” Jane Eyre”, a novel written by Charlotte Bronte, during the 19th century 1845. The novel is set in the northern part of England at a boarding school called Lowood. The novel is set during the period of time when girls were educated either at home or at a boarding school. ” Roll of thunder hear my cry”, a novel written by Mildred D Taylor sometime during the 1930’s. The novel is set in Mississippi; America just after the slavery was abolished, and America was also suffering from the ‘ great depression’ and white supremacy was believed in.
‘ Jane Eyre” is about Jane her self, the novel tells us how ‘ Jane Eyre’s parents passed away and Jane’s aunty becomes her guardian and has custody of her. Jane’s aunty treats her in a very bad manner and later on in the novel Mr Brocklehurst, the headmaster of Lowood comes to take Jane there, and Jane’s aunty falsely tells Mr Brocklehurst that Jane is an evil child and a liar as well. Mr Brocklehurst keeps this in mind and one day he humiliates Jane in front of all the other girls just because she accidentally broke a slate.
Mr Brocklehurst warns all the other girls Jane is an evil child and a liar, so therefore all of the girls should keep away from her and exclude her from their activities. However ‘ Helen Burns’ a girl who really supports Jane by being her friend, (even though Mr Brocklehurst forbid anyone to be her friend) through this Jane becomes confident and doesn’t feel weak. ” Roll of thunder hear my cry” is a bout a young black girl called Cassie Logan who is going to school on the first day of the school year. Cassie walks to school with her brother ‘ Little man’, and Jeremy who is a white boy (who obviously goes to a better school).
The novel progresses when Cassie and little man are in class and Miss Crocker, their teacher hands out some books which are ‘ supposedly’ said to be new, as soon as little man receives his copy he asks if he can have another copy because the one he had was dirty. From hearing this Miss Crocker is furious and declines to give him another copy of the book. Moments later little man throws his book on the floor, because he found a chart in the book which stated the book was 11 years old and his class was given it after all the white schools had finished with them.
Another reason for why he threw the book on the floor was because he saw that the black people were referred to as ‘ nigra’. Mrs Croaker didn’t seem to care about the racism, and tells his mum (who also works at the school) Mrs Logan isn’t surprised about little mans reaction, and glues some paper on the chart so that it cant be seen, Mrs Logan done this fully aware that she could get into trouble for covering the charts up. In both novels there are two similar types of characters who are the lead characters ‘ Jane Eyre’ and Cassie Logan.
Firstly I am going to describe ‘ Jane Eyre’s character. I think that Jane’s character in ‘ Jane Eyre’ is really kind and considerate I have said this because in the novel it says, ” many a time I have shared between two claimants the precious morsel of brown bread” this suggests to me that she must be a really kind person because she shares her ‘ morsel’, which means a piece or a scrap of bread, she also describes the bread as ‘ precious’ this is really sad because it shows how much she needed the bread, but Jane shares her bread so that the other girls wouldn’t starve.
As well as this I think that Jane felt troubled or didn’t really like the first few months at Lowood, I think this from the way the chapter is started, ‘ my first quarter at Lowood seemed an age.. ‘ I also think that Jane is the type of person who doesn’t really defend her self because she knows that it is impolite to behave like that, ‘. This -child-is-a liar! ‘ This is when Mr Brocklehurst is humiliating Jane in front of the class and blackening her name, Jane just sits their and later has to stand up on a stool, forced to take the humiliation she is faced with, and yet she doesn’t say one word to Mr Brocklehurst to defend her self.
Cassie Logan, I think that Cassie’s character seems like she isn’t raciest by the way she walks to school with Jeremy, ‘ he had walked with us as far as the cross roads in the morning. ‘ Most of the black children wouldn’t probably talk to white children because of the white supremacy. I also think that Cassie is the type of character who stands up for other people if she knows they’re in the right, ‘ see, miz Croaker, see what it says… no one else stood up for little man but Cassie did not only because he’s her brother but because the book had a raciest comment which applied to the whole of the black people.
The characters of Jane and Cassie are similar, by the way each of the girls life is fairly sad. I think that both of these characters are similar by the way their school life isn’t easy for them, like for example ‘ Jane Eyre’s school doesn’t provide a proper meal for the girls, ‘ scanty supply of food. At Cassie’s school they rely on the white schools to provide them with resources such as books, which is why they are in poor condition.
Another reason for why Jane and Cassie are similar is how people treat them. Cassie not as an individual but all o the black community is disrespected, because of her colour, Jane doesn’t get any respect because her aunty told Mr Brocklehurst made up stories about her. How ever ‘ Jane Eyre’ and Cassie Logan are different characters as well.
They’re different by the way that Jane is a white girl and Cassie is a black girl, both girls also go to completely different types of schools Cassie goes to a normal day school, and Jane goes to a boarding school. Another reason for why these two characters are different is that Jane doesn’t have any relatives that treat her like a person; Cassie has a mum who loves her and gets on well with. I like Janes Character more than Cassie’s character because I like the way she faces things, such as when Mr Brocklehurst humiliates her just because she broke a slate ‘ accidentally’ ‘…
Jane I saw it was an accident”. Mr Brocklehurst, the headmaster of Lowood boarding school is very strict, ‘ Miss Temple that girls hair must be cut off entirely’ this is when Mr Brocklehurst sees a girl with ‘ naturally’ curly red hair and still expects her not to have it like that. I also think that he isn’t a nice person by the way Jane describes him, ‘ the piece of architecture’ which just shows his coldness and he has no feelings or sense of humour. Mr Brocklehurst is the church representative, which probably explains why he calls Jane ‘ evil’ when he’s humiliating her.
I also get the impression that he doesn’t really care about the girls, he doesn’t treat them right and he’s tight on money, ‘ that a lunch, consisting of bread and cheese has been served out to the girls… how is this” here Mr Brocklehurst is saying that its unacceptable for the girls to have lunch even though they’re hungry, this shows he’s tight on money. ‘ Bringing up these girls isn’t to accustom them to habits of luxury and indolence’ this shows that Mr Brocklehurst isn’t really bothered about the girls as long as they are still alive.
Miss Crocker, Cassie’s teacher, is the same type of character as Mr Brocklehurst, but not as mean as him, she has a gentle side as well, ‘ To all you fourth graders, it’s good to have you in my class’. However Miss Crocker isn’t kind all the time I think that she’s bossy by the way she speaks to the class, ‘ we shall work work work… ‘ Miss Crocker also accepts the racism, ‘ that’s what you are she said coldly’, she says this to little man soon after he discovers that the books handed out were old and only given to his school because the white schools finished with them.
I also think that Miss Crocker isn’t an understanding person and she doesn’t really care about the students, ‘ all right Cassie, she sighed, turning to me, come and get yours’ this is said to Cassie after she doesn’t want a book, and she stands up for little man. I think if Miss Crocker cared about the students then she wouldn’t have caned Cassie and little man for standing up for their rights. Mr Brocklehurst and Miss Crocker are similar in the same ways and different in ways as well.
I think that Mr Brocklehurst and Miss Temple are similar by the way both of them are strict, ‘ well I certainly did! Whipped both of them with my hickory stick’ this is what Miss Crocker had dome to Cassie and little man for not wanted to keep their books. From her speech it seems like she was proud to have caned the children, which shows how mean and strict she is. ‘ Let her stand half an hour longer on that stool and let no one speak to her during the remainder of the day.
This is what Mr Brocklehurst says about Jane, this shows that he doesn’t care she’s getting humiliated by him, this also shows Mr Brocklehurst as a strict person by the way he orders the others not to speak to Jane. Miss Crocker and Mr Brocklehurst are also different by the way; Miss Crocker doesn’t seem to make many quotes from the bible like Mr Brocklehurst does. I think that he quoted a lot from the bible because of the reputation he had, he represented the church that owned Lowood, ‘ referring to the sufferings of primitive Christians… ‘
Miss Crocker accepts racism, ‘ that’s what you are she said coldly’, even though this applied to her own race, Mr Brocklehurst doesn’t really make any racist comments and there are no signs if he accepts it or not. Both of these characters are different by the way Brocklehurst is a head teacher and miss Temple isn’t a head mistress, I think that if she was, she too would be like Mr Brocklehurst and do anything to shout at Cassie. In my own opinion I think that both of these characters are as good as each other because of the reasons I have given for them been similar and different.
Miss Temple, Jane’s teacher is a really cheerful person by the way she tries to make the best of even the worst things, ‘ as she said ‘ like stalwart soldiers’, this is said to the girls to in courage them when they’re on the way back from church during the cold winter. This is an encouraging and comforting thing to say because stalwart means never give up. Miss Temple also doesn’t argue with Mr Brocklehurst, ‘ your directions shall be attended to sir’ but she will also stand up for herself and this shows she isn’t scared of Mr Brocklehurst either, ‘ the breakfast was so ill prepared that the pupils could not possibly eat it’.
However Miss Temple knows her place and will not take things to far, ‘ its Julia Severn… ‘ From that quote I think that Miss Temple is supportive towards the girls and knows when Mr Brocklehurst is been unfair. From all this I also think that Miss Temple is quite lively compared wit hall the other teachers and certainly Mr Brocklehurst. Mrs Logan, Cassie’s mum and works at the school as well. In this chapter we don’t really get o read about her a lot, but from the parts we do read about her I can tell she’s better than Mrs Croaker.
I had learned that punishment was always less severe when I poured out the whole truth to mama’ (Cassie says this about Mrs Logan). Mrs Logan’s character is understand ding and doesn’t accept racism, I think this is because of the way she covers up the charts in the books so the children who need it wont see it and get hurt, ‘ Then she opened her desk drawer and pulled out some paper… ‘ Both Miss Temple and Mrs Logan are alike because of the attitude they have, they are both caring and understanding by the way they treat the students.
Miss Temple is caring by the way she stands up for Julia Severn and how she tries to keep the girls spirits high when they’re walking back to Lowood in the cold. Mrs Logan is caring by the way Cassie describes her, ‘ I have learnt punishment was less severe… ‘ The difference between the two characters is that Miss Temple listens to Mr Brocklehurst but doesn’t always agree with him, Mrs Logan listens to Mrs Croaker but will take action to correct her. The most obvious difference is that Miss Temple doesn’t have any children and Mrs Logan does.
Generally I find both of these characters effective in the way of what they have to go through in their life and the way they are both really nice characters. In both novels in the chapters that I’m comparing there are a number of bits that I find effective and moving. The things that I found moving in ” Jane Eyre”, ‘ don’t be afraid, Jane I saw it was an accident you shall not be punished’. This is what Miss Temple says to Jane when she accidentally brakes a slate, I find this part effective because Miss Temple tries to comfort Jane, but Jane knew that she would get punished because of what Jane’s aunty had told Mr Brocklehurst.
This part makes me feel quite sorry for Jane, because Miss Temple doesn’t really know the situation Jane is in with Mr Brocklehurst. ‘ Who would think that the evil one has already found a servant and agent in her… ‘ this made me feel quite angry at Mr Brocklehurst, because he was shouting at Jane like she had committed some sort of crime. I found this quote effective in the way that Jane’s been badly humiliated for something as little as braking a slate, I think this also shows how stingy Mr Brocklehurst is on money because the slate can be replaced with a new one, but he has to shout at Jane instead.
‘ Roll of thunder hear my cry”, the parts that I found moving in this novel are, is when Cassie says to Miss Crocker, ‘ see miz Croaker, see what it says they give us these books when they don’t want ’em no more’. Miss Crocker doesn’t really care that the books given are old and the leftovers of white schools, I found that really moving because it was sad to see that Miss Crocker accepted the fact that the school got old books and she accepts the racism towards black people. Another thing that I find really sad is when Miss Crocker reacts to Cassie after she points out people of her race are labelled as ‘ nigra’.
Miss Crocker’s reaction is, ‘ that’s what you are’, and after reading that I felt really shocked and dismayed that Miss Crocker was cold enough to say that, not forgetting that she’s a black person to. I felt as if she was betraying her own culture. After reading chapter 7 in ” Jane Eyre” and chapter 1 of ” Roll of thunder hear my cry”, I preferred ‘ Jane Eyre’ better, I think I like ‘ Jane Eyre’ because I find ‘ Jane Eyre’s character interesting, by the way that when I was reading that novel it made me want to read more of the book.
