There is currently a list circulating the internet, called the BBC Book Challenge. The BBC released a list of 100 books that everyone should read, but stated that the average person would only read six. Sure enough, a quick count revealed that I personally had only read sixteen. In fact, I had seen the film versions of more books listed than I had actually read. An embarrassing look through my home library revealed a distinct lack of "intelligent" work. (The argument in favor of "chick-lit" can be made another day.) After reading a number of message boards online, it did appear that I was not the only one. Few people can claim to have read all 100 novels.
Is it really true that modern society no longer appreciates thought-provoking material? Is it because people would rather watch a film interpretation than put in the effort to read the book and form their own opinions? If people aren't reading these novels, what are they reading?
There's a well-known assumption that classical and critically acclaimed novels are for "smart people." Those without English degrees, or even college educations, tend to shy away from this material, believing it to be beyond their depth. Many of the novels on this so-called "book challenge" also carry the unfortunate stigma of being suffered through during high school. So the question then becomes, "Can the average person, someone without any formal training or study in English Literature, actually get something out of reading these books?"
There's only one way to find out – to actually read these books.
First novel up to bat: Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte. To summarize: Written in 1847, it tells the story of a young orphaned girl, sent to live with her cruel aunt and abusive cousins. After lashing back at her abusers, she is sent away to school, where she eventually becomes a teacher, and later the governess for Mr. Rochester. They fell in love and on the day of their wedding, she discovers that Mr. Rochester is still married to his first wife, the insane Bertha Rochester, who is kept locked in the attic due to her illness. Heart-broken, Jane Eyre leaves Mr. Rochester and takes a position as a town's school teacher. She seeks out Mr. Rochester again, after another man she does not love asks her to marry him, and discovers that poor Mr. Rochester has been rendered blind and physically disabled, as the result of a fire. They reconcile and are married.
At first glance, this novel can be intimidating. The language and tone of the narrative can be daunting, and you might want to sic the Punctuation Police on Bronte at first. Once you get past that, you will find that story of Jane Eyre is ultimately an uplifting tale. Despite the fact that this novel was written over 150 years, it is not hard to relate to the material, especially to the character of Jane Eyre. Her thoughts about the world around her and her motivations for her actions could easily be those of a contemporary woman, dealing with similar circumstances.
Jane Eyre has been hailed as a story of feminism, because throughout the entire tale, no matter what difficulties or tragedies she faces, Jane Eyre never once takes the easy route. When Mr. Rochester asks her to be his mistress, after the revelation of his wife, Jane refuses, knowing that would forever place her in a position as his subordinate, never his equal. She knows that eventually he would speak of her as harshly as he does of his former mistresses. She refuses anything less than a legal, and in her eyes true, marriage.
Even the character of Mr. Rochester is sympathetic. The reader is easily moved by the story of his first marriage and its pathetic outcome. (After all, who hasn't had to deal with a psycho ex?) The relationship between his character and that of Jane Eyre is one of push and pull, advance and retreat. It's practically a modern day romantic comedy. There is teasing and baiting, verbal sparring and physical longing. How can the reader not cheer them on, especially when it is painful obvious that there is, and can never be, anything like that between Rochester and his first wife?
Mr. Rochester can also be seen as the mirror image of Jane: a man who has let his will be bent by others, who followed through with decisions and matches made by others, rather than that of his own. He let others decide what would happen and he reaped the downfall on those decisions. By following his heart and defying social norms, (after all, Jane is only eighteen when she comes to work for him, and he's in his fifties, as well as much richer than she is) he can finally realize happiness and love.
Of course, Bronte uses a lot of the scary symbolism in her work, but it's not hard to grasp. The weather is often used to illustrate the emotions of the characters. She uses the frozen English moors to demonstrate Jane's loneliness and isolation in Thornfield Hall before Mr. Rochester’s arrival. The drenching rains she walks through after leaving Thornfield Hall are obviously supposed to be the heartbroken tears she cannot bring herself to shed.
The image that stands out, though, is the burned out chestnut tree. On the night Mr. Rochester and Jane admit their feelings for each other, a storm that has been swelling above them breaks through and lightening strikes the tree, cutting it in half. This is to foreshadow the rift that will soon drive the lovers apart. Its limbs die and the base remains black with fire. Later, when reunited, Mr. Rochester laments that he is like that tree, remarking, "And what right would that ruin have to bid a budding woodbine cover its decay with freshness?" Jane answers with love, stating that plants will grow at his roots, thriving in his shade. She is speaking of the family that will grow around him.
In the end, this book was not what I expected. It was fast-paced, suspenseful at times, and as engaging as any book written in today’s society. Yes, the writing can be tricky to decipher and the dialogue can be a little confusing, especially if you are accustomed to current North American writing. But with a little patience and access to Google, the story of Jane Eyre is an excellent read. It has it all: painful childhood, struggling new adulthood, first loves, long lost relatives and inheritances!
And the age-old conflict: Do you do what is expected of you and live a half-life? Or do you follow you heart's convictions and meet your Maker free of regret?
Leslie Dunnett - My husband and I recently moved to the Northwest Territories, when he was posted to a military detachment. I was unemployed, trapped ...
