Jane Eyre

    OCR
    GCSE

    Charlotte Brontë’s Bildungsroman follows the psychological and moral development of the eponymous protagonist through five distinct geographical settings: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor House, and Ferndean. The narrative charts Jane’s struggle for autonomy against the restrictive patriarchal and class structures of Victorian society. Central to the text is the romance with Edward Rochester, complicated by the Gothic revelation of his mad wife, Bertha Mason, in the attic. Ultimately, Jane rejects the spiritual austerity of St. John Rivers to forge an egalitarian union with a blinded, humbled Rochester. The novel is a seminal exploration of gender dynamics, social mobility, and the balance between passion and reason.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
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    Pitfalls
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    Key Terms
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    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • AO1: Credit conceptual understanding of the Bildungsroman form, tracking Jane's psychological and moral growth from Gateshead to Ferndean.
    • AO2: Award marks for analysis of Gothic conventions (the Red Room, the madwoman in the attic) and the use of pathetic fallacy to mirror Jane's internal state.
    • AO2: Candidates must analyse the retrospective first-person narrative voice, distinguishing between the younger Jane's immediate experience and the older narrator's reflection.
    • AO3: Reward integrated contextualization regarding the liminal status of the governess, the critique of religious hypocrisy (Brocklehurst), and Victorian gender dynamics.

    Example Examiner Feedback

    Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

    • "You have analysed the extract well; now ensure you provide specific evidence from the rest of the novel to support this view."
    • "Avoid generalising about 'Victorian men'; link your contextual points specifically to Rochester's or St. John's behaviour."
    • "Move beyond listing Gothic features; explain *why* Brontë uses this imagery to reflect Jane's psyche."
    • "Your selection of quotations is accurate, but you need to unpick the specific effect of the writer's word choice."

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • AO1: Credit conceptual understanding of the Bildungsroman form, tracking Jane's psychological and moral growth from Gateshead to Ferndean.
    • AO2: Award marks for analysis of Gothic conventions (the Red Room, the madwoman in the attic) and the use of pathetic fallacy to mirror Jane's internal state.
    • AO2: Candidates must analyse the retrospective first-person narrative voice, distinguishing between the younger Jane's immediate experience and the older narrator's reflection.
    • AO3: Reward integrated contextualization regarding the liminal status of the governess, the critique of religious hypocrisy (Brocklehurst), and Victorian gender dynamics.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Spend 5-10 minutes planning to ensure coverage of both the extract and the wider text.
    • 💡Select 3-4 'pivot points' from elsewhere in the novel that contrast or parallel the extract.
    • 💡Embed context into your analysis of meaning; do not write a separate paragraph on 'Victorian women'.
    • 💡Use the extract to analyse minute details (AO2) and the wider text to demonstrate broad understanding (AO1).

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Treating the extract as an unseen text and failing to link analysis to the wider novel.
    • Providing biographical data on Charlotte Brontë (e.g., the Clergy Daughters' School) without linking it to the specific demands of the question.
    • Describing the plot of the novel rather than analysing the writer's methods.
    • Asserting that Jane is a 'feminist' without qualifying this through the lens of 19th-century social constraints.

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

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