Agony Column

Dear Jane,

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for your last letter, because you were very opened and shared your thoughts and feelings with me. You asked me what would have I done, if Mrs Reed's son had hit me and when she had locked me into the Red Room and also what I think about going to Lowood.

Well, first of all, Mrs Reed and her children are definitely treating you very badly. It's wrong and impolite to say that you are lower than the servants. After all, you are Mrs Reed's lost husband's sister's daughter, not some kind of stranger. Secondly, it's is absolutely unfair that you got punished instead of Mrs Reed's son, who caused the trouble by throwing that book. Maybe you shouldn't have hit him back after that, but I'm afraid that I'd have done the same; Moreover, when she wanted to punish someone, she should have punished you both then, though it still wasn't your fault. OK, she decided to punish you, but locking you into the Red Room is too rough. It's normal, because she knows that you are afraid of this room due to your uncle died there. 

You also wrote me, that you got ill soon after the incident. I'm glad that you're fine now. Doctor suggested you to go school. I think that it's a good idea. Firstly, you'll get away from your cruel aunt. What ise more, you will become an educated young lady one day. If I were you, I'd definitely use this opportunity. I'm sure you are going to like this place a hundred times more and be happier than you are at the moment. 

Jane, use this opportunity and go to school. I'm sure that you are not going to regret this decision. Life that you are living now is quite miserable, so I believe that things can go only better. I'm already waiting for your next letter.

All the best,

Katren

"Jane Eyre" . Charlotte Bronte

      I read C. Bronte's "Jane Eyre". This book's publisher is Pearson Education Limited in association with Penguin Books Ltd. Reading level is 5 and number of pages is 152.

      This book tells a story of an orphan girl named Jane. She is living with her cruel aunt and her children with who she doesn't get along with. She is unhappy and miserable. Fortunately she is sent to Lowood school, where she is willing to go just to get away from her aunt. Jane has some difficulties at the beginning in new school, but she makes friends with Helen Burns and starts to enjoy studies. She likes there quite well and she gets along with the school's head teacher, too. During the school-years unfortunately her close friend Helen dies. Then after few years Miss Temple also leaves Lowood. Since Jane has grown-up she wants to experience something new. She gets a permission to leave Lowood behind and go to Thornfield to become a governess there. But in Thornfield, after meeting Mr Rochester, happens something new for Jane...
      Although this book was quite sad and miserable at some points, it was still very good. I'd definitely recommend it to everyone. Here's some words that were new to me:
murmur- sumin
anxiety- rahutus
deceitful- valelik
obedience- kuulekus
hollow- kume;õõnes
urge- aje;tung
clergyman- kirikuõpetaja
firmly- kindlalt
scorn- põlgama
plainness- lihtsus
   

A letter from one character of the book to another character

      During the time when Inman was at war Ada wrote many letters to him which he didn't receive. Here's one letter that I think how it may have been written.

Dear Inman,

I haven't heard from you for such a long time. I've written to you before, but I'm not sure if you have received the letters. I am hoping and believing that you're alive and fine and I hope the war ends as soon as possible.

I'll write a bit about myself, too. Since my father died I was thinking whether to sell the farm and return to Charleston or stay in the farm. To my own surprise I decided to stay here, in farm. At first it was very hard- I couldn't do any of those farm works since I just didn't know how to do them. I even didn't eat much because I didn't really know how to cook a proper food. Fortunately on one day came a girl named Ruby here and offered her help. I accepted it. She isn't my servant, she's more like a friend and for now she has taught me to do all these farm works. We live, eat and work together side by side. We are managing just fine. We are raising the necessary supplies we need for ourselves and changing some of them in the town for the things that we need.  

I just can't wait the war to end. It has done so many horrible things to people. Me and Ruby once helped three women with children whose men are fighting and whose' house were robbed and burnt down by Federals. Besides, if there wasn't this far, you would be here, also. I'm feeling actually quite lonely and sad without you.

Come back to me is my request.

Love,
Ada

"Cold Mountain" . Charles Frazier

     This book is published by Pearson Education Limited in association with Penguin Books  Ltd and it has 86 pages. Reading level is 5 (upper intermediate) and the number of words is 2300.
      This book tells a story of war and love through the eyes of people involved. Inman is injured due to the Civil War and he is tired of it and doesn't want to fight any more. He decides to escape and go home to Ada and he wants to marry her, but it's dangerous journey since the Home Guard is hunting the deserters. He travels for quite a long time and faces many obstacles and dangers on his way. At the same time Ada Monroe, the woman who Inman is in love with, is struggling with the farm that her father left him after his death. Fortunately a young girl named Ruby comes to help her and Ada is learning how to manage the farm. At one day Inman manages to find Ada and they spend a few days together in one empty village where Ada and Ruby are staying because of Ruby's injured father who isn't able to travel back to the farm. Ada and Inman are making plans for the future and they decided that Inman goes to the north and gives himself up to the Federals and then he just has to wait for the war to end. They started leaving towards the farm with Ruby's father on the horse. Ada and Ruby went ahead and Inman with Ruby's dad behind them. Unfortunately they met the Guards. Inman fought against them and when it was only one of them left, a young boy, he didn't want to shoot him, but the boy himself shoot Inman. Ada heard the shots and ran back. She was with Inman for the last minutes of his life...Years later Ada lived with Ruby's family and her daughter in the farm.
      I enjoyed this book very much and would definitely recommend it to everyone. Only thing that I didn't like about the book was an unhappy ending, but as in life, there aren't always happy endings. What I especially liked about the book was that it payed attention to the war- how it changes a person and how much harm can it do.

Interior monologue- Edgar's proposal to Catherine

      I'm very confused at the present. Edgar has just asked me to marry him. And I accepted. My mind says to me that it's right to accept this proposal, but my heart tells me the opposite. If I'll marry Edgar Linton I'd be the greatest lady in the hole neighbourhood. Besides Edgar is handsome rich man who is pleasant to be with. I'll have a fine and stable life at the Thrushcross Grange. I also get along with her sister Isabel very well. I'd definitely spend many great times with them there.
      But my heart and my soul doesn't feel the same. They know that Heathcliff is my soul mate- mine and his souls are the same. If my brother Hindley hadn't pushed him so low I won't even consider marrying Edgar. But now is too late. I can't be with him. Or can I? What kind of future we will have? Not bright, especially as long as Hindley is alive. He heard my conversation with Nelly where I said the same thing and run away. Now his gone. And I'm even more confused: whether I should listen to my heart and soul or my mind? I think that sometimes it's better if you listen to your mind and sometimes the opposite. But this time I'm sure that if I'll marry Edgar I'll have a carefree and luxurious life, but I'd be miserable. I do love him but in a differend way.
      I think that I must find Heathcliff no matter where he is, explain my feelings to him and we have to leave Wuthering Heights together and forever. Only then we can be happy together and start our lives all over again.

"Wuthering Heights" . Emily Bronte

This time I read "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. This book is published by the Penguin Group (published in Penguin Popular Classics). It hasn't got written a reading level. The number of pages is 279.

      This book tells a story about difficult relationships, love, hate and forgiveness. Mr Lockwood, who's a new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, is about to find out a story of mysterious Mr Heathcliff, the owner of Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. His made Nelly is going to retell it to him. Heathcliff was an orphan boy who was adopted by old Mr Earnshaw. Heathcliff never got along with Hindley, but he did get along with Catherine. When they got older, they even fell in love. Then, one day, Edgar Linton proposed to Catherine. Catherine consulted with Nelly about it, but Heathcliff heard some things he shouldn't have and he left. Catherine was devastated by that and got seriously sick. Later, she still married with Edgar although who she really loved was Heathcliff. After few years Heathcliff returned and started a revenge- he treated those people bad who had done the same to him. Catherine, after giving birth to a daughter, (who was also named Catherine) died. Heathcliff got his son back, who he had with Edgar's sister Isabel. Young Linton was a very weak boy since his birth and Heathcliff did nothing to help him to recover. Instead, he used him in order to get him married with young Catherine. He managed to do that, but then Linton died. Years later Heathcliff himself died and Catherine fell in love with Hareton- Hindley's son. so the book has a quite happy end. 

      I liked this book very much. I've also read it in Estonian. For me, there were quite many new words in this English book, but I still understood the main point and have understood it even without reading it first in Estonian. It's quite sad and depressing book to read, but still good in it's own way. It's interesting from the beginning to the end. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone!