Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is the quintessential Victorian novel. It has it all—a rebellious heroine who triumphs over a cruel childhood, the haunting scenery of Britain's lonely moors, romance with a handsome, powerful lord of the manor, and a mystery only gradually revealed as "the madwoman in the attic." Not until 1966, when Jean Rhys brought out Wide Sargasso Sea, did we get the fictional backstory of the "madwoman," her youth in Jamaica and her unhappy marriage to Rochester. In this course, we bring these two masterpieces together, inviting them to speak to each other and illuminate corners of their stories that might otherwise remain hidden. Readings: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, with an introduction by Joyce Carol Oates. Bantam Classics, 1987. ISBN: 978-0-553-21140-5. And Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys. Norton, 1966. ISBN: 0-393-31048-5.
911.299.01 Homewood campus
Thursdays, Nov. 8 to Dec. 6, 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. (no class Nov. 22)
Cost: $136 (four sessions)
JHU full-time faculty/staff eligible for 80 percent tuition remission. You will be unable to register online and receive the discount. Contact 410-516-8516 for more information.
