Calvino Essay, Blog #13 What rhetorical devices are used?

Calvino uses descriptive and imagery in the metaphors he uses. Such as: " but it is always the context in which we have to place ourselves forwards or backwards. "( Calvino, Page 9) Calvino is saying that you have to knwo from where you are reading the book. He says you will get mixed up and confused if you don't know where you are reading the book from.

Calvino also uses emotive language. For example, " But it is already an acheivement to hear the classics as a distant echo, outside the room which is pervaded by the present as if it were a television set on at full volume." (Calvino, Page 9) You can see in this passage Calvino's descriptive, emotive language. Calvino is describing here what it is like to reading a classic. All the information comes flooding into your brain similar to, as he says, listening to the tv on full volume.


Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics? New York: Vintage, 2000. Print.

Calvino Essay Blog #12 What is the author's tone?

Calvino's tone in this essay would definitely be persuasive. He tries very hard to prove his point to the reader with 14 different definitions of what a classic actually is. His argument is that unless you are a fully mature adult you have no reason to be reading the classics, young people simply do not understand them. I agree with this argument because before Jane Eyre , classic novels just bored me, I did not like them. He states that unless you are being forced to read a classic in school, young people just should not read them. This is a reasonable statement because if it was not an assignment to read classics I surely wouldn't have. When I grow older though, I kind of want to try reading some classics. Calvino seems to think that it is a completely different experience when you grow older. He would be happy to know, I think, that I agree with his argument.


Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics? New York: Vintage, 2000. Print.

Calvino Essay Blog #11 What is the thesis? Where is it? Is it explicit or implicit?

The thesis of Why read the classics is the statement that you can never fully enjoy a classic until you are fully an adult. Calvino doesn't believe that young people can truly understand a classic. The thesis is found at several points in the essay such as: "..it does not apply to the young, since they are at an age when their contact with the world, and with the classics which are part of that world, is important percisely because it is their first such contact. " (Calvino, Page 1) , "..whereas at a mature age one appriciates (or should appriciate) many more details, levels and meanings. "(Calvino, Page 4) and "..the reading we do when we are young can often be of little value because we are impatient, cannot concentrate, lack expertise in how to read, or because we lack experience in life." ( Calvino, Page 4) These examples of the thesis are just a few that I quickly picked out. The thesis of this essay is explicit because Calvino makes it very obvious with the way the essay is set up with the 14 different defintions of what a classic really is . He states many times that classics are only truly understood when you read or reread them at an age of full maturity.

Calvino, Italo. Why Read the Classics? New York: Vintage, 2000. Print.

Jane Eyre Blog #10 Jane Eyre Character Description

Jane Eyre is of course the main character in the novel Jane Eyre . Jane is a very honest, caring, and humble person. She is honest because she tries to tell the truth in every situation. She begins to lie to herself when she makes us believe that she really has no feelings for Mr. Rochester. Then she admits to herself and the reader that she actually does have feelings and love Mr. Rochester. Jane is a caring person , you can tell this by her amazing forgiving capabilities. Jane forgives her evil aunt Miss Reed when she is on her deathbed. She tells her pretty much that everything is okay and she forgives her. Miss Reed was probably meaner to Jane than anyone ever has been in Jane's life but somehow she finds a way to forgive her. Her humble side shows in how she is always trying to hide from people and deny her talents. Such as the time when Mr. Rochester had all the guests in the house Jane would often hide behind the curtains so that no one would see her and try to start conversation. Jane is a very wonderful, caring person.


Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Modern Library, 2000. Print.

Jane Eyre Blog #9 Mr. Rochester Character Description

Mr. Rochester is a very signifigant character in Jane Eyre. He's a powerful, strong, hideous, rude man. He keeps his crazy wife locked up in the attic and wants to marry another girl who is half his age. He is quite the character. Although on the other hand, he is caring, loving, and senseful. He truly loves Jane with all his heart, even though you doubt that for a while. He makes you think he is a big jerkface when you discover his other wife. He hurts Jane so bad, its kind of sad. He makes up for this though in the end when he marries Jane. You start to feel sort of bad for him when you find out he has lost his arm and his sight. Mr. Rochester is all together an okay man. (:

Jane Eyre Blog #8 How accurately does this novel reflect events in history? What responsibilities does the author believe exist between ect.

Jane Eyre does a good job of reflecting the era of the 1800's . The book talks about the mistreatment of women and children. For example, when Jane is at the Lowood school it is often mentioned that the teachers and Mr. Brocklehurst don't treat the children very fairly. Somedays they got very little to eat and what they did get was burnt and unedible. This may have been what resulted in the Typhus fever that spread around that school and killed many. The Typhus fever was actually popular in the time frame that this book was written in. As well as mistreating children was.
Another example of Jane Eyre being authentic to its time is the mistreatment of women. This trait is noticed for example that the only job Jane can obtain is the title of a governess. She becomes Mr. Rochester's governess for a little child he is responsible for. Jane is not ever expected to talk to Mr. Rochester. When they announce their engagement, Miss Fairfax is actually shocked. She doesn't feel it is appropriate for a governess to marry her master. Also, Jane becomes the teacher at a school when she moves to the Moor House. In that time era, it must have been only accepted for women to be teachers if they must work. Jane Eyre does a nice job of portraying that.


Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Modern Library, 2000. Print.

Jane Eyre Blog #7 What techniques does the author useto engage the audience and make the story effective? Give examples to support analysis

Charlotte Bronte uses writing techniques throughout the story to keep you engaged. Some of these techniques are cliffhangers, mystery, and soliloquies. She uses cliffhangers in points in the story like the time you abruptly find out about the fire at Thornfield Hall and Mr. Rochester severe injuries. ( Chapter 35) She suddenly ends the chapter and makes you want to read on to see if Jane continues her search for her beloved Jane Eyre.
Charlotte uses mystery when St. John, Diana, and Mary find out that their uncle has died and left them nothing at all in inheritence. It made me slightly wonder if they shared an uncle, which you do not find out for sure until at least fifty pages later in the story. The author tells you about St. John, Mary and Diana's uncle so that you will put it together that they share an uncle and are actually cousins. (Chapter 32)
Bronte uses soliloquies throughout the story to tell you what Jane is truly thinking. For instance, Mr. Rochester had all of those fancy people staying with them for quite some time in Thornfield Hall. The author would often have long passages in the text to tell you what Jane was thinking about these frivilous people such as Miss Ingram . (Chapter 20)


Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Modern Library, 2000. Print.