Charlotte Bronte & R.A. Harding
Authors Notes:
This chapter may seem difficult, but the worst is yet to come. The woes and tribulations of being a pupil at Lowood is not for the faint of heart. Mr Brocklehurst is a right dick and suggests that starving children is a way to remind them to suffer better. Holy cow. Really dude? His entire visit is a complete power trip that he loves to go on while overseeing the school. While Miss Mandir holds it together, the whole school finds him to be a complete ponce.
Author’s Notes:
There is very little change to this chapter besides weather. We get to know Helen a little better and she defends an abusive teacher with a doctrine of patience and forgiveness. I know it is the way dicipline was taught at these schools, but if Miss Mandir was not a loving balance to the hardships I don’t think it would be a bearable section.
Authors Notes:
Here we go! Major chapter changes as I move her not the fifty miles, but four thousand miles across the world to northern India! We meet many of our players in this section for here is were we arrive at Lowood Institution, meet Miss Mandir (AKA Miss Temple) and Helen Burns.
Her flight and the sights she sees from the dirigible are greatly influenced by my own experience flying with my father in little airplanes when I was a child. I still adore flying and wanted to capture a little of the first experiences and obersvations through Janes eyes.
I have changed the name of Miss Temple to Miss Mandir and she is Indian. I have left poor Helen Burns alone. She is the only main character who stays the same as in the book as I have come to understand that she was based off of Charlotte’s sister, who died at a young age. It felt important to respect that.
The school is in the rainy season, all cold is changed to excessive rain and humidity. They wear tunic, pants and vests instead of the plain dresses, and saris on sunday. This school teaches all that she learned originally, but for the added education in mechanisms! All young ladies should know how to fix the basics on a steam engine, for who knows where they might end up….
Authors Notes:
This chapter took a little more work to adjust. There are many new ideas that flesh out the steampunk aspects of the world, but the main focus is the time difference that I needed to create. Lowood School is located in India and to follow the basic flow of book I needed her to arrive just before the monsoon season, which starts in June. I had to add a little more time and give Jane a few more things to do at Gateshead. I have added snips here and there and thus, given her a few more months in that unkind house.
I feel a kinship to Jane’s love of books as when I was young I too read as much as possible, so I have added a little more about the library which will make an appearance in later chapters.
Overall this chapter really underscores the difficulty of being a child in Gateshead Hall, and I feel for the poor wee girl. She is frustrated and unloved and Mr. Brocklhurst threatens her with the fires of damnation. I do appreciate that in the end she speaks her mind to Ms. Reed and has a small victory.
Authors Notes:
Mr Lloyd took on the aspect of an automaton early on in the draft of the book. He seemed like enough of a tertiary character that I could change him thus and not offend a seasoned reader. In fact, he seems more kind in some ways than any Jane has encountered before. I have slightly edited his conversation and line of inquiry with Jane to indicate that he is seeking to diagnose her and in the process discovers it is more a psychological malady. I think he is sweet and would love someone to imagine him in drawing.
Authors Notes:
This chapter continues to shape the world. Jane observes herself and gives us a peek at her clockwork eye. We get a sense that the religion of this fictional world is not just Christian. The general overtones of Chrisitanity in the book were witten for that time but I considered “What if, India was flowing back toward England and in the name of uniting the two lands there emerged a Hindu Christian religion?” Of course there are many philosphers and those of religious faith who might aruge with this. If it causes you to put the book down right now, I completely understand. If not, well let us continue with that “what if”? and see how it changes the story.
Authors Notes:
In this chapter we meet Jane: plain, longing, rejected, lots of feelings. I can completely relate to her love of reading. Curling up in a window seat and longing to be far away from where she is. When John comes in and rats her out I wonder what it is like to have such an odius housemate. How many times she endured being hit before this one time she strikes back. As far as clockwork, we understand that she has a mechanical eye. Such wonders can this time produce that the gears can be so fine and perfect to return sight unto the blind.
