1. In the novel you are currently reading, find 10 words that you don’t know and look them up in the dictionary.
2. Find a passage that you found hard to understand. Now paraphrase it in your own words. Exchange your paper with a friend and ask them to read the same passage and confirm whether or not your paraphrase matches what they think the passage says.
3. Is there a character in the story that you find difficult to relate to? Reflect for a moment on why they don’t appeal to you, and then imagine why they might (or might not) have appealed to a Victorian audience.

1. Take a look at the signature at the very end of the preface. You’ll notice that it’s signed “Currer Bell.” Charlotte Brontë and her sisters all wrote under male pseudonyms. Why do you think that might be, and how might you read Jane Eyre differently if you thought it was written by a man?
2. Context: Publication History. The second preface was a response to her publishers, who tried to make it sound like all the books by the Brontë sisters were written by the same person, a trick they were able to pull in part because the sisters wrote under pseudonyms.

1. How does the scene with the red room help this novel fit into the Gothic genre?
2. This novel has often been considered noteworthy for how it captures the intensity of children’s feelings. What might Charlotte Brontë have intended to convey about what children need and what is the best way to raise a child? According to her, what are the similarities and differences between children and adults?
3. Context: Literary Allusions. Jane seems to derive the most consolation from reading. Let’s take a look at some of the books she refers to. Page (or scroll) through these online resources to get a glimpse of the stories and illustrations that inspired her and kept her imagination going:

Thomas Bewick’s A History of British Birds^[4]

Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels^[5]

Oliver Goldsmith’s Roman History^[6]

1. This part of the novel is a classic example of a British school story. Can you think of any other British school stories, either written in the present day or in the past? What are some of the hallmarks of this genre, and how is Jane Eyre similar and different to the stories you thought of?
2. What does Jane learn from Helen Burns, and why do you think she admires her so much?
3. Context: Consumption. Helen dies from “consumption,” which was another name for the disease we now call tuberculosis. Some forms of tuberculosis caused the sick person to become gradually weaker and to have a pale face, very clear skin with flushed cheeks, and a thin, delicate figure. Furthermore, this disease was sometimes associated with romantic, beautiful, and artistic people, too sensitive and attuned to higher things to stay for long in this world. (John Keats was a real-life poet who had tuberculosis and was often described in this way.) A good example from art is Elizabeth Siddal, a painter and poet most widely known as the wife of Dante Gabriel Rosetti and a frequent model in his paintings. To see what Victorians saw when they were thinking about people in this way, take a look at this painting^[7] of her called Beata Beatrix that her husband did of her shortly after she died of consumption.

1. 1. This may seem strange to us now, but why might Victorians have held these views about consumption? Can you think of a way that this manner of thinking might have been comforting to someone in Jane’s position?
   2. Further Reading: See Katherine Byrne’s Tuberculosis and the Victorian Literary Imagination.

1. Mr. Rochester is pretty rude to Jane, but his rudeness actually puts her at ease. Why might this be?
2. Jane compares Mr. Rochester’s horse and dog to the Gytrash from old English mythology, and Mr. Rochester calls her an elf and jokes that she must have bewitched his horse. Does this fairy tale language fit in with the rest of the book so far? Why or why not?
3. Context: The English Country House. Thornfield Hall is an imaginary example of an English country house, or a large mansion owned by an old and wealthy family that is out in the rural countryside of Britain. These houses had many rooms and beautiful gardens. Check the links below to see what English country houses looked like, and try to put yourself in Jane’s shoes as she moves from her tiny Lowood School to this new, beautiful, and mysterious place:

Ham House^[8]

Blenheim Palace^[9]

1. Mr. Rochester disguises himself as a fortune teller. Why do you think he does that, and what was he trying to achieve? Is he successful? Why or why not? What does this incident say about him as a character that we might not have known about him until now?
2. When Jane goes back to Gateshead to visit her family, she finds that many things have changed. How has Jane herself changed? What things have stayed the same? Can you figure out from this what might be some of her core personality traits?
3. Context: Fashion. Various context clues reveal that the events of Jane Eyre take place in the 1830s. Bronte takes a lot of time describing the evening wear and hairstyles of Mr. Rochester’s guests. Take a look at this fashion plate from the 1830s to see what some of these outfits might have looked like.^[10]

1. Why does Jane feel annoyed and insulted by all of Mr. Rochester’s expensive gifts?
2. In this section, we hear Bertha’s backstory. Bertha is certainly frightening, but do you have any sympathy for her? Do you think Brontë wants us to empathize with her at all? Why or why not?
3. Context: The Church of England. In Britain, towns and counties were divided up into parishes, and each parish had its own church. These churches were all part of a denomination called The Church of England (still the national religion of Britain today). All Church of England parishes use the same worship services, which can be found in The Book of Common Prayer, a book that has remained essentially the same since 1662. If you’d like to read the wedding vows Mr. Rochester and Jane were saying to each other (and if you’d like to see where in the service the dramatic halt takes place), navigate to page 211 in this PDF of the 1662 edition of The Book of Common Prayer,^[11] to which Charlotte Bronte was referring.

1. Though most of the people Jane meets won’t help her, the natural world does seem to offer her help by allowing her to find guiding lights, feeding her with berries, and providing places to sleep. Why do you think Brontë draws that contrast between human beings and Nature?
2. For the first time since Lowood School, Jane finally has some close women friends. How are Diana and Mary similar to and different from Helen Burns?
3. Context: The Workhouse. Jane says, “And far better that crows and ravens—if any ravens there be in these regions—should pick my flesh from my bones, than that they should be prisoned in a workhouse coffin and moulder in a pauper’s grave” (Ch. 28). This sentence tells us a lot about what period the novel is supposed to take place in. In 1834, the British Parliament passed the New Poor Law, a law that was designed to reduce the costs of poor relief. This law introduced one of the most notorious institutions in British history, the workhouse. Workhouses were places where poor people who could not support themselves were sent when they asked their parishes for help. In the workhouse, inmates were separated by gender (meaning that families could not live together) and were required to pay for their lodging by working long hours doing difficult unpleasant jobs. Conditions were crowded and the inmates were fed very little and required to wear uniforms like prisoners. Illnesses spread easily in these conditions. The workhouses were designed to be miserable places because the makers of the law thought that making poor relief a misery would encourage poor people to find work rather than looking to their governments to provide for them. However, the result was that many of Britain’s most vulnerable people chose to starve rather than to ask for help. This satirical cartoon^[12] from Punch, a popular and widely-read magazine, criticizes the way workhouses separated families.

1. Why do you think Jane is so eager to encourage St. John to pursue his relationship with Rosamond? Why does she ultimately decide that Rosamond and St. John aren’t a good match after all?
2. Jane says, “I was almost as hard beset by him now as I had been once before, in a different way, by another” (Ch. 35). By this she means that it was almost as hard for her to turn down St. John’s proposal, even though she doesn’t love him, as it was for her to turn down Mr. Rochester’s, whom she very much wanted to marry. Why do you think it’s so hard for her to resist St. John’s advances even though she obviously isn’t attracted to him and doesn’t want to be his wife?
3. Context: The Indian Climate. One of the main reasons Jane doesn’t want to go to India is that she fears she will die, and Diana and Mary are certain that St. John too will be going to his death when he decides to become a missionary. British Victorians believed that the Indian climate could either a) make them ill, or b) cause them to “go native,” by which they meant turn them into Indian people themselves. Though we know today that air and weather don’t have these effects on people, the Victorians were not wholly wrong. In fact, British people who went to India often did become sick and die because they were exposed to diseases they weren’t used to (such as malaria). Furthermore, the longer an English person stayed in India, the more they adjusted to and grew to appreciate the culture they were living near, and being in the hot, sunny weather sunburned and tanned them more than the cool, cloudy weather of England. Therefore, when they returned to England with unfamiliar habits, different clothing, and tanner skin, they really seemed to have “gone native” to their friends and family back at home.

1. 1. Further Reading: See Allen Bewell’s Romanticism and Colonial Disease and Jessica Howell’s Malaria and Victorian Fictions of Empire.

1. When Jane leaves, she fears that Mr. Rochester will return to the immoral lifestyle he had been leading before he met her, but when she finally sees him again, she finds something very different. If Mr. Rochester truly has learned his lesson, what lesson did he learn and how? What does Mr. Rochester believe that his biggest mistake was, and do you agree?
2. Gothic novels, when they have “happy endings,” often still leave the reader feeling a little uneasy. Does the ending of Jane Eyre leave you feeling uneasy? What would need to change for it to be truly happy? And why do you think Brontë didn’t give us a perfect happy ending?
3. Literary vocabulary: Deus ex Machina. “Deus ex machina” means “God from the machine” in Latin, and it refers to a moment in fiction where some kind of all powerful force comes out of nowhere and resolves the conflicts of the story. Jane returns to Mr. Rochester because she heard his voice calling her from miles and miles away. What do you think caused this: was it magic, God, Nature, Jane’s imagination, or something else? What message is Brontë sending by reuniting the two lovers in this way?

1. After reading this essay, who would you say is its intended audience? Is it the same as the novel’s intended audience?
2. Kamala was printed serially, but when the novel proved successful, it was reprinted as a book after Satthianadhan’s death. This essay appears at the beginning of every copy, but since Satthianadhan was dead when it was added to her book, she had no say in what Mrs. Grigg wrote. On pg. XXXV, Grigg writes, “[Satthianadhan] will ever be a standing reproach to those who deny the effect of Western teaching and who would meet out grudgingly to Indian women the benefits of Western education.” Since this essay introduces the story, it would seem Grigg wants us to have these thoughts in mind as we read the novel. Do you think the above quote represents the true message of Kamala? Why or why not?
3. Context: Who was Mrs. H.B Grigg? During the Victorian period, India was a British colony. Ever since the British East India Company moved into India in the 1600s, the British gained increasing control over Indian government and trade, administering their rule through relationships with sympathetic Indian rulers and through British civil servants who lived in India and made sure that the country was serving British interests. Eventually, Queen Victoria took control of the British East India Company and declared herself the Empress of India, instituting what is known as the British Raj. This meant that the people who controlled India’s fate were not Indians trying to do what was best for Indian people, but Britons trying to do what was best for Britain and treating the Indian people and their needs as secondary. However, most British people didn’t think of themselves as oppressors. Many took a philanthropic interest in the welfare of Indians (particularly Indian women), but they usually did so in a tone-deaf way that was rooted in a belief that Britain was superior to India. Unfortunately, this means that women’s rights advocacy in India was and continues to be tangled up with questions of nationalism and Western influence.

This introductory essay was written by the wife of Henry Bidewell Grigg after Satthianadhan’s death. H. B. Grigg was a British civil servant in the district of Madras, where he oversaw public education, and he was instrumental in founding Madras Law College, known today as Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College. He knew a lot about education in India, and he was well-versed in the very real injustices faced by Indian women. But, like all British civil servants, his job was to see to it that India served the interests of Britain, and his interventions in public education in India were all colored by this overarching purpose. His wife, the author of this essay, clearly shares a lot of her husband’s detailed knowledge, as well as the British nationalism that was common among people of her class and race. As you read this section, keep in mind the forces at play: the desire to help Indian women, and also the desire to enforce British superiority.

1. Kamala was written in English, but the author uses a lot of Hindi words, some of which she translates in the footnotes. Satthianadhan could have used only English words, or she could have written only in Hindi, but instead she chose this middle path. What does this tell you about the intended audience or audiences for this novel?
2. How is Kamala similar to and different from the other girls her age? Do you think Satthianadhan wants us to think of her as their superior? Why or why not?
3. Context: The Scenery. This story is set in Nassick (Now Nashik or Nasik), which was also Satthianadhan’s hometown. Throughout the novel, the author writes eloquently about the beauty of the scenery and how this beauty touches Kamala and gives her comfort during times of trouble. Take a look at this image of the beautiful countryside^[13] near this town to get a sense of why Kamala resonates so strongly with nature near her home.

1. In Chapter 6, Satthianadhan depicts two drastically different types of female communities: the hostile female community of the mothers- and sisters-in-law who persecute the son’s wives, and also the community of wives who support each other through thick and thin. Based on this chapter, what does Satthianadhan think it would take to improve the lot of the Hindu wife of her time period?
2. In Chapter 8, Kamala has a mysterious déjà vu experience while surrounded by worshippers at a Hindu festival. Do you think this is a divine spiritual experience brought about by Kamala’s religious devotion? Why or why not?
3. Context: Hindu Pilgrimages. Hindu pilgrimages were one of the only times that 19th-century Indian women would have been allowed to travel to a new place and to mingle freely with people outside their normal social circle, including men. Kamala and her family and friends visit a waterfall and then a temple and participate in traditional ceremonies. As noted in the bio, Satthianadhan was a convert from Hinduism to Christianity. Do you think her portrayal of Hinduism is fair? Why or why not? It’s difficult to say if Satthianadhan had a real temple in mind when she wrote this scene, but take a look a couple of images of Hindu temples in the Nashik area that may have inspired the events of this chapter to help you imagine what Kamala was seeing:

Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple^[14]

Kalaram Temple^[15]

1. We are repeatedly told how badly Kamala wishes she could continue her education, and Satthianadhan seems very sympathetic with this desire. In Sai, we see an educated, independent woman with all the freedoms Kamala lacks and none of the burdens she has to bear. How is she portrayed in the story? Is she a sympathetic character or not? What does this character tell us about Satthianadhan’s feelings about women’s rights and women’s role in society?
2. Many Victorian writers wrote very emotionally in English about how Indian women were mistreated by their society, but one of the things that makes Kamala unique is its portrayal of how the young wives all help each other. Why do you think Satthianadhan felt this was such an important part of the story to include?
3. Context: Missionaries in India. Satthianadhan’s Christian faith was very important to her, so a reader has to wonder why she chose to write Kamala: The Story of Hindu LIfe, a religiously themed book about a religion that wasn’t hers. India is a very religiously diverse nation. Though Hinduism and Islam are the largest religions there by far, there have been established Christian communities in India since the 6th century. However, Satthianadhan was a convert to Western Christianity, not the ancient Christianity of Southern India, and Western Christianity did not arrive in India until European colonists and missionaries visited this part of the world. At the end of Chapter 12, the story talks about how Kamala experiences God. For Satthianadhan, who is God, and how does someone like Kamala find him? Is it necessary for a missionary to convert a person, or can anyone find God on their own?

1. In Chapter 13, Satthianadhan gives us an inside look at the conversations the mothers-in-law have that cause so much trouble for the young wives of the town. “This is the way they destroy our happiness,” says Bhagirathi, Kamala’s friend. What is the difference between the generations in this novel? Do you think that Kamala’s friends will grow up to do the same things to their own daughters-in-law? Why or why not?
2. Kamala’s father tells her about his marriage for love and his issues with his own in-laws. Did his romance turn out better than Kamala’s? Return to Question 2 in the Chapters 5-8 block. What is the connection between Kamala’s mother, Kamala’s faith, and this supernatural experience?
3. Context: Indian Widowhood. Life was hard for Indian widows in the 19th century, and Satthianadhan clearly wishes to critique this aspect of Hindu culture. Though sati, the practice of widows burning themselves (or being forced to do so by others) on the funeral pyres of their husbands, had been banned by the British when this book was written (a ban that unfortunately resulted in an increase in the practice by people who felt like their Hindu heritage was being effaced by colonizers), widows still faced severe social stigma after their husbands’ deaths. They were not allowed to remarry, had to shave their heads, and were considered bringers of bad luck. Though widow burning was often described as an act of love for husbands, many women who committed sati stated that they wished to die rather than to experience the life of a widow. By critiquing how her society treated widows, rather than focusing on the sensationalized practice of sati, Satthianadhan provides a more nuanced critique of her culture’s treatment of women and leaves the door open for a way forward.
   1. See Lata Mani’s Contentious Traditions: The Debate on Sati in Colonial India for more.^[16]
4. Satthianadhan was literally on her death bed while she wrote Kamala and wrote these last chapters under the influence of a high fever. Knowing she would die soon, she put aside other writing projects to be able to finish the novel. The story was clearly very important to her. As a final concluding question, what do you think the most important message of Kamala is?

1. The moment when Kamala throws Sai out of her house is one of the only moments we see her show something other than meekness and humility to those who mistreat her. Why is this indignity the last straw? Why doesn’t Kamala ever show the same resistance to her in-laws?
2. Satthianadhan critiques her society’s treatment of widows, but in this story, she also offers Kamala multiple ways out of the miserable life widows typically had to live: an offer of marriage, a friend’s child to replace her own, a community of loving friends, and the reverence of her town in return for her acts of philanthropy. However, Kamala turns away many of these options because she has been taught she doesn’t deserve them. Should Satthianadhan have let Kamala have a happier ending? Why do you think she chose to end the story this way?
3. Context: Cholera. Cholera is a water-borne disease that originated in India and traveled to Britain, where it caused deadly epidemics. When cholera was in Britain, British doctors blamed the dirty habits of the poor and recommended sanitation. However, when cholera was in India, British doctors blamed Indian religious practices for spreading the disease. In fact, the disease was caused by the same thing in both nations: sewage leaking into the water supply. Do you think Satthianadhan agrees with the British perspective that there is a connection between Indian religious habits and cholera? She was the first woman ever to enroll in medical school at Madras Medical College, so she writes with more authority than most. What might be the symbolism of this disease for the story?

1. 1. See Pamela Gilbert’s Mapping the Victorian Social Body for more information.^[17]

1. Name as many similarities between the two novels as you can think of. Write them down in a list.
2. Jane Eyre often makes reference to what she thinks of as the “Eastern” treatment of women: 1) When she objects to something Mr. Rochester is doing, she accuses him of behaving the way she believes “Eastern” men behave. For example, she accuses Mr. Rochester of acting like a “Sultan” and treating her like a member of his “seraglio,” and when Mr. Rochester sings a song about his wife dying with him, Jane says she will not commit “suttee” (an alternate spelling of sati) for him. Similarly, she depicts St. John as a missionary and Jane’s role in his plan for her is to educate Indian women.
   1. Compare Brontë’s imaginary version of the “East” to Satthianadhan’s depiction of India derived from her real-life experience.
   2. Brontë generally refers to Indian practices when she’s critiquing the way British men are treating British women. What are some of the things that both authors wish their cultures would improve?
3. Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, in their book The Madwoman in the Attic, argue that when Victorian novelists write about monstrous unhinged female characters such as Bertha, they are fantasizing about taking women’s liberation to the next level, but villainizing the characters who do so to avoid transgressing too far outside their culture’s norms.^[18] These evil characters do what the good characters can’t do, but perhaps wish they could (See the Spotlight on the Gothic Novel). In the introduction to her edition of Kamala, Chandani Lokugé argues that Sai may be the “madwoman” of Kamala.^[19] Do you agree with this thesis? Why or why not?
4. Both Kamala and Jane experience a voice or a vision coming into contact with them across time or space. What purpose do these experiences serve, and what do they help us understand about the stories?
5. What is the role of Nature in these two stories?
6. Context: Make Your Own. Find an event in each of these two stories that you need additional context to understand. Using your library’s website to find sources, write your own context paragraph to explain it.