Question 2

The central idea of this passage was introducing and defining the characters Mr. Brocklehurst and Jane. Each character is presented differently. The message that the author wishes to give about Mr. Brocklehurst is that he is the one causing the problems. He is evil by being a hypocritical boss. He chastised the girls for wearing nice and flashy clothes, yet it could be argued that he is guilty of the same crime. He then forces religious standards upon the girls that he doesn't follow. Jane, who is new, is made an example of by being punished over a simple offense. The author describes Jane to be against his hypocritical rule.

The passage that exemplifies this is, "A careless girl!" said Mr. Brocklehurst, and immediately after--"It is the new pupil, I perceive." And before I could draw breath, "I must not forget I have a word to say respecting her." Then aloud: how loud it seemed to me! "Let the child who broke her slate come forward!" It depicts Mr. Brocklehurst as a cruel and hateful man by his patronizing word choice. His diction shows that he feels he is superior in that he must be the ultimate authority and what he perceives and knows must be true. This also introduces Jane's rebellious nature by her breaking the slate.