heavily in their works. We hope to immerse ourselves into Jane (and Charlotte's) world.








And step onto Stanage Edge, overlooking the moors, where Jane threw herself in utter despair.

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The Brontës are not the only ones who focus on character in their books. Charles Dickens is a master, too. Talk about unique characters! You either like them, hate them, or, they are so ornery that you end up liking them after all. We will enter his world in London at the close of our journey.

No, the next choice in line for stellar character development is, of course, Jane Austen. But, unlike the Brontës, she gets up close and personal with a bit of wit and humor. Her stories are more light hearted, especially in Pride and Prejudice. You've got to love Mr. Bennett, the father of five girls; two of which he pronounces "the silliest girls in all of England". Their eldest, Jane, is known for her beauty, and Elizabeth or Lizzie, who carries the storyline, is clever and independent.

Then of course, there is the dashing but prideful "Mr. Darcy" who causes all young women's hearts to flutter.

Personally, my Austen hero is Mr. Knightly, who has been a friend to Emma all his life, and loves her the best. In honor of "Emma" we will visit Box Hill, outside London for a day. Hopefully, no one will have cause to say "Badly done, Vicki. Badly done!"

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C. S. Lewis said of Jane Austen in a 1949 letter to R. W. Chapman: "Her books have only two faults and both are damnable.  They are too few and too short." Quite an honor coming from a literary and theological genius. And I heartily agree!

Now I have a confession to make: I love to people watch. Their expressions, mannerisms and responses fascinate me. Airports, train stations, doctor's offices and the like, always provide me with enough entertainment to keep my little grey cells active. But I'm rarely critical of what I see. I'm just taking it all in, dissecting and studying human nature just like the Brontës, Austen and Dickens. Someday, I hope my writing will reflect it.

But for now, I will observe and record the days events via this blogpost as often as our itinerary and WiFi allows. With only carryons to fit us for our journey, we can't squeeze in another thing, as much as we'd love to.  So, consider yourself an armchair traveller. Join Olivia and me as we meander through the 19th century. And watch out for unusual characters. . .

Jane Eyre: A Writer's POV

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Just finished The Brontë Sisters: the Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne by Catherine Reef.  It was recommended by a fellow children's picture book writer, but, for the life of me, I can't remember whom. But, thank you. It was a good read. Although it is a YA book, the content is meaty enough to get a glimpse of the cloistered and dark lives of these three authors, and sense the similarity of their environment to their best-selling books as follows: "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights" and "Agnes Grey" respectively.

I could feel the wind blowing across the moors, and sense the weight of their depressing lives.  Since writing was not the proper vocation for women in those days, these girls took on pen names.  Charlotte was Currier, Emily chose Ellis, and Anne, Acton. . . and all with the surname of Bell.  Escaping their mundane existence, the three invented and imagined a host of characters and kingdoms.  They lived and breathed life into them as they put pen to paper.

I have been re-watching Jane Eyre (the 2006 BBC/Masterpiece Theatre version, of course!) in light of this book.  It is fascinating to see the correlation between their gloomy lives and the novels they wrote. All three girls were governesses.  None of the three, except for Charlotte later in life, married.  They all died early, due to disease.  Charlotte lived the longest, leaving this world at 39.

The book interested me for another reason: the look into an editor-author's relationship.  The following quotes are from Catherine Reef's biographical account of the Brontë sisters.

George Smith, editor of Smith, Elder and Company in London had this reaction to Currier's novel, "Jane Eyre" as he read it for the first time:

". . . The novel intrigued him so much that he cancelled plans to go horseback riding.  He gulped down his dinner so he could return to Jane Eyre's story, and he stayed up late that night, unwilling to sleep until he had read every word.  The next day, Smith wrote to Currier Bell again, to offer one hundred pounds for the right to publish Jane Eyre. . . "

Isn't that what we wish our books would be?  Un-put-downable.  Intriguing.  Well written.  Engaging.

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How did Currier (Charlotte) respond to her own work?

"The author explained that while writing she had immersed herself in the spirit of the work.  She had lived every sorrow and joy along with her main character.  She was Jane Eyre (italics mine). She urged Smith to have confidence in his fellow Victorians.  Jane Eyre "might suit the public taste better than you anticipate--for it is true and Truth has a severe charm of its own," she stated."

It's often been said that an author should live and breathe her characters and story to be believable.  Sometimes, characters take you in a different direction, as tho' they had a life of their own.

And what did the readers think of Jane Eyre?

"On October 19, 1847, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography ("edited by Currier Bell") became the first novel by a Brontë to be published.  Its pages introduced the world to a new kind of female character.  Society easily overlooked women like Jane Eyre, drably dressed and lacking beauty and wealth.  Yet, as they followed Jane from childhood to maturity, readers found her to be a person of deep feeling and the equal of any man.  Outspoken and courageous, she stood in contrast to the passive woman who was the Victorian ideal."  

I must say, as a young woman, Jane reacted with truth and humility in all situations, which is more than I could say about myself!

And last, but not least, what did other authors say about Currier's masterpiece?

     "The published book thrilled its first readers.  Among them was the novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, who almost wished that he had never read Jane Eyre: "It interested me so much that I have lost (or won if you like) a whole day in reading it at the busiest period."  Thackeray admitted, "Some of the love passages made me cry."

     The critic George Henry Lewes was quick to recognize the greatness of Jane Eyre.  "It is soul speaking to soul," he wrote excitedly; "it is an utterance from the depths of a struggling, suffering, much endured spirit."  He found in it "perception of character and power of delineating it; picturesqueness; passion; and knowledge of life."

I covet that response for my own writing.  Does it have depth?  Is it memorable?

In part two, I will examine the handful of movies/TV programs that have been made from this classic.  Have you read Jane Eyre?  What is your favorite scene or quote?

"The Help": a Thoughtful Inspection

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."  Philippians 2:3 ESV

Just finished watching "The Help", set at the beginning of the 60's Civil Rights era in Jackson, Mississippi.

It touched me in a way that is difficult to describe. The author in me loved it, because it focused on a young women who aspired to be a journalist and novelist. Through this journey, that's exactly what she became. But it took compassion, courage and determination. Do I have what it takes?

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"The Help" put so many things into perspective. The Civil War, Civil Rights, and the viewpoint of the "upper crust" who hired the help. It should have been titled, "Disgraceful Me".  The truth had to be told, and of course, we suspected it all along.

 Blacks were misunderstood and mistreated; all because of the color of their skin. They poured their lives into children of the 60's, laying aside their own. In many instances, the help had raised the parents of those children. But something went wrong between generations. The parents respected the help, but the children in the next generation grew to take advantage of them.

Why? I asked myself this question after the movie. Was it because the second generation were so spoiled, both economically and emotionally? The Help excelled at listening to woes, kissing wounds and attending to wardrobes. Did this contribute to their insensitivities? I wonder.

It just proves once again that hardships build character. And I have to tell you that these women (the Help) had character! And talk about local color. Unfortunately, with that local color, came  language which was indeed "colorful". Other than that, I would deem "The Help" a stellar movie.

Have you seen "The Help"? What were your thoughts? As a writer, person of color, or otherwise?

Les Misérables: A Reaction

 I was speechless.

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As the credits were rolling, I sat in my chair unable to move, tears streaming down my face.  I felt as if a ton of bricks were resting on me.  I have seen two movies and one stage production of Les Mis, but none of them had the impact of this one.  I predict it will be nominated in every category at the Academy Awards, and win many. 

 If you are looking for beautiful people singing heartwarming songs, this film is not for you.  Watch "The Sound of Music"instead.  If, on the other hand, you desire food for thought and conversation, and wish to ponder the depravity of man vs. God's grace and mercy towards us, you must see "Les Mis."

But, I would not recommend it for teens, unless you have fully prepared them, and are aware of the visually disturbing scenes involving prostitution.  It should be viewed by a mature audience only in my opinion.

My husband commented that he can't remember when he had seen a more intense film.  "The Passion of the Christ" comes close in my estimation.  I'm still trying to unpack all the nuances and symbolism in this production.  And I will...in another post. 

 Are you with me?