II BA English Literature - Victorian Age - Reg

Literature students are always a cut above the rest when it comes to a comprehensive understanding of life and love. They do have a profound and passionate sense of intuition and feeling which they make use of to the fullest, in their enjoyment and appreciation of Literature, which helps them out in their tryst with creativity. My II BA literature students are not far behind when it comes to justifying the above theory. I thought i would
upload a few of the creative vibes of my II BA English Literature students, who have given their best in their I CIAs.

Keep up the good work.

Regards,

Rufus

Your Course Teacher

Some of the questions posed were:

Qn.1(a) [10 marks]

What are the values that Jane imbibes as a result of her friendship with Helen and Miss.Temple? Give citations from the text, with page no. in about 100 words.

OR

Qn.1(b)

The hardest part of socializing, for many people, is initiating a conversation. And, the most important part of initiating conversation with a stranger is, arguably, having confidence. Moreover, getting to know people before initiating a conversation is not always practical.

Now, in this particular chapter, you find Jane initiating a conversation with a girl by asking her “Is your book interesting?’

What do you think were the reasons for Jane to initiate this conversation with a stranger? Was it because she felt lonely, or was it because she was very gregarious by nature and loved socialising, or was it because of any other reason, that you feel was the real ca(u)se? What are your observations on the character and nature of Jane in the course of the conversation?

On.2(a). Thanks to Dr.Irene S.Levine, of thefriendshipblog.com for obliging us promptly and allowing us to take up a question from her blog for students' perusal. Thank you dear Dr.Irene. We are beholden to you... 

Read this letter addressed to you, by a girl asking for counsel in her problems with  

friendship.                                                                                               

Dear friend,

I have never been the type to initiate friendships, although I can usually guess pretty accurately whether I'll end up being friends with someone from the moment we meet. I just wait for the friendship to 'happen' or for them to make the effort. I have very few friends and am somewhat of an introvert. A little over a year ago, I moved halfway across the world for grad school, mostly because I felt restless in my country. I considered five girls very close friends and for the first few weeks away, I kept in touch with them pretty much every weekend.

  Friend A, whom I've known for about five years, made little or no effort to stay in touch. She took days to return my calls, or only called when she needed advice. I find myself in a 'shrink' position with all my friends, not just her, and this is very draining. They forget I have feelings, needs and problems too. I tell her my problems from time to time and she's 'happy' to hear them, not because she wants to help, I think, but because it makes her feel better about herself.

  She's competitive (even though she doesn't admit it) and puts a lot of effort into keeping up appearances and projecting a certain image. When I first met her in college, I walked past her (she was standing with an acquaintance of mine) and she said "Thank God for make-up" implying I was ugly without it. I had just woken up and was barefaced. Years after we became friends, that remark never left my head. I mentioned it to her and she laughed it off.

  She's planning to get married to a guy she admits she doesn't love. She often calls me for advice when the situation gets sticky. As soon as it gets sorted out, I don't hear from her except when she's teasing me about my looks or making jokes about my ambitions. How do I tell her I don't want her asking my opinion about her love life because she never follows my advice? It's happened so many times that I've lost count. In jest, I've told her to quit telling me about her love triangle but I can't keep myself from 'interfering' when I see the path she's headed on. What do I do?

  Friend B literally makes me think for her. She asks me even the simplest thing that she could Google and find answers to for herself. Never mind we're on different continents and I'm busy with school while she has recently graduated and isn't working yet.

  The common denominator with all these old friends is that they almost always let me down. I hardly ever ask anything of them, whether advice or to help me run errands. This saddens me when I seem to bend over backwards for them. We all joke about my 'shrink' role but now I'm wondering if I should let go of these friendships. Admittedly, if I met my old friends today, I most certainly wouldn't be friends with them, as we have nothing in common anymore and the relationships are too draining. One of the reasons I've hung on is so I'm not friendless when I return back to my home country.

  How do I break off without hurting their feelings or creating resentment? I've since made a few new friends here and have no problems moving on from new friendships before they get too deep. What should I look out for to avoid the same mistakes? 

Imagine you are a friendship doctor.  After reading the agony question above, try to give a good counsel/advice to this girl in distress, in about 100 words.    
Qn.2(b)

Try revamping (recreating) a character that Charlotte Bronte has created. A single change can radically affect the whole picture. Take any familiar character from Jane Eyre, including Jane Eyre, and try changing any or all of the following:

a) Gender

b) Age

c) Nationality

d) Social Status

e) Historical period

f) Geographical location

You can also try using this technique to invent someone who is the exact opposite of the original character.

Qn.3(a) [15 marks]

It can be quite challenging adapting a novel that runs 300 to 400 (or more) pages to the screen. The screenwriter faces a lot of challenges while doing so. Not to mention the book’s author who can be very protective of his/her work. All the internal conflicts of the characters must be externalized so they are visual and dramatic. Remember, the novelist has room to explore each scene, character and plot twist in exquisite detail. The screenwriter doesn’t.

As you read, the scenes should play out in your head. Picture the characters and the scenes, make note of them and, after this second read-through, form them into the shape and structure of a screenplay. It’s something akin to what Michelangelo said about sculpting: “The statue was already there; all he had to do was chip away the extraneous material.”

Bearing this in mind, try writing a screenplay either for Chapter 3 or for Chapter 6 of Jane Eyre.

OR

Qn.3(b)

There are beginnings that will not be ignored. Once read, they stay with you, compel you to return, to read on. Some are intriguing too. Some are bizarre or surreal. Some strike a chord deep within us. Some make us think. The prize for the cleverest beginning ever should probably go to Adam Thorpe for the opening of Still. No more can be said about it without spoiling the impact. Experience it yourself if you have not done so already!

As well as hooking the reader’s attention, the beginnings given below, serve another important purpose, i.e.revealing what kind of story this is going to be. In each of the examples given, the expectations raised by the opening are fulfilled as the story unfolds. With just a few words the authors caught their reader’s attention and prepared the ground for everything that followed. How was that achieved?

In many of these examples, we are introduced to the main character straight away, and the character is doing or saying something. This pulls us right into the action and engages our emotions – particularly when the character is named.

For example, observe the following famous opening lines from some very famous novels and novellas.

‘While Pearl Tull was dying, a funny thought occurred to her.’ Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.’ - George Orwell, 1984

‘The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.’ Samuel Beckett, Murphy

‘He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.’ - Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

‘It was love at first sight.’ - Joseph Heller, Catch-22

‘Vaughan died yesterday in his last car-crash.’ - J. G. Ballard, Crash

Now, return to your text book and visualise the opening lines of the opening chapter of Jane Eyre. Had you been the novelist of Jane Eyre, how would you have opened the first chapter of the novel? Recreate Chapter 1 of the novel in your own words (in about 500 words), with good visual images, symbols, setting, mood etc etc etc along with memorable opening and ending lines for the chapter.

[Checklist: Is your beginning truly compelling? Does it draw the reader in?]

Qn.4 [3 marks]

What do you know about the parentage of the protagonist? Quote from text.

ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS: [6x2=12 marks]

Qn.5 What is the term used to describe a novel which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.

Qn.6 From a psychoanalytical viewpoint, what are the problems that Jane faces as a kid?

Qn.7 What are the three universal fears? Or What are the two classical fears?

Qn.8 What were your top five fears as a child?

Qn.9 What form of child abuse does Jane have to endure as a child? Quote from text.

Qn.10 From Jane Eyre’s perspective, (and from a psychoanalytical viewpoint), when does frustration come to a person? What does frustration result in?

BONUS:

Qn.11 Who is Mr.Nasmyth?

Qn.12 What are your attitudes towards religion after reading Chapters 1 – 10 of Jane Eyre?

Qn.13 What does feminism mean to you?

Qn.14 Can you name famous and memorable opening lines from any English film?