Category Archives: relationships

Discussion Questions Lover Eternal CHs 34 – 51

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

One of the great themes of Lover Eternal is the way in which low self-esteem creates barriers to an intimate relationship. Such barriers are based on false assumptions people have about themselves, and they often prevent us from living our lives to … Continue reading →

Posted in Barrier, Black Dagger Brotherhood, Gender, J. R. Ward, Lover Eternal, relationships, Self-Esteem | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Discussion Questions Lover Eternal CHs 1-13

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

1. “So, again, I have to ask myself, are you worth it? You’re only three years into the society. You’re strong, you’re effective, but you’re proving impossible to control. I put you with Primes because I assumed you’d fall in … Continue reading →

Posted in Barrier, Black Dagger Brotherhood, Character Analysis, J. R. Ward, Lover Eternal, paranormal romance, relationships, vampire literature | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Discussion Questions Lord of Scoundrels CHs 11-14

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

1. “’You call that romantic? Byron’s a complete cynic.’ “’In my dictionary, romance is not maudlin, treacly sentiment,’ she said. ‘It is a curry, spiced up with excitement and humor and a healthy dollop of cynicism.’ “She lowered her lashes. ‘I … Continue reading →

Posted in Barrier, Character Analysis, Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase, Marriage, relationships | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Discussion Questions Lord of Scoundrels CHs 6 – 10

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

1. “’It seems we have an audience, Miss Trent,’ Dain said. His voice dripped scorn. Coolly he pulled her bodice back up and yanked her skirts back down. There was nothing protective or gallant in the gesture. He made her … Continue reading →

Posted in Barrier, Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase, relationships, sex | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Discussion Questions Lord of Scoundrels CHs 1-5

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

1. “Her accents proclaimed her a lady. Worse–if there could be a worse species of humanity–she was, by the sounds of it, a bluestocking. Lord Dain had never before in his life met a female who’d even heard of an … Continue reading →

Posted in Character Analysis, Class and Rank, Feminism, Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase, relationships, Social Status | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Discussion Questions The Sheik CHs 5 – 7

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

1.    “For the first time since she had shaken off Gaston she began to think seriously. What she had done was madness. She had no food for herself or her horse, no water, and Heaven alone knew where the … Continue reading →

Posted in Character Analysis, E. M. Hull, Figure of Speech, metaphor, Mood, Recognition, relationships, The Sheik | 3 Comments

Discussion Questions Jane Eyre CHs 33 – 38

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

1. “One does not jump, and spring and shout hurrah! at hearing one has got a fortune; one begins to consider responsibilities and ponder business; on a base of steady satisfaction rise certain grave cares, and we contain ourselves, and brood … Continue reading →

Posted in Barrier, Character Analysis, Charlotte Bronte, Feminism, Marriage, relationships, Religion | 3 Comments

Discussion Questions for Jane Eyre CHs 21-25

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

1. Jane was extremely happy that Rochester proposed to her, and yet she still felt uneasy about her upcoming marriage. Jane becomes discomforted when Rochester begins to spoil her with glorious things: “The more he bought me, the more my cheek … Continue reading →

Posted in Betrothal, Character Analysis, Class and Rank, Jane Eyre, Marriage, relationships, Weddings | 5 Comments

Discussion Questions for Jane Eyre CHs 16 – 20

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

1. In chapter 15, Mr. Rochester tells Jane the story of his dramatic past, and that he has a “wish to be a better man” (171). How does this story compare to Jane’s upbringing? How do these similarities reinforce the overarching … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, relationships | 1 Comment

Romance Novels: Fantasy versus Reality

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Dr. Jessica Matthews

One of the major themes that emerges from Reader, I Married Him: Happily Ever After documentary is the jarring contradiction between fantasy and reality. The documentary goes back and forth between what a romance novel provides (fantasy and escapism for … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Gender, I Married Him, Mills & Boon, relationships, Uncategorized | Leave a comment