The Window into Jane Eyres Soul - Essay Example

The window into Jane Eyre’s soul SCENE JANE’S AUNT’S HOUSE – DAY Young Jane, arguing with her cousin and flying into a rage whereby she attacks him by punching him. He bursts into tears and Jane’s aunt rushes in; her face becomes black as thunder as she turns her ire upon young Jane, who begins to protest loudly. Jane’s aunt picks her up bodily and pushes her into a corner and leaves the room with her son, locking the door behind her. Jane rushes to the door and bangs uselessly on it, then stamps her feet and screams. MONTAGE OF SCENES AT THE ORPHANAGE – DAY/NIGHT: * Jane is brought to the orphanage because her Uncle has died * A large refectory where several young girls dressed in somewhat ragged clothes are sitting down to a sparse meal. Jane sits next to an emaciated girl, HELEN and they get into an animated conversation * Jane and Helen are in their beds which are next to each other, they are shivering and trying to get warm in their thin covers. * Jane being shouted at by a strict looking woman and getting caned by a man in charge of the orphanage * Jane shown looking more subdued, her friend HELEN dying of consumption in her arms; tears trickling down Jane’s cheeks *CLOSE UPS on press cuttings about a typhus epidemic, with VOICE OVERS, REVEALING the poor treatment meted out to the orphans * Jane being moved with other girls in a bus to a different institution * Jane as a young woman ready to be employed, looking very prim and proper with her hair pulled back into a very tight bun. SCENE 2: INT: HALL OF THORNFIELD MANOR: DAY: Jane is interviewed by housekeeper MRS. FAIRFAX, and meets her young charge, ADELE. WE NOTE the change in Jane’s demeanour compared to what she was as a young child – much of the wildness appears to be curbed, but a CLOSE SHOT on her eyes reveals the fire which is still burning within them. SCENE 3: EXT: THORNFIELD MANOR: DAY: Jane is walking along, enjoying the grounds. She HEARS the whinny of a horse and turns around to SEE a rider being thrown off his horse. It’s a grim looking MAN, who tries to stand up immediately and grimaces as he places his weight on one foot. Jane goes up to him and offers to help and he walks back with her, leaning slightly on her shoulder. Jane is surprised as they move in the direction of Thornfield Manor and as they enter the hall, Mrs Fairfax comes up and greets him as MR. ROCHESTER, the owner of Thornfield Manor. Jane is somewhat disconcerted. MONTAGE: Various scenes - show Jane and Mr. Rochester getting to know each other and falling in love. He appears curt at first, but as the scenes progress, we see the couple slowly starting to loosen up with each other, smiling and obviously happy in each other’s company. WE SEE Jane meeting another man, MR MASON, who is pleasant enough to her, but exchange strange looks with Mr. Rochester, which Jane makes a note of. INTERCUTS: * a maniacal LAUGH is heard in the halls *Jane in her bedroom HEARS strange knocking noises coming from another part of the house; she sets out in the corridor clad in her nightgown and a bonnet, with a lamp in her hand, she meets the housekeeper who tells her it’s nothing serious, just the wind making noises * Mr. Mason is attacked by a figure that looks like a woman, with long flowing hair that is matted and tangled * a fire breaks out in one of the wings of the house and there is pandemonium and confusion as it is put out. In the midst of this, Jane catches a GLIMPSE of a shadowy figure watching from a distance. As Jane watches, the figure tosses its head as if in triumph, and moves away. SCENE 4: INT; GATESHEAD HALL; DAY/NIGHT: Jane returns to her childhood home and nurses her dying aunt. A tearful reunion between Jane and her aunt, as the aunt apologizes to Jane for having been so cruel to her in her childhood. She gives her a letter from her uncle, passing on his fortune to her in an effort to express his love and appreciation for his young niece. .Jane is moved by the gesture. SCENE 5: INT: THORNFIELD MANOR; VARIOUS: NIGHT: Jane comes down in her nightgown, looking for a book to read. She enters the library quietly and moves to the bookshelves and hears a voice behind her saying “Hello Jane”. She turns, startled, and finds the voice coming from behind an armchair with a tall back. Its Mr. Rochester and he rises and comes around to ask her which book she had chosen. The romantic tension between them is palpable, and as they keep talking, they are moving closer to each other. Mr. Rochester stretches out a hand and pushes back a lock of hair from Jane’s cheek, a lock of hair which has escaped from its bun. She responds with palpable yearning and Mr. Rochester passionately declares his love for her. She tells him she loves him too and he drops to his knees, asking her to marry him. SCENE 6: INT: JANE’S ROOM; NIGHT: Jane is sorting through her things for the wedding. She picks up her wedding veil and tries it on her head. Her expression is dreamy as she looks at herself in the mirror. The MUSIC is low and foreboding and suddenly there is a MUSIC STING. In the Mirror, WE SEE a strange, savage looking woman with long matted hair up to her waist, entering Jane’s room. She rushes up to Jane, tears the wedding veil off her head and rips it in two with a loud MANIACAL LAUGH. Panicked, Jane SCREAMS; Mr. Rochester runs in followed by Mrs. Fairfax a few moments later, dressed in her nightgown and nightcap. She grabs the mad woman and drags her out of the room as Jane sinks into a chair, shocked. Mr. Rochester drops on to his knees before her and explains that the woman was under the charge of one of the servants Grace Poole and was supposed to remain locked up, but Grace’s drunken behaviour was the cause of the woman escaping out of her quarters. He holds her hand and tells her, “My brave Jane, don’t worry, everything will be all right and we shall be married tomorrow.” SCENE 7: INT: THORNTON HALL: DAY: Jane and Mr. Rochester in wedding clothes are standing before the priest, who starts reading the wedding vows. When he announces that if anyone objects to the marriage, they should speak up, two witnesses – Mr. Mason and a lawyer – stand up. They dispute Mr. Rochester’s freedom to marry, stating that he is already married to Mr. Mason’s sister. As Jane looks on, shocked and puzzled, Mr. Mason tells Jane its true and that the woman who tried to attack him, set a room on fire and also tried to attack her was all the same person – his sister, who was married to Mr. Rochester. The secret is then revealed; Mrs. Rochester is a mad woman locked up in one part of Thornfield manor. Mr. Rochester breaks down and confesses that he is indeed married, but it has not been a normal marriage because of her mental illness. He tells Jane that he has been unhappy all these years because the marriage has always been abnormal, since his wife was mentally deranged. She had also tried to kill him and kill herself on several occasions, which was why she had to be kept locked up. He then asks Jane to run away with him to France despite the fact that they cannot get married. The yearning and love chase each other across Jane’s face but WE CLOSE on her eyes and see the grim determination in them, the same bold spark that is visible periodically throughout the film. She tells him firmly that to pursue an action like that is against the inner values and principles that she holds most sacred. On those grounds, she refuses. SCENE 8: EXT; THORNFIELD MANSION –NIGHT: Jane - sneaking through the corridor of Thornfiels Mansion, fully dressed, with her hat and suitcase. She tiptoes past the library and WE SEE the light streaming out from under the door where it is open a crack. Jane’s lips quiver as if she is about to burst into tears, then with grim resolve, she tightens them and moves away. WE SEE Jane moving through the grounds with her suitcase, and boarding a coach away from Thornfield Mansion. MONTAGE: * WE SEE Jane’s face framed in the window, looking sad but resolute, as the coach speeds along through the dark night. * Jane on a crowded train * Jane finding her bag missing, turning around and finding a man running away with it, she shouts “thief, thief!” but its too late – he’s gone. * Jane, looking tired and flustered, begging for food at a store and being turned away as a suspected thief * Jane finally being rescued by a young clergyman named St John, who takes her to his home where his two sisters live. * Jane is warmly welcomed by the two sisters of St.John, who take care of her and bring the smiles back to her face SCENE 10: INT; ST JOHN’S HOME; DAY: St. John’s reserved interactions with Jane until his sisters leave. Then he asks her to marry him and go to India. She refuses to marry him, but agrees to go to India. Simultaneously however, she appears to hear Mr. Rochester calling her name. Realizing that it may be her last opportunity to see Mr. Rochester before leaving the country, finally, she decides to go back to Thornfield Manor to see him. SCENE 11: THE THORNFIELD MANSION; DAY: Jane arrives at Thornfield mansion to find blackened ruins, because the mad Mrs. Rochester had set fire to the house. (FLASHBACK: MONTAGE: After setting fire to the house, Mrs. Rochester trying to jump off the roof in an attempt to commit suicide; Mr. Rochester trying to save her). Mr. Rochester had lost his eyesight as well as his hand, while also being scarred badly. Jane assures him she will stay with him and marry him. SCENE 12: MONTAGE: Jane and Mr. Rochester very happy with each other; strolling around the grounds; Mr Rochester regaining his sight enough to see his new born son. FADE TO BLACK SCREEN: END TITLES ROLL. THE END Creative Analysis: In presenting the story of Jane Eyre, the ultimate objective was to establish the guts and determination of the main character during an age where women were repressed and were rarely brave enough to stand up for their convictions. The creative inspiration for this screen project arose out of the potential existing in the story to demonstrate how the feisty young Jane, although disciplined into Victorian decorum externally, was still brave and principled within. The character of Mrs. Rochester offered ample scope for suspense and the creation of an atmosphere where Jane’s character is tested and she is faced with the choice of whether or not to adhere to her principles. My objective was to create a script of the story which was able to highlight these elements and build up Jane Eyre’s story towards a climax through the use of suggestion and context. As Kosslyn’s depictive representation theory suggests, there are some topographically organized areas in the brain which are also retino-optically mapped; hence the same patterns of visual perception in the brain are also replicated by neurons in the retina (Kosslyn, 2008). As a result, something merely suggested and thereby perceived by a viewer could be actually seen. I have capitalized on this aspect and applied Scarry’s principle of vivacity in creating a gap between what is actually seen on film and what the viewer perceives, thereby heightening the sense of mystery (Scarry, 1995). For example, in some of the scenes where Mrs. Rochester’s presence is suggested through the use of shadowy figures and maniacal laughs. This enhances the sense of mystery and suspense surrounding Jane, as the viewer gains a perception of the presence of another person, but is not actually able to see her and knows that in accordance with the filmic storyline, no one lives in Thornfield Manor except Mr. Rochester, Adele and the servants. With the judicious use of kinetic occlusion suggested by Scarry (1995:6), for example, the vague, shadowy figure of Mrs Rochester flitting across the wall, the viewer feels that he or she has actually seen a person moving, i..e, the shadowy figure is accorded solidity. The screen adaptation cannot be as exhaustive as the written book due to the limitations of screen time; however the project is similar to the book Rebecca, which I used for the paper I did earlier, in that the opening pages of the book which describe a dream are like a composite of the entire story. I have achieved the same effect through this script, because I have pulled up specific scenes which I feel are relevant to the storyline and focused on them. In particular, the scenes where Mrs. Rochester’s presence is suggested but not actually seen help to heighten the shock of the scene where she finally appears and tears Jane’s wedding veil. My screen version of the Jane Eyre story achieves the same objective as Rebecca, of providing a capsule of the entire storyline, through a focus upon specific scenes which are important, while other less important scenes are shown in the form of a montage or a rapid flash of several scenes which give a general idea of what is happening in the story. The emphasis is placed on atmosphere and the foreboding context within which the events of the story take place. I have tried to achieve this effect of suspense by foreboding through the clever use of lighting and sound effects as well as appropriate music, which would help to create the necessary dark atmosphere. I have especially focused upon Jane’s eyes by incorporating lots of close up shots of her eyes. I have utilized this technique because Jane’s eyes are like a window into her soul; they reveal all the things that the repressed Victorian society and moral codes do not allow her to express openly. Jane’s eyes flashing highlight the anger and emotion she is feeling, the rebellion hovering just below the surface and also her deep passion for Mr. Rochester. In the scenes where Jane is a child, her turbulent, passionate nature is externally in evidence because it expresses itself in the form of physical movements, tantrums and screaming. When she is a young woman however, she cannot reveal those emotions externally and the audience will be able to look into her mind by looking into her eyes where her inner thoughts and feelings are on display. The choice and timing of scenes is intended to demonstrate how successfully the author of Jane Eyre is able to achieve the atmosphere of suspense through a focus on the sensory perceptions of the protagonist. There are some scenes which are shown through a montage; these are the less important ones in so far as the impact on the viewer is concerned. For instance, intercuts of scenes that have been included in the script while the romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester is progressing are yet another example of the phenomenon of vivacity which Scarry describes in her article, because the perceptions of the viewer are dependent upon the gap which exists between what Jane is actually seeing and the element of threat and suspense which could be created through sound effects and lighting (Scarry 4). By intercutting the montage of scenes of romance with scenes that are somewhat unpleasant, the suggestion is that of an intruder into the romance, i.e, a threatening influence that is hovering over the couple, waiting to erupt any moment. While the actual events occurring appear to be threatening someone else, for instance Mr. Mason or the house itself through the fire, nevertheless the underlying target is the developing romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester. This is the sub text that will be transmitted to the reader by way of the gap between perception and reality. A musical score may not have immediate acoustical content, but as Scarry points out, it can contribute towards the creation of atmosphere and a delayed sensory response (Scarry 2, 3). Jane Eyre is unaware of the existence of Mrs. Rochester; she gleans glimpses of strange events occurring, but they are not fully explained, hence the viewer gains a perception that Jane is in danger while she is within Thornfield Manor, because of the foreboding nature of the music that follows her in the house, but which lightens when she is outdoors and away from the manor. This would suggest to the viewer that something evil is lurking in the house and when Jane applies a practical, no-nonsense approach and sets off with a lantern into the halls but is diverted with the story about a drunken servant’s antics, this only heightens the suspicion in her mind. Scarry has described vivacity as the gap between the object that is imagined and the perceptual object, which consists of the actual objects the reader is seeing (Scarry, 1995 2). Applied in the film, this accentuates the atmosphere of suspense in the film, because the gap between these two creates the atmosphere of suspense. According to Sadolski and Paivio, who have described mental imagery in the reading process, written representation contains both “verbal and non verbal mental representations,” both of which contribute towards the effect that the narrator is seeking to achieve (Sadolski and Paivio 141). This could also be applied in the film medium as well, because it is not just the spoken dialogues which provide a sense of what is happening, but also the non verbal cues that a viewer picks up, such as the background sets, the music, the expressions and reactions of the actors as well as their body language. This is why I have laid so much stress on Jane’e eyes in the script. There are other examples as well; for instance the scene in the library where Jane does not see Mr. Rochester at first because the back of the chair is high and she doesn’t realize he’s there. This suggests the hidden nature of Mr. Rochester’s love; he has to conceal it because he is already married. Similarly, Jane’s dreamy look as she tries on her wedding veil and the symbolism in the veil being rent apart by the mad woman further signify the obstacle that exists in the path of Jane and Mr. Rochester’s marriage. I was inspired to commence this project because of my fondness for the book and the character of Jane Eyre. In my view, the character demonstrates considerable grit and principle for a woman in the Victorian age; she was as good as any man in this respect. I am fairly satisfied with this script summary I have produced, because it does conform to the general storyline of the book itself. While adapting the textual material to writing for the film medium however, I found that the most significant problem was being able to visually present the thoughts and perceptions of the narrator Jane Eyre in a way that the viewer would be able to grasp. I had to resort to the process of filtering the available material, by focusing only on the most important scenes, to try and present them with more detail and enhancements with sound and music cues, while relegating the less important scenes to less film time and footage. Works Cited Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Norton, 2001. Kosslyn, Stephen M, 2006. “The case for mental imagery”. Scarry, Elaine. “On Vivacity: The Difference Between Daydreaming and Imagining-Under-Authorial-Instruction.” Representations. 52 (1995), 1-26. Sadoski, Mark and Allan Paivio. Imagery and Text: A Dual Coding Theory of Reading and Writing. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Read More