Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte

Summary:

Ten-year-old orphan Jane Eyre lives unhappily with her wealthy relatives, the Reed family, at
Gateshead. Resentful of the late Mr. Reed’s preference for her, Jane’s aunt and cousins take every opportunity
to neglect and abuse her as a reminder of her inferior station. Jane’s only salvation from her daily humiliations
is Bessie, the kindly servant who tells her stories and sings her songs. One day, Jane confronts her bullying
cousin, John, and Mrs. Reed punishes her by imprisoning her in the “red-room,” the room in which her uncle
died. Convinced that she sees her uncle’s ghost, Jane faints. When she awakes, Jane is being cared for the
apothecary, Mr. Lloyd, who suggests that she be sent off to school. Mrs. Reed is happy to be rid of her
troublesome charge and immediately sends Jane to the Lowood School, an institution fifty miles from
Gateshead.
Jane soon discovers that life at the Lowood School is bleak, particularly because of the influence of the
hypocritical headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst, whose cruelty and evangelical self-righteousness results in poor
conditions, inedible meals, and frequent punishments for the students. During an inspection of the school, Mr.
Brocklehurst humiliates Jane by forcing to stand on a stool in the middle of the class and accusing her of being
a liar. The beautiful superintendent, Miss Temple, believes in Jane’s innocence and writes to Mr. Lloyd for
clarification of Jane’s nature. Although Jane continues to suffer privations in the austere environment, Miss
Temple’s benevolence encourages her to devote herself to her studies.
While at Lowood, Jane also befriends Helen Burns, who upholds a doctrine of Christian forgiveness and
tolerance. Helen is constantly mistreated by Miss Scratcherd, one of the more unpleasant teachers at the school,
but maintains her passivity and “turns the other cheek.” Although Jane is unable to accept Helen’s doctrine
completely her passionate nature cannot allow her to endure mistreatment silently– Jane attempts to mirror
Helen’s patience and calmness in her own character. During the spring, an outbreak of typhus fever ravages the
school, and Helen dies of consumption in Jane’s arms. The deaths by typhus alert the benefactors to the
school’s terrible conditions, and it is revealed that Mr. Brocklehurst has been embezzling school funds in order
to provide for his own luxurious lifestyle. After Mr. Brocklehurst’s removal, Jane’s time at Lowood is spent
more happily and she excels as a student for six years and as a teacher for two.
Despite her security at Lowood, Jane is dissatisfied and yearns for new adventures. She accepts a
position as governess at Thornfield Manor and is responsible for teaching a vivacious French girl named Adèle.
In addition to Adèle, Jane spends much of her time at Thornfield with Mrs. Fairfax, the elderly housekeeper
who runs the estate during the master’s absence. Jane also begins to notice some mysterious happenings around
Thornfield, including the master’s constant absence from home and the demonic laugh that Jane hears
emanating from the third-story attic.
After much waiting, Jane finally meets her employer, Edward Rochester, a brooding, detached man who
seems to have a dark past. Although Mr. Rochester is not handsome in the traditional sense, Jane feels an
immediate attraction to him based on their intellectual communion. One night, Jane saves Mr. Rochester from a
fire in his bedroom, which he blames on Grace Poole, a seamstress with a propensity for gin. Because Grace
continues to work at Thornfield, Jane decides that Mr. Rochester has withheld some important information
about the incident.
As the months go by, Jane finds herself falling more and more in love with Mr. Rochester, even after he
tells her of his lustful liaison with Adèle’s mother. However, Jane becomes convinced that Mr. Rochester
would never return her affection when he brings the beautiful Blanche Ingram to visit at Thornfield. Though
Rochester flirts with the idea of marrying Miss Ingram, he is aware of her financial ambitions for marriage.
During Miss Ingram’s visit, an old acquaintance of Rochester's, Richard Mason, also visits Thornfield and is
severely injured from an attack - apparently by Grace - in the middle of the night in the attic. Jane, baffled by
the circumstances, tends to him, and Rochester confesses to her that he made an error in the past that he hopes
to overturn by marrying Miss Ingram. He says that he has another governess position for Jane lined up
elsewhere.
Jane returns to Gateshead for a few weeks to see the dying Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed still resents Jane and
refuses to apologize for mistreating her as a child; she also admits that she lied to Jane’s uncle, John Eyre, and
told him that she had died during the typhus outbreak at Lowood. When Jane returns to Thornfield, Rochester
tells her that he knows Miss Ingram’s true motivations for marriage, and he asks Jane to marry him. Jane
accepts, but a month later, Mason and a solicitor, Mr. Briggs, interrupt the wedding ceremony by revealing that
Rochester already has a wife: Mason's sister, Bertha, who is kept in the attic in Thornfield under the care of
Grace Poole. Rochester confesses his past misdeeds to Jane. In his youth he needed to marry the wealthy Bertha
for money, but was unaware of her family's history of madness. Despite his best efforts to help her, Bertha
eventually descended into a state of complete madness that only her imprisonment could control. Jane still
loves Mr. Rochester, but she cannot allow herself to become his mistress: she leaves Thornfield.
Penniless and devastated by Mr. Rochester’s revelations, Jane is reduced to begging for food and
sleeping outdoors. Fortunately, the Rivers siblings, St. John (pronounced “Sinjin”), Diana, and Mary, take her
into their home at Moor House and help her to regain her strength. Jane becomes close friends with the family,
and quickly develops a great affection for the ladies. Although the stoically religious St. John is difficult to
approach, he finds Jane a position working as a teacher at a school in Morton. One day, Jane learns that she has
inherited a vast fortune of 20,000 pounds from her uncle, John Eyre. Even more surprising, Jane discovers that
the Rivers siblings are actually her cousins. Jane immediately decides to share her newfound wealth with her
relatives.
St. John is going to go on missionary work in India and repeatedly asks Jane to accompany him as his
wife. She refuses, since it would mean compromising her capacity for passion in a loveless marriage. Instead,
she is drawn to thoughts of Mr. Rochester and, one day, after experiencing a mystical connection with him,
seeks him out at Thornfield. She discovers that the estate has been burned down by Bertha, who died in the fire,
and that Mr. Rochester, who lost his eyesight and one of his hands in the fire, lives at the nearby estate of
Ferndean. He is overjoyed when she locates him, and relates his side of the mystical connection that Jane had.
He and Jane soon marry. At the end of the novel, Jane informs the readers that she and Mr. Rochester have been
married for ten years, and Mr. Rochester regained sight in one of his eyes in time to see the birth of his first son.
 Kenilworth- Sir Walter Scott

Summary:
The novel opens in Bony Black Bear Inn owned by Giles Gosling. He just welcomes his mischievous
nephew Michael Lambourne on his return from Flanders. He boasts his services in the army. A party is
arranged to celebrate the return of Lambourne. He invites the Cornishman, Tressilian, and other guests to drink
with them. During the party Lambourne comes to know about a certain young lady under the steward Foster's
charge at Cumnor Place. It was owned by the Earl of Leicester. Tressilian and Lambourne visit the place. On
arriving there Tressilian finds out that this lady is his former lady-love, Amy. He offers to take her home, but
she refuses. As he is leaving, he quarrels with Richard Varney, the earl's squire. Varney announces the arrival
of the Earl. He hands over Amy the gift sent by the Earl. During the visit of the Earl, Amy pleads to make their
marriage public but he refuses the resentment of Elizabeth.
Varney employs Lambourne to spy Tressilian. Warned by his host, Tressilian leaves Cumnor by night
and reaches the residence of Sir Hugh Robsart, Amy's father. Returning to London, Tressilian befriends
Wayland Smith who cures the Earl of Sussex of a dangerous illness. They plan to bring Amy's case before the
queen. When the case is brought in front of the queen, she asks both the Earl of Leicester and Earl of Sussex to
forget their enmity and become friends. When Tressilian brings the case of Amy, Varney claims that Amy is his
wife and saves Earl of Leicester
Wayland Smith manages to meet Amy informs her about the arrival of Elizabeth to Kenilworth and the
rumour about the marriage between the queen and Leicester. The queen commands Varney to be present in
Kenilworth along with his wife Amy. Realizing the danger Varney informs the queen that Amy is unwell and
produces medical certificate. By the mean time, Amy escapes with the help of Wayland Smith and reaches
Kenilworth.
Amy writes a letter to the Earl in which she explains the situation which led her to come to Kenilworth
and presents the evil motives of Varney. Unfortunately Wayland Smith misses that letter. By that time the Earl
of Leicester proposes to marry the queen which is rejected by her. Receiving no reply to her note, Amy presents
herself in front of the queen and seeks protection from Varney. Also, she claims that the Earl knows everything.
When the Earl is in danger, Varney rescues him by saying that she is mentally ill. The queen orders a medical
examination by the royal physician.
Leicester and Varney realize the possible danger. Varney influences the Earl and obtains permission to
take Amy away from Kenilworth. The next witnesses the duel between Tressilian and the Earl. It was
interrupted and the missing letter of Amy is given to the Earl. Now, the Earl understands the schemes of Varney
and cries. He confesses to the queen about his secret marriage with Amy and seeks forgiveness. The queen
orders to rescue Amy from the hands of Varney immediately. Sir Walter Raleigh and Tressilian proceed to
Cumnor to save Amy.
Varney reaches Cumnor place first and sets a trap to kill Amy with the help of Anthony Forster. But
Forster warns her not to come out of the room until the Earl comes. In the following evening when she hears
whistle like the earl's signal, she tries to come out of the room. It unhooks the trap and she is killed in the
mishap. The death of Amy halts all the celebrations in Kenilworth. Varney dies in prison by consuming poison.
Amy’s father Sir Hugh Robsart settles all his properties to Tressilian and dies very soon after his daughter.
Leicester is recalled to the court after a short break. Walter Raleigh rises in rank and power. Tressilian looks
very dejected and looks older than his age. He goes to Virginia in America along with Walter Raleigh and dies
young. Wayland Smith marries Janet and lives happily. Anthony Forster’s skeleton was found in the secret
room found nearby Amy’s room after several years. He had gold bars in his hands.
Historical Aspects:
· The novel is set against the time of Queen Elizabeth.
· Scott uses historical characters but meddles with the facts.
· But he presents the spirit of the age effectively and portrays them realistically.
· There are many inaccuracies in the facts presented in the novel.
· Some other critics claim that Amy was not ill and she struggled hard to protect herself from being poisoned.
· In reality, Varney and Anthony Forster are very good friends.
· There was no person named Wayland Smith in history. It was just a legend.
 Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens
Summary:
Oliver Twist is the story of a young orphan, Oliver, and his attempts to stay good in a society that
refuses to help. Oliver is born in a workhouse, to a mother not known to anyone in the town. She dies right after
giving birth to him, and he is sent to the parochial orphanage, where he and the other orphans are treated
terribly and fed very little. When he turns nine, he is sent to the workhouse, where again he and the others are
treated badly and practically starved. The other boys, unable to stand their hunger any longer, decide to draw
straws to choose who will have to go up and ask for more food. Oliver loses. On the appointed day, after
finishing his first serving of gruel, he goes up and asks for more. Mr. Bumble, the beadle, and the board are
outraged, and decide they must get rid of Oliver, apprenticing him to the parochial undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry.
It is not great there either, and after an attack on his mother’s memory, Oliver runs away.
Oliver walks towards London. When he is close, he is so weak he can barely continue, and he meets
another boy named Jack Dawkins, or the artful Dodger. The Dodger tells Oliver he can come with him to a
place where a gentleman will give him a place to sleep and food, for no rent. Oliver follows, and the Dodger
takes him to an apartment in London where he meets Fagin, the aforementioned gentleman, and Oliver is
offered a place to stay. Oliver eventually learns that Fagin’s boys are all pickpockets and thieves, but not until
he is wrongfully accused of their crime of stealing an old gentleman’s handkerchief. He is arrested, but the
bookseller comes just in time to the court and says that he saw that Oliver did not do it. The gentleman whose
handkerchief was taken, Mr. Brownlow, feels bad for Oliver, and takes him in. Oliver is very happy with Mr.
Brownlow, but Fagin and his co-conspirators are not happy to have lost Oliver, who may give away their hiding
place. So one day, when Mr. Brownlow entrusts Oliver to return some books to the bookseller for him, Nancy
spots Oliver, and kidnaps him, taking him back to Fagin.
Oliver is forced to go on a house-breaking excursion with the intimidating Bill Sikes. At gun point
Oliver enters the house, with the plan to wake those within, but before he can, he is shot by one of the servants.
Sikes and his partner escape, leaving Oliver in a ditch. The next morning Oliver makes it back to the house,
where the kind owner, Mrs. Maylie, and her beautiful niece Rose, decide to protect him from the police and
nurse him back to health. Oliver slowly recovers, and is extremely happy and grateful to be with such kind and
generous people, who in turn are ecstatic to find that Oliver is such a good-natured boy. When he is well
enough, they take him to see Mr. Brownlow, but they find his house empty—he has moved to the West Indies.
Meanwhile, Fagin and his mysterious partner Monks have not given up on finding Oliver, and one day Oliver
wakens from a nightmare to find them staring at him through his window. He raises the alarm, but they escape.
Nancy, overhearing Fagin and Monks, decides that she must go to Rose and Maylie to tell her what she knows.
She does so, telling Rose that Monks is Oliver’s half-brother, who has been trying to destroy Oliver so that he
can keep his whole inheritance, but that she will not betray Fagin or Sikes. Rose tells Mr. Brownlow, who tells
Oliver’s other caretakers, and they decide that they must meet Nancy again to find out how to find Monks.
They meet her on London Bridge at a prearranged time, but Fagin has become suspicious, and has sent
his new boy, Noah Claypole, to spy on Nancy. Nancy tells Rose and Mr. Brownlow how to find Monks, but
still refuses to betray Fagin and Sikes, or to go with them. Noah reports everything to Fagin, who tells Sikes,
knowing full well that Sikes will kill Nancy. He does. Mr. Brownlow has in the mean time found Monks, who
finally admits everything that he has done, and the true case of Oliver’s birth. Sikes is on the run, but all of
London is in an uproar, and he eventually hangs himself accidentally in falling off a roof, while trying to escape
from the mob surrounding him. Fagin is arrested and tried, and, after a visit from Oliver, is executed. Oliver,
Mr. Brownlow, and the Mrs. Maylies end up living in peace and comfort in a small village in the English
countryside.
 Far From the Madding Crowd- Thomas Hardy
Summary:
The novel opens with a chance encounter between Gabriel Oak and Bathsheba Everdene just outside the
town of Caster bridge. Gabriel comes from humble origins as a shepherd, but has recently leased his own farm
and seems to have good economic prospects. He is immediately struck by Bathsheba’s beauty, although he
quickly becomes aware that she is proud and headstrong. Although Bathsheba has been well-educated, she has
fallen on hard times and is now required to take a very hands-on role helping her aunt to take care of her farm.
The close proximity of their farms leads to a series of encounters between the two, including an incident in
which Bathsheba saves Gabriel’s life.
After only knowing her for a short time, Gabriel proposes to Bathsheba and is surprised when she turns
him down, explaining that she does not love him and is reluctant to give up her independence. Shortly after this
conversation, Bathsheba moves away to the town of Weather bury. A short time later, Gabriel experiences a
dramatic reversal of fortune when he loses the majority of his sheep in a disastrous accident. He loses all of his
money and has to give up his farm and seek work in whatever capacity he can find. While he is looking for
work near the town of Weather bury, he happens to come across a fire that is threatening to destroy a large
amount of valuable crops. Gabriel takes charge of the situation and helps to get the fire under control, only to
learn later that the owner of the farm is Bathsheba. She has inherited it from her uncle, and has taken the
unusual step of managing it herself, even though this was uncommon for a woman at the time. She hires
Gabriel to work as a shepherd.
Bathsheba attracts a great deal of attention as an attractive, single, and prosperous woman with
unconventional ideas, but she is dismayed to notice that William Boldwood, a successful middle-aged farmer,
does not seem curious about her. On a whim, Bathsheba sends him a Valentine’s Day card as a prank; when she
does so, she unwittingly sets the stage for Boldwood, who is lonely and shy, to fall deeply in love with her.
Boldwood proposes to Bathsheba a short time later, leaving her surprised and uncomfortable. She turns down
the offer but is not entirely sure how to proceed in the future, since she knows some aspects of the marriage
would be advantageous.
Boldwood's courtship leads to disagreement between Gabriel and Bathsheba, to the point where she
initially dismisses him from his job, but quickly hires him back when he saves many of her sheep after they eat
poisonous plants and become ill. Boldwood proposes to Bathsheba a second time and although she does not
accept, she gives him reason to be hopeful that she will. That same night, however, Bathsheba meets the
handsome and charismatic Sergeant Troy, who quickly stirs her emotions. Knowing that Bathsheba is attracted
to Troy, whom he is suspicious of, Gabriel encourages her to choose to marry Boldwood instead.
Nonetheless, Bathsheba's growing feelings for Troy lead her to tell Boldwood she can never marry him.
Boldwood is angry and jealous, and even threatens violence against Troy, especially since Troy has a bad
reputation as a womanizer. Bathsheba is nervous about what will happen when Troy, who is currently away in
Bath, returns and she decides to go to Bath herself to end the relationship and tell him not to come back.
However, when Troy and Bathsheba return from Bath, they are married, a fact which Troy reveals to Boldwood
only after playing a cruel trick on him and deceiving Boldwood into offering to pay Troy to marry the woman
he loves. Both Boldwood and Gabriel are deeply upset by this reckless decision.
Their worries seem well-founded, since Troy quickly proves to be lazy and unmotivated to help with
running the farm. Gabriel narrowly averts disaster when a severe thunderstorm takes place on the night of the
harvest celebrations and he takes the initiative to protect the uncovered crops since everyone else at the farm
has gotten too drunk to help out. With Troy showing no signs of wanting to change his behavior, and spending
money recklessly, the relationship between him and Bathsheba becomes worse and worse. In October, about 9
months after the beginning of the novel, Troy and Bathsheba meet a young woman walking on the road. She
seems to be ill and impoverished, and the sight of her triggers strange behavior from Troy, which he refuses to
explain to his wife.
Troy is determined to hide the identity of the woman: Fanny Robbins, who was formerly a servant at the
Everdene farm. She and Troy had an affair the previous winter while he was stationed with his troops in
Melchester, and Fanny ran away believing she and Troy were going to elope. However, he abandoned her and
she found herself pregnant. Now close to giving birth, she is trying to make her way to a local poorhouse. Troy
arranges to meet her in a few days time, hoping to give her money and help her. However, after making an
agonizing journey to the poorhouse, Fanny and her baby both die during childbirth.
When Bathsheba learns of the death of her former servant, although not the cause, she sends for the
body to be brought back to Weatherbury and buried there. Meanwhile, Troy sets out to meet Fanny, unaware of
her death. Gabriel arranges for the fact that Fanny died giving birth to be hidden from Bathsheba, but the
combination of rumors and her husband's suspicious behavior lead her to open the coffin and find the corpses of
both Fanny and the infant inside. Bathsheba also realizes that Troy must be the father of Fanny's child, and
when he comes home, the two of them have a heated argument. Bathsheba flees from the house and does not
return until the coffin has been taken away. By that time, Troy has also left the house and he is seen leaving
town a short time later.
Troy makes his way to the seashore, where he gets caught up in a strong tide while taking a swim. He is
rescued by some sailors and impulsively decides to join them on their voyage to America. As a result of this
sudden disappearance, Troy is presumed to have drowned, and Bathsheba is declared a widow. This train of
events leads Boldwood to hope that he will be able to marry her eventually, although Bathsheba insists that
because Troy's death was only established circumstantially, she wants to wait a full 7 years after his death.
Time passes, and at the end of the summer, almost a year after his vanishing, Troy secretly returns to
Weatherbury. He has gotten tried of living in poverty and is considering reuniting with his wife, although he
does not immediately reveal his identity or presence. Meanwhile, Boldwood has mentioned his hopes of
marriage to Bathsheba and she has agreed to tell him at Christmas whether or not she will begin the 6-year
engagement.
Troy has learned that Bathsheba is considering remarrying, and on Christmas Eve, he makes a surprise
appearance at the lavish party Boldwood is throwing. He tries to reclaim Bathsheba as his wife, but Boldwood
flies into a rage and shoots and kills him. Boldwood is initially sentenced to death for this crime, but is
eventually found to be insane and sentenced to life in prison. Bathsheba is traumatized by these events but
slowly recovers, becoming more and more dependent on Gabriel to help her run the farm. She is shocked and
unhappy to learn that he plans to leave England and move to America. This news leads Bathsheba to reflect on
how valuable and loyal Gabriel has been. One night, she goes to his cottage to ask him why he is determined to
leave, and as the two talk, it becomes clear that they both love each other, but have each been confused about
the feelings of the other. A short time later, Gabriel and Bathsheba finally marry with much rejoicing from the
local people and farm workers.
 Lord of Flies- William Golding
Summary:
Lord of the Flies explores the dark side of humanity, the savagery that underlies even the most civilized
human beings. William Golding intended this novel as a tragic parody of children's adventure tales, illustrating
humankind's intrinsic evil nature. He presents the reader with a chronology of events leading a group of young
boys from hope to disaster as they attempt to survive their uncivilized, unsupervised, isolated environment until
rescued.
In the midst of a nuclear war, a group of British boys find themselves stranded without adult supervision
on a tropical island. The group is roughly divided into the "littluns," boys around the age of six, and the
"biguns," who are between the ages of ten and twelve. Initially, the boys attempt to form a culture similar to the
one they left behind. They elect a leader, Ralph, who, with the advice and support of Piggy (the intellectual of
the group), strives to establish rules for housing and sanitation. Ralph also makes a signal fire the group's first
priority, hoping that a passing ship will see the smoke signal and rescue them. A major challenge to Ralph's
leadership is Jack, who also wants to lead. Jack commands a group of choirboys-turned-hunters who sacrifice
the duty of tending the fire so that they can participate in the hunts. Jack draws the other boys slowly away from
Ralph's influence because of their natural attraction to and inclination toward the adventurous hunting activities
symbolizing violence and evil.
The conflict between Jack and Ralph and the forces of savagery and civilization that they represent is
exacerbated by the boys' literal fear of a mythical beast roaming the island. One night, an aerial battle occurs
above the island, and a casualty of the battle floats down with his opened parachute, ultimately coming to rest
on the mountaintop. Breezes occasionally inflate the parachute, making the body appear to sit up and then sink
forward again. This sight panics the boys as they mistake the dead body for the beast they fear. In a reaction to
this panic, Jack forms a splinter group that is eventually joined by all but a few of the boys. The boys who join
Jack are enticed by the protection Jack's ferocity seems to provide, as well as by the prospect of playing the role
of savages: putting on camouflaging face paint, hunting, and performing ritualistic tribal dances. Eventually,
Jack's group actually slaughters a sow and, as an offering to the beast, puts the sow's head on a stick. Of all the
boys, only the mystic Simon has the courage to discover the true identity of the beast sighted on the mountain.
After witnessing the death of the sow and the gift made of her head to the beast, Simon begins to hallucinate,
and the staked sow's head becomes the Lord of the Flies, imparting to Simon what he has already suspected:
The beast is not an animal on the loose but is hidden in each boy's psyche. Weakened by his horrific vision,
Simon loses consciousness.
Recovering later that evening, he struggles to the mountaintop and finds that the beast is only a dead
pilot/soldier. Attempting to bring the news to the other boys, he stumbles into the tribal frenzy of their dance.
Perceiving him as the beast, the boys beat him to death. Soon only three of the older boys, including Piggy, are
still in Ralph's camp. Jack's group steals Piggy's glasses to start its cooking fires, leaving Ralph unable to
maintain his signal fire. When Ralph and his small group approach Jack's tribe to request the return of the
glasses, one of Jack's hunters releases a huge boulder on Piggy, killing him. The tribe captures the other two
biguns prisoners, leaving Ralph on his own.
The tribe undertakes a manhunt to track down and kill Ralph, and they start a fire to smoke him out of
one of his hiding places, creating an island-wide forest fire. A passing ship sees the smoke from the fire, and a
British naval officer arrives on the beach just in time to save Ralph from certain death at the hands of the
schoolboys turned savages.