song

1. For this assignment, I want you to pick a popular song (aim to keep it fairly recent—within the last ~20 years or so) and argue for the song’s adherence to, or subversion of, gender in the nineteenth century, as depicted in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Feel free to focus on how the novel portrays women, or to look at how it depicts the men in the novel—the choice is yours! Although the nineteenth century seems like a long time ago (it’s been over a hundred years!), this assignment should hopefully help you see connections between our modern narratives of gender and how the Victorians viewed it.

 

This paper should be 3-4 pages long. Like all papers in this class, I expect this to be in MLA format, with your last name and page number in the top right header, and then your name, my name, the class name, and the due date on the first page, top left. Your paper should be double spaced, and when you quote from the text or a song, be sure to cite correctly (please see the assignment sheet for the one-page response paper if you need a refresher on how to do this). You do not need to include a Works Cited page.

 

This assignment will be due in Week 5, at the midpoint of the semester, on October 3. Please submit it to the Canvas drop box, and include the link to a YouTube video/Soundcloud of the song you chose as well. (Please be aware that I do not have Spotify or Pandora, so make sure that the link you send for your song is easily accessible.)

 

 

Your Paper Should Cover the Following Points: 

 

Introduction

Provide a brief overview of the song and how it relates to Jane Eyre, including a thesis which drives your interpretation home.

 

Song Background

Be sure to take the time to mention some background of the song, such as who performs it, when it was created, the genre of the piece, and a short summary of the song.

 

Women’s Role/Connection

This is where I want to see you get into more detail about how this song helps you interpret a certain part of Jane Eyre. How are the song and text similar? Alternatively, how does your chosen song help you to see how things have changed since Jane Eyre was written? Refer to specific details from the song and/or text in this section. This is a great spot to bring in some evidence by referring to specific lyrics.

 

Themes (See attached list)

Describe at least two themes of the song. Explain where in the song we see those themes, again providing lyrics as evidence for your themes. Discuss why these themes are relevant.

 

Conclusion

Offer a final insight about this song and Jane Eyre.

 

Here are some ideas of themes in Jane Eyre to get you started. If you want to write about something not included on this list, feel free to do so! These are just some ideas:

 

Qualities of the ideal Victorian woman

Angel of the house

Gender roles

Jane’s connection to the natural world/environment

Social class

Motherhood/child-care