I AM -- round II: THE GATORADE BOTTLE

I am the Gatorade bottle, thrown by D, that kills the English teacher.

Jane Eyre XXXVIII -- chapter 37 and 38: THE END

from Disney's "Sleeping Beauty"

1. Why the contrivance of separation  from Thornfield and Rochester (I think this is a pretty big questions, and I use "contrivance" here for immediate lack of a better word and happen to disapprove of its assertive negative connotation), not the absence, but what/who filled that absence?  Did it do anything more than provide space for the crime of burning down Thornfield?  I think it did, and support Bronte's decision.  Thoughts?
2. Why blindness, of all available handicaps to impose on the poor man?
3. Jane the skylark.  More freaking birds!  (And what of the crows/rooks last chapter?)
4. Despite what Jane says in response, how is Rochester indeed like the lightning-struck chestnut?
5. "I love you better now, when I can really be useful to you, than I did in your state of proud independence, when you disdained every part but that of the giver and protector."  This seems unjust!  Is there a means for his love to increase by the new engagement?
6. "Never mind fine clothes and jewels, now: all that is not worth a fillip."  Has Rochester changed, more than immediately so by his injuries?  Were the jewelry and dresses so important to him at the first go-round?  (Answers here, I think, can easily build from those of the previous question.)
7. Both suitors make assertions regarding God's will for Jane.  Who, if either, is right?
8. After the thoughts/discussion of supernatural communication: "I kept these things then, and pondered them in my heart."  Quite a juxtaposition!
9. What of the conclusion and all those neatly tied loose ends?

And that's it.  The book is done.  Final thoughts?

For an excellent and succinct review of Jane Eyre, 

please visit James Smith's Unmoderated Caucus, here.

Jane Eyre XXXVII -- chapter 36: BERTHA THE BANSHEE

1. "To prolong doubt was to prolong hope."
2. Jane leaves a place of peace and bright (relative both, and mostly physically) for this, which brings her such great hope and happiness: "At last the woods rose; the rookery clustered dark; a loud cawing broke the morning stillness. Strange delight inspired me; on I hastened" all of which hold fairly dark connotation.  Despite the destruction of the Hall, how is this imagery justly drawn for her history here?
3. Why is fire here so appropriate a means of destruction?
4. Appropriate, Jane's "illustration," where she describes the one approached as having a veil over her eyes.  I wonder why she switched the gender.

"Keening Banshee," by Robert Bliss

I teach English, and, really, I'm not even all that good at it!

The more you know, the more you know how little you know.

In the following two areas, I fail about 75% of the time
(to say nothing of all the other areas):

ONE:  While not a constant problem, using literally figuratively still catches me out probably half the time.  (I've been a proponent of Sentence First by Stan Carey since starting this blog.  While his is not the first I've seen discussing this issue, it is excellent and thorough.)  Of course, that half comes generally, though unfortunately not exclusively, from my total English usage, most of which is casual speech, during which times my grammarian self, weak as he is, is less vigilant.  Though figurative literals is not an issue of which I haven't before been aware, seeing it spelled out so precisely and exhaustively fascinates my inner and pathetically dominant nerd.

TWO:  This issue is brand new to me, and I am a little bit embarrassing to admit that, despite its glaring obviousness, I screw this up, as far as I can tell, 100% of the time.  *groan*  Regardless of my pride, however, it's exciting--and by this I mean, I love--to learn this crap, even, or especially, so late as my tenth year teaching.  This is not the first English usage item I've learned via another's blog that will change the way I speak and write ("MISS NOT," at the ever-brilliant Language Log), and certainly, especially considering my general and ever-growing lack (a self-awareness issue, I know) of expertise in my professed area of expertness, will not be the last.

Cheers to learning.

Jane Eyre XXXVI -- chapter 35: GRILLED ALIVE

oldindianphotos.blogspot.com

1. Is St. John indeed punishing Jane?  She believes he incurs no guilt for what he is or, in this case, isn't doing.  What do you think?  --Or is Jane just reading her own impressions into the situation because she feels guilty for scorning him?
2. St. John's obstinacy, in the form of his intentional misunderstanding of Jane, is baffling.  Is his interest in marrying Jane exactly as simple as he pretends?  Or is it even really obstinacy?
3. "It remains for me, then, to remember you in my prayers; and to entreat God for you, in all earnestness, that you may not indeed become a castaway. I had thought I recognized in you one of the chosen.  But God sees not as man sees: His will be done."  By this very declaration, does not St. John believe himself to "see" as God sees, thereby alluding to an inhuman godliness in and of himself?  In context of the story, has God called Jane to the ministry, or has St. John; is there a difference here?
4. "grilled alive in Calcutta" -- I'm surprised how early this shows up in literature.  (etymology of "grill")

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