Hello~ I know I haven't been updating daily posts again but let me make it up to you with a few Literature posts, eh? My QT results just came in so I'll post that first :D
(By the way, I can't really remember the question, so I'll just type whatever I think it probably was.)
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Question:
"Minor characters play an important role in creating interest in a novel".
Explore the methods which writers use minor characters to create interest in a novel.
Answer:
Minor characters do create much interest in a novel and it is no exception in Jane Eyre’s case. Although the main character may seem to be always in the spotlight, the novel’s minor characters help produce it and engage the reader. This all is thanks to the writer, whom, in this case, is Charlotte Bronte.
The use of the Reed family, for one, is presented by Charlotte Bronte. They were created in such a way that Jane Eyre was to turn out the taciturn and vengeful girl she turned out to be when she left for Lowood School. This is shown on page 19 when she says: ‘I was a discord at Gateshead Hall; I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with Mrs Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage’. She brought these negative feelings with her to Lowood School where it is shown most clearly in the fact that she did not even try to make a friend until many days after her transfer.
Another minor character that engages the reader in a different way is Helen Burns. Charlotte Bronte used the method of creating a role model for Jane Eyre whom she could follow. For example, when Jane Eyre said that Miss Scatcherd was cruel to her, Helen Burns said, ‘“Cruel? Not at all! She is severe; she dislikes my faults,”’ to which Jane Eyre replies with: ‘“And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resist her; if she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand; I should break it under her nose”’. Instead of raising her voice, however, Helen Burns gently refuted: ‘“Probably you would do nothing of the sort: but if you did, Mr Brocklehurst would expel you from the school: that would be a great grief to your relations. It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you; and, besides, the Bible bids us return good for evil.”’ The character of Helen Burns was presented in such a way that she could very well be educating the readers as well as Jane Eyre that violence is never the answer – as you can see, the reason Jane Eyre was sent away was due to the fact that she ‘attacked’ John Reed.
St John Rivers also played a part in the engaging of readers. Charlotte Bronte had had St John Rivers propose to Jane Eyre after she lived with him for a while. He said: ‘“Jane, come with me to India: come as my helpmeet and fellow-labourer”’. Now, this is very important because readers will be interested to know what Jane Eyre’s reply will be. Fortunately for some fans of Mr Rochester and his moody demeanour, Jane Eyre was insistent on only following him as his sister and not his wife. When she could not take his pressuring her on that subject anymore, she said that she scorned his idea of love, which silenced him.
Ultimately, however, the method that Charlotte Bronte used to engage readers most was the creation of Bertha Mason, Mr Rochester’s insane wife. Being in the locked attic, disguised as the maid Grace Poole, Bertha Mason was absolutely essential to spark the readers’ interest. Many would have kept wondering and wondering about the ‘low, syllabic tone’ which ‘terminated in an add murmur’. Most readers would have probably been fooled into thinking that is was really Grace Poole who was laughing, though Charlotte Bronte dropped subtle hints with each chapter. For example, she had Jane Eyre wonder why he kept Grace Poole in Thornfield Hall even after he thought she set his room on fire. This probably aided readers to read on.
In light of the above statement, it is undeniable that while the main character plays the major role in providing a storyline and engaging its readers, it is just as important to have minor characters. This is because the combination of the minor and main characters is what makes a great novel in anyone’s eyes.
Marks: 23/40
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Yeah~ I think my conclusion was pretty nice. Unfortunately, I only got 57% for this test because I wrote Mr Rochester as a minor character. I did not include it here, though I got some points in a different section of the paragraph.
The next post will also be a Literature post, and the two posts after that will be about Law. Just warning you :D
CIAO!!
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