Traveling in Victorian England to Gothic Yorkshire can come with more similarities than one may think. Sarah in Longbourn shares many similarities with the protagonist from Jane Eyre, Jane herself. Need for Love As girls age, the need for particular kinds of love change. Some bear the need to find someone to love, and some wish to be loved. While differences arise based on the situation one grows up in, the connection between characters is seen as they age and grow to realize what kind of love they seek in life.
Strong Persona A strong woman protagonist is usually seen with a bright and defined personality. She who bears this persona is said to be independent, strong minded, and perhaps even stubborn.
Suppression As talked about previously, suppression is what can define one's character and mark then as an individual in the world. It can be a stepping point for many to realize what they want out of the world and what they want to do about it.
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Babylonian astrology was introduced in 400 BCE by the Greeks, and yet with here in the 21st century, it is still studied and used in everyday life. Zodiac signs are based on lunar cycles and are said to describe (either generally or specifically) an individual based on their birth date. Through this analysis, a scrutinization of character will be done for Mrs. Hill and James to determine what their Zodiac signs might have been. A virgo's strength include being loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, and practical. Mrs. Hill is the hardest worker in the household and is practical in everything she does. Her strong analytic side makes her a meticulous worker, as she is seen often scornfully pointing out the details other servants leave out in their work. She has a methodical way of working that points directly at that of a virgo. Virgo is an individual who is a strong character but prefers to conserve oneself and keeps explicit boundaries to even their dreams. The strength is seen in Mrs. Hill in a somewhat concealed way: she is able to keep not only the Bennet family in order, but also the other servants. She acts as a mother figure to the Bennett family (especially Mrs. Bennett), as well as young Polly and Sarah. A virgo's weakness includes rudeness, asking for help, and taking center stage. Mrs. Hill is one to always stress on being polite and this is especially shown when Polly and Sarah consciously call her "Ma'am" and such. Sometimes, that frustration and caution around others would be very direct, as one time James notices "Mrs. Hill had a stiff and defensive air about her" (83). Asking for help plagues Mrs. Hill's mood when Sarah or Polly asks her for help; her personality is such that she understands that task at hand and works her way through it, and it imposes frustration upon her because not everyone is like her in that sense. On the face of it, Taurus are simple minded individuals. They are practical and well grounded, just like a Virgo. But they are deep characters with a lot to them. James represents that of a Taurus, as he holds many of the character traits of a Taurus like being reliable, patient, practical, devoted, and responsible. Being an Earth Sign, he also posses he traits of conservatism, overprotective, and materialistic at times. James is a hard worker and exemplifies the traits above in his work. He keeps his head down and does all of the work assigned to him. At one point James defies who he usually is, "contrary to his habits, was getting under Mrs. Hill's feet, and was suddenly talkative"(80). This further exemplifies that he is usually taciturn. James is a character with a very prominent independence from others and is able to take care of himself. Weaknesses of a Taurus include being stubborn, and disliking sudden changes, complications, and insecurity of any kind. One example of insecurity is Jame's past. When Sarah notices his scars on his back, he feels "almost unable to breathe...He had to explain. About how he had come by it. He had to apologize"(171). Another instance where these traits are especially apparent when James faces the soldiers that come into town. The soldiers bring forth a sudden change in Jame's life that make him so frantic that his strong conservative shield is easily broken and visible to those around him, including Sarah. He feels insecure with the situation and runs from the change.
The Victorian Era is a time period in which a distinct culture and society is prominent. An assemblage of silky gown, epic headpieces, and fake wigs were not the only elements of the Victorian Era; this era brings to light the fancies of Queen Victoria herself, and the trends of the decade. Although Longbourn focuses on the servants of the household, there are distinct features throughout the book that point out the unique society Sarah and the servants lived in. Stay in your Class The most distinct feature of the Victorian Era was the division of class. Three classes were present: Upper Class, Middle class, and working class. This separation is especially apparent in the Bennett household itself. While the "upper class" of the Bennetts have leeway throughout their society, the servants (lower class) are subjected to only doing their work and remaining separate from the family. For example, Sarah and the servants eat in a separate room and at a different time only after the family has eaten. Although they do all of the heavy work for the household, they are no permitted to own such items (nor do they have the money to). The Upper Class were able to buy the most lavish clothes and afford riches that some could only dream of. I n contrast, the working class faced many struggles. Many families had to send their children off to work in order to get food on the table, or even worse, had to give up their children altogether. Sarah was one of the children who was given up. As the wealthy families live in luxury, it is the lower class where "There could be no wearing of clothes without their laundering just as surely as there could be no going without clothes"(1). Perhaps important as they were, they still were quite lower in spectrum socially. Marriage Although the Bennett family was generally ok with wealth, both Mr. and Mrs. Bennet emphasized the importance of marrying well. Times were changing for women in society, as their role was growing because they were allowed to work. But for the Bennet daughters, they had grown up in their "safety net" and had not been taught to try to get a job. In some ways, they were spoiled and for them to survive in their adulthood, they would need to marry "up" in terms of wealth to ensure they have a comfortable life. At one moment when Sarah is reflecting marriage, she wonders "what it would be like to have a home, an income, that you were set up for life. To have achieved all this simply by agreeing to put up with one particular man until he died"(156). Marriages ensured a woman would be safe and set for the rest of her life financially and in a time like this when women were so dependent on men, it was especially important. Education While education had an important role even in times before the Victorian Era, it became even more popular among the others who were previously shunned from pursuing an extensive education: women, poor population, etc. While in Longbourn it isn't shown directly that the daughters take part in school-like activities, there is still evidence of knowledge-pursuers in the novel. For instance, Mary is talked about practicing piano much and indulging in her studies of music. Sarah reads to Mr. and Mrs. Hill after work in the evenings; she is also seen picking up books from many members of the Bennett household such as Mr. Bennett himself and Elizabeth. Food Food was lavishly eaten by the rich, but had to be scourged up by the poor. Wealthy Victorian families ate meet, cheese, and bacon daily. Popular food items included Beef, mutton, pork, bacon, cheese, eggs, bread, potatoes, rice, oatmeal, milk, vegetables in season, flour, sugar, treacle, jam and tea. Going down the class order, the amount of meets and expensive foodstuff decreased until the poorest were left with nothing but potatoes. The servants, in this case, still are more privileged than those of the poor households; they have access to well grown items and nutritional items. At one point, dinner is explained to be"Dinner mean something different here. It meant half a day's work for two women. It meant polished crystal and silver, it meant a change of dress for the diners and a special suit of clothes for the servants to serve it up"(7). It is extravagant for a wealthy and well off family like the Bennets who cherish this time. Culture Mood Board If one were to analyze the lilting notes of the song "Isn't This the World" by Janelle Monáe and the captivating words of the novel, "Longbourn" by Jo Baker, the results would make it seem like the song was written for the book. Both the song and the book shines light on those in the background who find happiness through love, making for an empowering song and book that shows happiness anywhere, to anyone, at anytime can be found through love.
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Shruti VedulaDoesn't it make you dizzy to waltz? |