Starter quiz
- Who wrote 'Jane Eyre'?
- Mary Brontë
- Emily Brontë
- Charlotte Brontë ✓
- Anne Brontë
- Lucinda Brontë
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- What is the key aim of Gothic literature?
- to unsettle readers ✓
- to make readers feel angry
- to mystify readers ✓
- to make readers feel indifferent
- to excite readers
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- The novel 'Jane Eyre' was set in the ______ era.
- 'Victorian' ✓
- What is Jane childhood relationship like with her Aunt Reed in 'Jane Eyre'?
- close - they share a very loving relationship
- distant - they do not see much of one another
- tense - Aunt Reed was cruel to Jane as a child ✓
- expected - there was nothing special about Jane and Aunt Reed's relationship
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- What was the boarding school that Jane was sent to as a child called in 'Jane Eyre'?
- Hightop Institute
- Gateshead Institute
- Thornfield Institute
- Lowood Institute ✓
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- Match the terminology up to its definition.
- semantic field⇔a group of words which all have similar connotations ✓
- pathetic fallacy⇔when the weather reflects the mood ✓
- alliteration⇔when two or more words begin with the same letter ✓
- simile⇔comparing two things that are not the same using 'like' or 'as' ✓
- connotation⇔the associations we make with a given word ✓
Exit quiz
- Which of the following can be used as a synonym for 'oppressive'?
- cruel ✓
- kind
- controlling ✓
- generous
- uncertain
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- How are the gardens in 'Jane Eyre' described?
- lawless and wild
- sprawling and spacious
- regimented and controlled ✓
- well-kept and tidy
- pleasant and calming
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- ______ is when the weather reflects the mood - usually the mood of the main character.
- 'Pathetic fallacy' ✓
- A ______ is a group of words that are related in meaning.
- 'semantic field' ✓
- Which word would not belong in a semantic field of luxury?
- extravagant
- lavish
- miniscule ✓
- expensive
- sprawling
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- Which weather could you use if you were using pathetic fallacy to suggest that your main character is heartbroken?
- snow
- sunshine
- rain ✓
- frost
- thunder
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- A successful Gothic setting makes the reader feel uneasy and unsettled, but not necessarily frightened.
- A Gothic setting can be created through the use of semantic fields and pathetic fallacy.
- A semantic field is a group of words that all share similar meaning.
- Pathetic fallacy is when the weather reflects the mood (often of the main character).
- Brontë uses these methods in ‘Jane Eyre’ to characterise Lowood as a miserable and oppressive institute.
Common misconception
Pupils think that Gothic settings have to be utterly terrifying to count as Gothic.
Gothic settings are not about frightening the reader as much as possible. They are about making the reader feel unsettled and creating an atmosphere of mystery and dark intrigue.
Keywords
To adhere to - to abide by/ to obey a set of rules or conventions
Oppressive - if something is oppressive, it makes people feel uncomfortable or it is cruel and unfair
Regimented - very strictly organised or controlled
Semantic field - a group of words that all share similar meaning
Pathetic fallacy - when the weather reflects the mood (usually of the main character)
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