Year 12 English Literature Trip

Elizabeth P—Year 12 On Thursday 6

th October, ten Year 12 English Literature students attended a talk by Juliet

Barker, as part of Warwick Words History Festival, on the Brontës’ life and works at the Lord Leycester Hospital. The talk focused on Charlotte Brontë, and particularly on her famous novel: Jane Eyre, which the students are studying for their AS Level. The speaker, Juliet Barker, is the author of a Brontë biography and was the curator and librarian of Haworth’s Brontë Parsonage Museum. She gave the lecture to celebrate the 200

th anniversary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth and to

advertise her new book Charlotte Brontë: A Life in Letters. In the talk, Barker addressed subjects such as how, at the time, Jane Eyre was considered a shocking, immoral book for what was considered scandalous behaviour on Jane’s part (such as sitting on Mr Rochester’s lap), which in modern times is not an issue for readers at all. In fact, themes such as child abuse and the suppression of women were not at all ‘wrong’ when Charlotte Brontë wrote the novel, but now are seen as unjust and victimising. Barker also referenced Brontë’s life experiences, such as her life at the Clergy Daughters’ School in Lancashire and how this was a basis for the Lowood Institute in Jane Eyre. Her elder sisters’, Maria and Elizabeth’s, deaths also influenced Brontë’s writing on Helen Burns. Helen is, in fact, believed to have been based on Maria Brontë. The biography of the Brontës by Elizabeth Gaskell was also criticised by Juliet Barker during the lecture for its inaccuracy, particularly regarding Patrick Bronté, Charlotte Brontë’s father. For example, Gaskell had claimed that the Brontë children were confined at the house in Haworth by their father; however this was not the case as Charlotte Brontë, along with her siblings, did leave, and Charlotte Brontë was a governess in multiple houses and even travelled abroad to further her studies in Brussels. Barker also critiqued Gaskell for her description of Haworth, making it seem much more remote than it actually was when the Brontës lived there and not mentioning the many mills in the area with their quite extensive workforces. A contrast was also presented by Barker between Charlotte Brontë and the heroine of her novel – Jane is happily married at the end of the novel and sees marriage in a very positive light while, also happy once married, Charlotte Brontë rejected multiple offers of marriage and finally accepted Arthur Bell Nicholls, even though she did not have high hopes for her married life. In fact, the year after her marriage, Charlotte Brontë died, supposedly of dehydration and malnourishment during her pregnancy, cutting short her happiness. It can be seen that the trip was a very useful learning experience for the Sixth Formers as it helped to inform the students about the context of Charlotte Brontë’s life and how it relates to Jane Eyre. After the hour long talk, the students had a tour of the Lord Leycester Hospital, where the lecture took place, and visited the Brethren’s Kitchen tea room afterwards.

Visit to Old Trafford

On 24th November Year 9 and Year 10 boys accompanied by Stuart France went to Old Trafford football ground to watch Manchester United play against Dutch team Feyenoord in a Europa League match. The game was full of excitement and goals with Man U thrashing the Dutch side 4-0 including a 35th minute goal from Captain Wayne Rooney which kick started United's biggest victory with Jose Mourinho as manger. The boys were did really well despite the long day and were very grateful to Stuart for organising and taking them.