Jane Eyre

Masterpiece Theater is currently doing a two-part series of Jane Eyre. This is one of my favorite books, and I had actually toyed with the idea of reading it for the 100th time just over winter break, but resisted and kept to my studies instead. Now I get the pleasure of watching the story in an excellent televised rendering of the book. The fact that this is the most de-lish version of Mr. Rochester ever portrayed (thank you Mr. Toby Stephens) is merely a bonus, I swear ;)

There is an interesting article on the life of Victorian governesses on the PBS website, too, if you're interested in learning more about women's options during that time period. A governess was often poorly paid and expected to provide for her own laundry, travel, medical care, appropriate dress, and retirement. "Despite the negatives, there were more applicants than there were positions because the only alternatives were marriage, domestic service, prostitution or the poor-house." She was expected to be an equal to her employers "in birth, manners, and education, but not worldly wealth." Her ambiguous position in a household often meant that she was alone most of the time she was not working, as she didn't fit in with her masters above her nor the servants below her.