Episode 200 Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, The Confession.

Emma's ESL English - En podcast af Emma - Tirsdage

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This week, the day before Valentine's day, I'm reading from the grand romantic story, Jane Eyre. This little bit is from the moment Mr Rochester proposes to Jane. She doesn't believe him at first. Not surprising, he's been flirting with another woman openly in front of Jane for months! But eventually he convinces her that he is telling the truth. He does want to marry her. This story, and many of the Bronte Sister's stories are some of the first and best examples of published books, famous and successful during the author's lifetime, that were written by women (although readers didn't know that at the time - all the Bronte books were published under pseudonyms). The Bronte's stories were shocking and exciting to people 176 years ago and are still selling today. Jane Eyre is perhaps the most famous of all. It showed the inequality of the time; Jane is lower than Mr Rochester in social standing, money, birth, she has no family, no power, no influence, even worse, she is of the servant class. But they love each other. It is the ultimate 'love conquers all' story. Jane Eyre Vocabulary Struck cold to my heart - fills me with fear and makes me sad And the thought of all the brine and foam destined, it seemed, to rush between me and the master - the thought of the sea between them the wider ocean of wealth, caste, custom. - they are separated by society, he is richer than her, he is higher in society and she is a single woman from a bad background On the eve of separation - eve is short for evening, so this means the night before Shining life up in heaven yonder - yonder is old fashioned English, it means 'over there' but we don't use it anymore. Are you anything akin to me, do you think, Jane? - akin means family, in this case are we thinking the same way, are we both upset to be separated? I have this queer feeling with regard to you, especially when you are near to me, as now. It is if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and extricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel and 200 miles of land or so came broad between us, I'm a afraid that cord of communion will be snapped. And then I have a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly. Extricably - comes from 'extricated' meaning to free something. This is not a word we would use in this form now. You are much more liked to hear 'extricated' or 'inextricably' which means something that is impossible to disentangle. So, in fact, in modern English we could be more likely to say 'inextricably knotted'.'Quarter of your little frame' - part of your body Boisterous - full of energy 'Came broad between us' - this is a shipping term, it just means that the sea would be between them. 'Cord of communion' - These days most native English speakers associate 'communion' with a Christian ritual, however it does also mean 'exchanging deep thoughts and feelings'. In this case he is saying that the connection they have built with their deep conversations will break. 'Nervous notion' - just means he has a worrying idea or thought She sobbed convulsively - moving our body I was obliged to yield and I was shaken from head to foot with acute distress. When I did speak, it was only to impress an impetuous wish that I had never been born or never come to Thornfield. 'Acute' - specific and focused 'Impetuous' - to say something without thinking The vehemence of emotions - strength of emotions 'I have not been trampled on. I have not been petrified. I have not been buried with inferior minds, and excluded from every glimpse of communion with what is bright and energetic and high. I've talked face to face with what I reverence. with what I delight in, with an original and vigorous and expanded mind. I have known you, Mr. Rochester'. Vocabulary continued on Episode 201 Description

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