Brontë Scholars around the world (I)

The interest on the Brontës knows no borders. Even with scholar works:

United States

Thesis (Issue Date: 2-May-2006)
A Scenic Design for John Caird and Paul Gordon's "Jane Eyre: A Musical Drama"
Authors: Peters, Tanna Marie
Advisors: Conway, Daniel
Sponsors: Digital Repository at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)

Abstract:
The purpose of this thesis is to document and analyze the process of the scenic design for John Caird and Paul Gordon's "Jane Eyre: A Musical Drama" as it was produced at the University of Maryland in October of 2005. The role of the scenic designer is to support the director's conceptual approach to a production via the scenic elements in collaboration with the design and production teams. Chapter 1 is an analysis of the script through a discussion of the original author of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brônte; the adaptation in musical form; and the imagery and symbolism inherent in the text. Chapter 2 details the visual research process and creation of the design in conjunction with the director, lighting designer, and costume designer. Chapter 3 follows the process of the set construction and creation of the design. Chapter 4 provides a critical analysis of the scenic design process and creation in reference to the scenic design.

Taiwan

Thesis
The Oppression of Victorian Middle-Class Women by Men in Jane Eyre (Date of Defense 2006-07-10)
Author: Chi-nan Tu (Department of Applied English, Leader University, Tainan, TW)

Abstract
Although Charlotte Bronte is not a feminist in the contemporary sense, she portrays the oppression of Victorian women by men in her novel Jane Eyre. Because middle-class women are the dominant characters in this novel, most emphasis is placed on this group. The analysis proceeds by taking concepts from liberal feminism, particularly those related to self-fulfillment and autonomy. The purpose of applying these ideas is to understand women’s oppression in Victorian society as shown in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.
There are, in the thesis, three chapters, each with its own subdivisions: three forms of oppression affecting middle-class women in Jane Eyre, the impact of eight women characters in the novel, and Jane’s contradictory character. In the first chapter, the focus is on three forms of oppression, including education, employment, and sexuality, all of which appear in the novel. In the second chapter, eight women’s characters are discussed in light of their positive or negative influence on Jane’s development. In the third chapter, the emphasis is on Jane’s contradictory character. In this chapter, four characters – Rochester, Bertha Mason, St. John, and Helen Burns – are shown to exhibit two poles of extreme personality traits, namely, a spiritual or sensual orientation. They can be divided into two groups: Rochester and Bertha Mason are sensual, but St. John and Helen Burns are spiritual. Jane is ambivalent as a person who stands in the middle point between spirituality and sensuality.
Finally, my aim is to portray Jane’s development. Women were oppressed in Victorian society, and these oppressive forms negatively impacted women’s development. In Jane Eyre, however, oppressive social practices seem key for Jane to both articulate and achieve her goals.

Categories: Jane Eyre, Music, Scholar