In the End

"Let her find a husband among the dead" (Sophocles, Antigone, 730)

It's been one heck of year in AP lit. In between the 4 novels, 3 plays, and gazillion pieces of poetry, this has been the most in depth I've ever gone with classical literature. I've always had a soft spot for a good book, so this course fit me to a tee. Throughout this course my love for challenging myself in reading was rejuvenated. After going through a phase of heavy reading in middle school, I sort of started slacking off. More genre fiction, less "hardcore literature". But now, I have a big pile of classics I'm planning on diving into over the summer.

The reason for this new enthusiasm was probably learning how to really read analytically and see hidden themes in literature. A poem like The Wasteland can seem like terribly dry, dull, and dross if readers don't know how to read deeply. But, with knowledge of literary techniques and an understanding of theme; the book becomes a darkly surreal reflection on the decline of western society, filled to the brim with brilliant and innovative techniques. That's a huge growth from my seventh grade perspective of "Wow, those are big word or something, this must be art!"

This past semester my favorite work was Antigone. I simply loved how catty and rude all the characters were, and the whole thing is packed with quotable lines. I also like how the Greek style combined theater with poetry. It was like, "Wow, that scene was crazy. I wonder what's going to happen next. Aw dude! Now here's some totally baller poetry! Aw man, that stuff's dope." Seriously, I never thought that I would find Greek tragedy so entertaining. If not for AP lit I probably never would have learned that about myself. So, thanks AP Literature and composition! It was fun knowing you...

Let's go team Edward!

Alright my blogging friends; let's talk about men! The novel Jane Eyre only contains a few guys, but they all play an important role in exposing the novel's theme through their characterization. Today we're going to be talking about Mr. Rochester and St. John Rivers (Jane's romantic interests).

First let's talk about Rochester. Throughout the book, Bronte characterizes Mr. Rochester as a man of passion and fire concerning all things. Take chapter 27 for instance. After Jane learns of Rochester's wife, she knows that she should leave Thornfield. But Rochester won't let her go without a fight. "Full of passionate emotion of some kind" (Bronte 349) Rochester tries to convince Jane to stay at Thornfield (to no avail). This scene makes it obvious that Rochester is a man who is absolutely desperately in love with Jane. Edward Rochester is holding nothing back in his love. Jane can see this, and she knows that their union would be a "paradise" from the "nightmare of parting" (Bronte 299). After the whole thing with Bertha however, Jane's logic takes over and tells her to leave behind her flaming-hot romance to find herself.

This is where St. John Rivers steps in. Although "Sinjin" gets substantially less screen time than Mr. Rochester, he is every bit as essential to Jane's development. John Rivers is a cold, logical man of God. This guy is seriously made out of ice. If I had a dollar for every time Bronte uses the word "cold" in reference to Rochester, I could probably buy lunch for the whole class. St. John is so passionless that "he was in reality become no more flesh, but marble" (Bronte 475). St. John and Jane's relationship would be a matter of pure business. Jane gets to do meaningful missionary work, and St. John gets to "have a wife". The marriage would be functional, but lack any sort of spark or romance. Just imagine the most "proper" marriage possible.

Mr. Rochester and St. John act as foils. Rochester represents the passion in Jane, and John Rivers symbolizes her desire to conform to Victorian ideals. By choosing to deny St. John and go back to Rochester, Jane chooses to seek her own desires rather than follow what society wants. This connects back to the novel's theme of Victorian women going in opposition to their conventional gender roles. Jane makes a choice; and that choice is to be free from her culture's expectations and live a life that pleases her. Society be darned!