Why read Jane Eyre? Or, better yet, why teach it?

Students often want to know why they have to read a particular book, especially when it seems ancient or unrelatable to them. Most of the time my response would be what English teachers typically say, which is something along the lines of "the themes are universal."

However, with this book, it is much more than that. In fact, it is hard to put into words what is so compelling about reading it, but here are just a few of the reasons why I found this book so enthralling when I first read it, why it continues to grip me, and why I think students will find "something" in it to admire, even if they are not infatuated with it.

• Great Writing -- This probably isn't shocking since it is
  
  chosen for this class, but it is important to read good writing to become better writers ourselves. Not that any of us will ever become like Bronte, but it helps to see what great writers do in order to try and replicate it. If you don't believe me about what writers can learn, check out this link that lists 10 Things Writers Can Learn from Reading this Book.

• Lessons Learned -- I am not referring to some deep moral found as a theme in this book but rather the smaller lessons people can garner from reading it. The characters are far from flawless, and the plot has tons of disturbing events, yet it is because of these things that the reader is able to learn important lessons they can apply to their own life, and "yes, this means readers in the 21st century." Once again, don't take my word for it, read what this site has to say about the lessons this book can teach (it says women, but this doesn't mean women only). 

• Unique Story -- I don't know how else to put it except to say it truly is "a one of a kind." I can't think of another book, old or new, which comes close to encompassing all the things this one does. The dark, Gothic horror and harshness of this book pulled me in years ago and continues to linger with me today. In addition to the mystery, the novel also touches on individuality with strong characters while also presenting a nontraditional, or distorted, love story, which probably appeals to readers, like me, more than an "on the surface" romance found in so many works of this era (or even in modern works). To be honest, I never cared much for the world of Jane Austen: fancy dresses, fake conversations, and pushy patriarchs. Instead, I found Bronte's world much more relatable and fitting for my
  
  tastes, and I hope you will agree. Although Austen and Bronte were both popular female writers of this time period, readers tend to like one over the other. (However, I did have a student last year who loved both writers, so who knows, maybe there is something similar about them that readers like.) Even Charlotte Brontee's own sister, Emily, wrote much like Austen with her most famous work Wuthering Heights. In fact, many literature classes choose this one over Jane Eyre, but I obviously did not, and I hope my choice was a good one. 

I encourage each of you to give this book a shot, not because you have to for this class or because you want a good grade. If you allow yourself to get caught up in the story, characters, and setting, you might even find that you love it....O.K. maybe just like it....Alright, fine, you can tolerate it. 

For your response to this post, you can click on one of the links above and comment on what you found of interest at the link. Or, if you can find one other person (teacher, parent, student, etc) who has read Jane Eyre and LIKED IT, provide a comment where you share what they said about the novel.

Comments do not have to be lengthy. In most cases, a solid, well-written paragraph should suffice.