Metacognition: Jane Eyre Mashup

Deviating from the typical, mundane essay assignment, after reading Jane Eyre we were assigned to build a free-form mash-up. To my disbelief, it resulted in a very positive learning experience. It was thought-provoking in its own unique manner, and the team effort in the project actually produced a greater amount of insight into the novel.

The main reason I enjoyed the project so much was the postmodern, 21st century ideals behind it. Why write an essay on something from the 19th century that has absolutely no relation to current events and my life? The reason is, this contemporary project provided a link between Charlotte Brontë and myself. Through searching for quotes and media, I was able to uncover some important information and a deeper though process.

The topic my group chose to work on was individualism. Now, before this project and Jane Eyre, I had hardly a clue as to what individualism meant. So my first step in the mash-up was to find some declaration of what exactly individualism meant. Sophie's World accurately described it as the pursuit to distinguish one self or individual from a group. After finding this, how prominent this theme was in Jane Eyre. When first reading Jane Eyre, it is not very jaw-dropping. But after discovering what individualism was through other sources, I realized how greatly it pertained to Jane Eyre. When Jane is taken in context to the time period when her fictional character was created, I stumbled upon the individualism present in Jane's life story. Her whole life is a series of events in which she goes against the norms of society. She marries a man out of her class, disrespects her master, aspires to greatness contrary to most women of her time, and follows what she believes best.

The next step was to find sources outside the English curriculum. Being so naïve, I didn't expect any benefit to come out of this. I was wrong. I found quotes from the early 20th century, films from the late 20th century, and songs from the 21st century. Through perusing for individualism in each of these, I realized the different types of individualism present from Jane's lifetime all the way up to mine. From rights of a man, to breaking away from racial stereotypes, to simply making your own choice at restaurants, I suddenly understood this underlying theme that encompassed much of the world. By doing this mash-up, I exercised my brain to its full capacity, and explored new depths with much more relevance to my life.