Starter quiz
- Which three words best describe Jane in 'Jane Eyre'?
- mild, polite and kind ✓
- rude, arrogant and aloof
- nervous, unsure and insecure
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- How would you describe Lowood Institution in 'Jane Eyre'?
- comforting and welcoming
- small and confined
- oppressive and controlling ✓
- vast and exciting
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- Which answer option uses an embedded quotation?
- We are told that the manor-house was "a building of considerable antiquity"... ✓
- Brontë tells us: "the manor-house was a building of considerable antiquity"...
- "The manor-house was a building of considerable antiquity." Thus, we learn...
- The "considerable antiquity" of the manor-house shows us... ✓
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- What is the aim of Gothic literature?
- to terrify and frighten the reader as much as possible
- to make the reader feel unsettled and uncomfortable ✓
- to mystify and intrigue the reader ✓
- to inspire and motivate the reader
- to make the reader feel comfortable and certain
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- Which of the following can be a common theme in Gothic literature?
- the past enroaching on the present ✓
- love and family
- good vs evil ✓
- poverty and injustice
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- Match the quotation from 'Jane Eyre' up to the method it exemplifies.
- pathetic fallacy⇔"darkened by a drizzling yellow fog" ✓
- alliteration⇔"dim light, distinguishable from the trees; so dank..and decaying" ✓
- personification⇔"chests in oak or walnut, looking, with their strange carvings" ✓
- zoomorphism⇔"unsatisfied hunger which gnawed me within" ✓
- simile⇔"looking, as I thought, like a pale throne" ✓
Exit quiz
- Who shows Jane around Thornfield Hall in 'Jane Eyre'?
- Mr Rochester
- Mrs Fairfax ✓
- Adele
- Grace Poole
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- How does Jane respond to the bedrooms on the third floor of Thornfield Hall in 'Jane Eyre'?
- She likes the quiet and the gloom. ✓
- She feels hugely uncomfortable on the third floor.
- She states that she would not like to spend a night on the third floor. ✓
- She despises the decor because it is old and outdated.
- She states that she would rather inhabit these rooms than her allocated bedroom.
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- Why might crows be considered Gothic creatures?
- They are highly aggressive creatures so link to the theme of violence.
- They are mysterious creatures that only come out at night.
- They are black and we can associate the colour black with death and decay. ✓
- They are always found in graveyards, which links to death.
- They are a symbol of supernatural occurrences.
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- What is 'atmosphere'?
- the tone of a character's voice
- the mood or feeling of a piece of writing ✓
- the genre of a text
- the perspective the narrative is told from
- the feeling that a piece of writing gives you when you read it
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- What is the effect of Jane asking Mrs Fairfax about ghosts at Thornfield Hall in 'Jane Eyre'?
- Brontë creates a reassuring atmosphere because there are no ghosts.
- Brontë characterises Mrs Fairfax as a superstitious character.
- Brontë plays on the reader's fears of the supernatural. ✓
- Brontë builds tension by creating an ominous atmosphere. ✓
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- What is the effect of Brontë contrasting the appearance of "black" Thornfield with "pleasing" nature in 'Jane Eyre'?
- Brontë is building tension by showing nature as beautiful.
- Brontë might be suggesting that evil resides within Thornfield. ✓
- Brontë shows us the true beauty of nature versus the ugliness of Thornfield.
- Brontë foreshadows that Thornfield might be a place of darkness. ✓
- Brontë shows us that Jane prefers to be outside than inside.
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Atmosphere is the mood or feeling of a piece of writing.
- We would expect to find an ominous or tense atmosphere in Gothic literature, as this unsettles the reader.
- Thornfield Hall is described as a very old, dark and Gothic setting with an ominous atmosphere.
- Brontë creates an unnerving atmosphere in Chapter 11 of ‘Jane Eyre’ through Jane's interaction with Mrs Fairfax.
Common misconception
Students think that atmosphere is created purely through the description of a physical setting.
Atmosphere can also be created through characters interacting with one another, as we see in Chapter 11 of 'Jane Eyre'.
Keywords
Atmosphere - the mood or feeling of a piece of writing
Ominous - giving the impression that something bad is about to happen
To conceal - to hide from sight
Malevolent - sinister or evil
Pallid - extremely pale, usually because of poor health
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