My intent in studying The Autobiography of Jane Eyre and its Tumblr fan
base is to discover the larger implications it provides about online
storytelling as a form of digital literacy. In the following analysis, I will explore three areas through three sets of data:
1.
How AOJE uses
digital literacies conventions – specifically, social media sites and trends – to translate the story of Jane
Eyre to a modern day online environment.
2.
How AOJE Tumblr
fans in the affinity space of the “aoje” Tumblr tag synthesize and respond to
the narrative’s use of transmedia. (For a definition of transmedia, see my "Synthesis of Research" post.)
3.
How the AOJE
cast and crew also use the “aoje” Tumblr space to communicate with fans about the
narrative on an extradiegetic level.
Before I begin my analysis, I will provide some background information on the way Tumblr functions; the terms "like" and "reblog" appear in my discussion, so it is helpful for readers to have an idea of what those terms mean.
 |
| This bar appears at the bottom of every Tumblr post. The "[# of]" section is where the number of notes appears. The icon underlined in red is the "reblog" button. The icon underlined in purple is the "like" button. |
1. Social Media Trends
as Narrative and Fan Response
First I turn my attention to The Autobiography of Jane Eyre: Episode 32, "Draw My Life." This episode uses a popular YouTube video blogger ("vlogger") meme to communicate Jane's backstory to the readers. Incorporating Jane's childhood years is a challenge in a modern video blog adaptation of the novel, which fans of AOJE have acknowledged in the past. In the novel, Jane's childhood experiences are essential to her characterization and the choices she makes as an adult. But how could the AOJE team convincingly communicate that backstory at the start of the series when Jane is so introverted? In Episode 32, they found a creative method that employs a real life YouTube trend.
In a "Draw My Life" video, a YouTube vlogger narrates his/her life story while drawing accompanying illustrations on a dry erase whiteboard. This is an extremely popular trend; searching "draw my life" on YouTube yields pages upon pages of results.
Below is a fan-made Tumblr gif made from Jane's "Draw My Life" episode.
(Gif by Tumblr user matterofawesome; full episode here on YouTube.)
The content of Episode 32 covers the first nine chapters of Bronte's novel. It describes Jane growing up with the Reeds and facing the wrath of her abusive cousin John, going away to school, meeting her best friend Helen, and Helen's early death.
Since this video is #32 in the series, Jane has established a rapport with her viewers; she's had 31 episodes to grow comfortable sharing her life with them. Due to this slow pacing, it's more believable that Jane would share the details about her traumatic childhood, especially since many non-fictional YouTube vloggers do the same. (For example, well known vloggers Jenna Marbles and Laci Green both touch on unhappy experiences from their pasts in their "Draw My Life" videos.)
"Draw My Life" videos exemplify "identity-making practices," as discussed by McLean (15). McLean's article focuses upon using digital spaces to preserve cultural identity in America, so it is not an identical situation. However, I am struck by elements of McLean's discussion -- namely using an online space to actively construct and maintain one's own identity in a way that is not always doable in an offline, "real life" environment.
Intradiegetically (within the fictional world of the story), AOJE depicts Jane making choices about how to present herself online, how to construct her identity; in this adaptation, her "home" that she's found is not only with the Rochesters, but on her YouTube channel with her viewers. The two supportive environments are, in fact, entwined: Rochester is aware of her videos, encourages Jane to keep making them, and often appears as a "guest star" in them, as does his daughter, Jane's pupil Adele.
Below are a few Tumblr reaction posts analyzing the character Jane's choice to do a "Draw Your Life" video.
"I thought it was very - appropriate? in character? revealing? - that Jane chose to a way to share more about her past which meant she was essentially off camera. We can’t see her face. (Does that give her a bit of distance, to feel safer about opening up and discussing some difficult things?)" [x]
"and I love how this didn’t come at the beginning of the story. Jane is slowly opening up to her viewers now. I remember thinking at the beginning of this that Jane Eyre didn’t particularly seem to be the type of vlog and share her stuff online, but now you’ve got me totally convinced that this is very plausible. (This is been coming for a long time but only now do I say it…)" [x]Both of these Tumblr users are responding to the video in terms of the understanding they've developed of Jane's personality. It is very common to explore a character's emotional and psychological motivations on Tumblr and in fandom in general. These posts show that Jane's characterization is effective enough that fans are moved to analyze her in depth -- but it is a sympathetic analysis, one grounded in an emotional connection that fans have developed with the show and Jane as a character. The second Tumblr post is particularly interesting because it discusses two versions of Jane: Bronte's and AOJE's. In the post, the Tumblr user acknowledges that the adaptation is so skillfully done that those two versions of the character have become reconcilable with one another.
Extradiegetically (outside the fictional world), the creators of AOJE use well known means of digital identity construction to lend their story verisimilitude. Many real YouTube vloggers have already contributed to the "Draw My Life" meme, so having Jane make a video cements her in AOJE fans' eyes as "more real", even though they are technically aware of her as a fictional character -- specifically, a character in an adaptation. AOJE has often been praised by viewers for its video blog genre realism in comparison to the much sleeker (but, by certain fandom factions, much criticized) Lizzie Bennet Diaries. By incorporating a current meme, the AOJE team simultaneously exhibits a deep understanding of Jane's character and an awareness of realistic social media trends.
Several Tumblr users praised AOJE's creative choice to incorporate "Draw Your Life", including a few who weren't initially familiar with the meme:
"I love that the AoJE team has expanded the vlogging format to a whole other level by doing a Draw My Life. Job well done, guys. Job well done." [x]
"I loved the Draw My Life episode concept (even more so now that I know it’s a YouTube meme), the soundtrack, the drawing of a bookshelf made out of a giant book… and Jane’s thoughts on “home”." [x]
"But that what a wonderfully creative way to portray Jane’s backstory (which now I remember was a HUGE part of the book). The best thing is, it felt very real, and somewhere in the middle I forgot that this was a fictional adaptation. It just felt like any other Draw My Lifes I’ve seen." [x]
Donath and boyd's discussion of social networking and the construction of identity becomes helpful here. (The article is described in depth in my "Synthesis of Research" post below.) The two authors pointed out the ease with which identity can be faked in an online social networking environment. Their article was composed in 2004, when social networking was much less mainstream: there is therefore a cautionary element to their description of the ease with which identity can be faked in an online environment.
AOJE exemplifies creating a believable fake identity in an online environment -- but wins admiration as a result. In the above Tumblr posts, fans communicate their respect for the narrative's decision to use a common identity-shaping meme as a means of storytelling.
2. Transmedia as
Narrative; Bringing Transmedia To Tumblr
Donath and boyd's description of building fake identities online becomes particularly relevant in my next section. They describe the potential for large-scale deception in social networking: "The determined deceiver can create a series of false profiles and have them link to each other, creating the illusion of a network of well-connected participants" (p. 74). This concept applies directly to the web of social media that exists within the AOJE universe.
AOJE’s
narrative is not conducted entirely on YouTube. Instead, transmedia is used to
flesh out the storytelling. (See "Synthesis of Research" for my definition of transmedia.) For this portion of the analysis, I will examine two
Tumblr posts that showcase how a) AOJE uses
transmedia, and b) Tumblr fans bring that transmedia to the “aoje” tag for
their fellow fans, turning Tumblr into a space where all the transmedia aspects
of the storyline are accessible.
1. Twitter Exchange Between Rochester and Jane
(10/22/2013)
 |
| (Source) |
This exchange took place during the month long story arc
where Jane left Rochester’s house to go stay with her aunt and cousins. The use
of transmedia here serves to hint at the continuing development of Jane and
Rochester’s relationship even though narrative constraints prevent Rochester
from appearing onscreen.
The post received 144 notes on Tumblr, which reveals that
at least that many Tumblr fans of AOJE saw
the post; they were then compelled to either express their awareness of it
through the “like” feature or share it with their blog’s audience by reblogging
it. This Twitter exchange (along with a few other Tweets Rochester sent Jane during this time period) sparked a great deal of fan excitement. In the AOJE universe, the actors' faces aren't required in order for the narrative developments to be considered a valid part of the main storyline. The transmedia holds as much narrative significance as the YouTube videos themselves.
2. Tweet (And Photos) by Blanche Ingram (11/21/2013)
 |
| (Source) |
From November 10th onward, the Twitter account belonging
to Rochester’s ex-girlfriend Blanche Ingram has been consistently updated;
pieced together, the Tweets depict Blanche (presumably) breaking up with Rochester,
going on a bit of a bender with her friend Warren by her side, and then
entering an unexpected romance with Warren. Fans have consistently screencapped
and posted the Tweets on the Tumblr tag throughout this storyline, though lack
of time prevents me from compiling a complete collection of them here.
Fan interest in this storyline is so high in part because Blanche and Rochester's romance (and presumed impending engagement) was the main impediment to a Jane/Rochester romance. An indicator of Blanche and Rochester's parting thus implies the potential for development in the Jane/Rochester camp. But fans have often voiced concern for Blanche in this
adaptation, worrying that Rochester – and the narrative – will depict her in a shallow and unsympathetic fashion. Twitter has provided an opportunity to continue Blanche’s story, lending her more depth over time even though she
exited the YouTube videos in Episode 23 (September 7, 2013).
The most recent Twitter update provides pictures of
Blanche and Warren out on a coffee date.
I picked this post because it exemplifies narrative
verisimilitude through transmedia: Blanche and Warren have not appeared
onscreen in the series for months, but the audience still sees their faces on
occasion, which furthers the narrative illusion that the world of the story
exists.
The addition of the reaction gif to the pictures of
Blanche and Warren in this post provides some fan commentary within the post. Specifically,
the gif expresses excitement and approval over the Blanche/Warren pairing;
therefore, the Tumblr users who like or reblog the post are implicitly agreeing
with this sentiment.
Since the Tumblr post was made today (11/21/13), it has only gained
38 notes so far. This is partly because the post is very new and partly because
Blanche generally does not garner as much fan attention as Rochester or Jane.
Still, her posts have been frequently discussed on Tumblr over the past few
weeks, and therefore the reaction to this development in her story merits
attention.
3. AOJE Fans and Creators Inhabiting The
Same Affinity Space
My own contribution to the AOJE tag came in the form of a visual graphic made in Photoshop. Visual media is often the most popular way to express fan enthusiasm on Tumblr. The graphic I made, pictured below, is what’s known in tumblr circles as a “picspam” – a collage of pictures or screencaps that usually centers around one theme. (Possible themes are a particular episode of a TV show, a particular fictional character, a particular fictional character’s most excellent hairstyles, screencaps that feature certain colors or settings, etc. – the possibilities are basically endless.) Picspams are a very common Tumblr “genre”, so it felt more natural for me to contribute to the AOJE fandom in this way than through a text post.
Picspams are very common for popular, established shows and fandoms. In creating a picspam for AOJE, I wanted to communicate
 |
| A screencap of my tumblr post. Click for full size. |
In this picspam, I wanted to express one thing I admire very much about the series: even though it is set in modern day and produced on a rather small budget, it still strives to capture the Gothic atmosphere that is such an iconic part of Jane Eyre. Originally, I planned to express this in a text post, but I then decided that I wanted to incorporate images from the show itself; ultimately, I decided to let the images speak for themselves. I picked screencaps from episodes that feature particularly dark,eerie, tense, passionate, or emotionally powerful scenes to encapsulate the Gothicness of it all. Then I posted it to my personal Tumblr blog.
Within the first week of posting, my picspam post received 83 notes. This is not a particularly high figure for Tumblr (popular posts have hundreds or thousands), but considering the AOJE fandom was still rather new and small at the time, it is a decent number that reflects that the post was .
But the most significant outcome of posting the picspam concerns reblogging: my picspam post was reblogged by Alysson Hall, the actress who plays Jane Eyre in the series. She added a quick comment when she reblogged it onto her own Tumblr: “CRAY! It’s BEAUTIFULLLL!!! [she says modestly because most of it is pictures of her]”.
Lankshear and Knobel’s concept of the attention economy is pertinent here. Alysson Hall receives a great deal of attention in the AOJE fandom for obvious reasons; she is in the position of simultaneously being a Tumblr user and a writer/actress at the center of a fandom (like a smaller-scale Felicia Day, as discussed by Ellcessor and Duncan). Therefore, my post gained a lot of attention from being reblogged to her Tumblr blog. In fact, the majority of the reblogs were a result of her version of the post, not my original version.
STATS (as of 10/4/13)
Reblogged the post from Alysson Hall: 16 Tumblr users
Reblogged the post from my original post: 12 Tumblr users
The rest of the notes were likes.
This data is particularly interesting because it illuminated how the fans and the creators of this series share an affinity space on Tumblr. When a fan of AOJE posts about the series on Tumblr, it is with the knowledge that there’s a very good chance it will be seen by Hall and other people involved in making the show. The idea of fans and creators sharing the same space strikes me as reflective of the evolution of fandom that Shefrin predicted in her 2007 article on director Peter Jackson's relationship with the Lord of The Rings fanbase: “it is clear that the Lord of the Rings phenomenon portends a paradigmatic shift in producer-consumer affiliations—one that is grounded in new technologies and new participatory practices by active audiences” (279).
No comments:
Post a Comment