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Call of Duty: Black Ops II
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Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Developer(s)
Treyarch
Publisher(s)
Activision[a]
Director(s)
Dave Anthony and Timothy Tomaszewski
Artist(s)
Colin Whitney
Writer(s)
Craig Houston
David S. Goyer
Dave Anthony
Micah Wright[1]
Composer(s)
Jack Wall[2]
Series
Call of Duty
Engine
IW engine
Platform(s)
Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360[3]
Wii U
Release
Windows
WW: November 12, 2012 (Steam)
PS3, X360
WW: November 13, 2012[4][5][6]
Wii U
NA: November 18, 2012
EU/AUS: November 30, 2012[7]
Genre(s)
First-person shooter
Mode(s)
Single-player, multiplayer
Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released on November 13, 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 and on November 18, 2012 in North America, November 30, 2012 in Europe and Australia for the Wii U.[4][5][6] Black Ops II is the ninth game in the Call of Duty franchise of video games, a sequel to the 2010 game Call of Duty: Black Ops and the first Call of Duty game for the Wii U. The game was launched at 16,000 stores worldwide at midnight on November 13, 2012. The game is also Backwards Compatible on the Xbox One since April 11, 2017. [8]
Black Ops II is the first game in the Call of Duty franchise to feature future warfare technology and the first to present branching storylines driven by player choice as well as selecting weapons before starting story mode missions. It also offers a 3D display option.[9] A corresponding game, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified, was released simultaneously on the PlayStation Vita. Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game grossed over $500 million.[10] It had remained the largest entertainment launch of all time until September 2013, when Take-Two announced that Grand Theft Auto V had grossed $800 million in its first day of release.[11] It went on to sell 7.5 million copies in the U.S. in November 2012, making it the highest grossing game of the month.[12]
The game is the first in the series to feature significant elements of nonlinear gameplay, most notably multiple endings.[13] A sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, was released in 2015.[14]
Contents
[hide]
1 Gameplay
1.1 Campaign
1.2 Multiplayer
1.3 Zombies
2 Plot
2.1 Single-player campaign
2.1.1 Setting and characters
2.1.2 Story
2.1.3 Endings
2.2 Zombies
2.2.1 Characters and setting
2.2.2 Story
3 Development
3.1 Internal leaks
3.2 Reveal
3.3 Gameplay revisions
3.4 Japanese release
3.5 Soundtrack
3.6 The Replacers
4 Downloadable content
5 Reception
5.1 Critical reception
5.2 Sales and revenue
5.3 Lawsuit
6 References
6.1 Notes
6.2 Citations
7 External links
Gameplay
Tactical view in a Strike Force mission
Campaign
Black Ops II is the first Call of Duty video game to feature branching storylines, in which the player's choice affects both the current mission and in turn, the overall course of the story. Known as "Strike Force missions", these branching storylines appear during the 2025 storyline and feature permanent death. The success or failure of these missions can have ramifications for the wider campaign storyline. Choosing one of the missions locks out the others unless the player begins a fresh campaign.[15]
Strike Force missions allow the player to control a number of different war assets, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, jet fighters and robots. If the player dies in a Strike Force mission, the campaign continues recording that loss, as opposed to letting the player load a previously saved checkpoint. The player's progress in the Strike Force missions may go on to change even the plans of the story's antagonist, Raul Menendez.[15] By the end of the game, the player may have changed the results of the new Cold War.
Similarly, in the main story missions, there are certain points where the player is given different choices and paths to progress, which could have an effect on the gameplay, as well as the story. Black Ops II is also the first game in the series to allow the player to customize their loadout before beginning a mission, creating freedom in choosing how to approach a mission.
Multiplayer
One of the biggest changes added to multiplayer in Black Ops II is the introduction of Pick 10, a new system within the Create-a-Class menu. Pick 10 gives the player a total of 10 allocation slots in a class, which are used for guns, perks, grenades, etc... The player can choose to allocate the slots however they like, to either have more attachments for a gun, or more perks.
Killstreaks from previous Call of Duty games are renamed as Scorestreaks, which are now earned by gaining points, rather than kills. This allows the player to focus on objective modes, which also earn points towards Scorestreaks.
Unlike past games, weapons in Black Ops II have a progression system, which is used to unlock weapon attachments. After maxing out a weapon's level, the player can choose to "prestige" the gun, similar to how they can prestige the player level, and reset their attachment progress. In exchange, the player can customize their weapons with custom clan tags and emblems.
Black Ops II is also the first Call of Duty game to include a competitive mode. Known as League Play, the mode allows players of similar skill level to be matched together, and play according to the rules of Major League Gaming.
Zombies
This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2015)
Treyarch confirmed that the Zombies mode would return for Black Ops II with new game modes. Its predecessors were Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops. This is the third time for the Zombies mode to appear in a Call of Duty game, and the first time to have game modes other than the traditional Survival mode. Treyarch also confirmed that Zombies would run on the game's multiplayer engine, allowing for a deeper community experience, along with new features. A new, 8 player co-op game called "Grief" is also supported, featuring 2 teams of 4 players competing to survive, unlike Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops, which only supported 4 player online co-op. As with the previous game, each map contains "Easter eggs" side quests, which is used to progress the story. Another form of Zombies mode is called TranZit, in which up to 4 players travel around different maps and collect information that would show the players what lies ahead of what they are willing to discover.

Plot
Single-player campaign
Setting and characters
The single-player campaign features two connected storylines, with the first set from 1986 to 1989 during the final years of the First Cold War, and the other set in 2025 during a Second Cold War. The protagonist of Black Ops, Alex Mason (Sam Worthington) returns as the protagonist in the first Cold War section, and chronicles the rise to infamy of the game's primary antagonist, Raul Menendez (Kamar de los Reyes).[16]
The 2025 section of the game features Alex Mason's son David (codenamed Section) (Rich MacDonald) as the protagonist, in which Menendez is plotting against the United States and China with one of his ultimate goals being to see the United States locked in a new Cold War with China, in revenge for many of his misfortunes.[17] In this era, wars are defined by robotics, cyberwarfare, unmanned vehicles, and other futuristic technology.[16][15] Returning characters include Alex's CIA squadmates Frank Woods (James C. Burns) and Jason Hudson (Michael Keaton), former Red Army Colonel Lev Kravchenko (Andrew Divoff), and disgraced Red Army Captain Viktor Reznov (Gary Oldman). New characters include: Section's SEAL teammates Mike Harper (Michael Rooker) and Javier Salazar (Celestino Cornielle), their commanding officer Admiral Tommy Briggs (Tony Todd), the CIA double agent Farid (Omid Abtahi), US President Marion Bosworth (Cira Larkin), Strategic Defense Coalition leader General Tian Zhao (Byron Mann), Tacitus Corporation ex-employee Chloe Lynch (codename Karma) (Erin Cahill). The game also features several historical and real-life characters, including: UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi (Robert Wisdom), former Panama leader Manuel Noriega (Benito Martinez), Colonel Oliver North (voiced by himself), and former CIA director David Petraeus (Jim Meskimen). Jimmy Kimmel cameos as himself in one of the game's endings, while the rock band Avenged Sevenfold makes a non-canonical appearance at the end of the game.
Story
In 1986, Alex Mason, now retired from active duty, pursues an obscure existence in Alaska with his son, seven-year-old David. Their shaky relationship is further strained when Mason is approached by Jason Hudson for an assignment in Cuando Cubango during the height of the Angolan Civil and South African Border Wars. Frank Woods and his team have disappeared aiding Jonas Savimbi's UNITA rebels against Angola's Marxist government; their actions have already been disavowed by the CIA, but Hudson hopes to rescue any survivors. Mason and Hudson recover Woods from the Kavango River, subsequently locating Raul Menendez among a contingent of Cuban military advisers. As a lengthy firefight breaks out, the trio are rescued by Savimbi. It is revealed that Menendez is responsible for holding Woods captive after murdering his team.
In light of this, Mason, Woods, and Hudson begin tracking Menendez, an established primary arms dealer for bush conflicts in Southern Africa and Latin America. The CIA later authorize a strike against the unscrupulous Nicaraguan, now making a healthy profit running arms across Soviet-occupied Afghanistan. The trio and Chinese operative Tian Zhao ally with the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviets. They locate Lev Kravchenko, who survived the grenade incident with Woods in Vietnam, and interrogate him into disclosing that Menendez has moles inside the CIA. The Mujahideen then betray the Americans and Zhao, leaving them to die in the Afghan wilderness until their rescue by two unidentified civilians.
The origins of Menendez's anti-American sentiment is revealed at this point. His sister Josefina was disfigured in a fire as part of an insurance fraud masterminded by an American businessman. The CIA sanctions the assassination of Menendez's father after uncovering his ties to South American drug trade. Mason, Woods, Hudson, and Panamanian security forces led by President Manuel Noriega raid Menendez's compound in Nicaragua; during the chaos, Woods inadvertently kills Josefina with a grenade. Conspiring with Noriega to fake his demise, Menendez crosses paths with Mason and Woods again during the American invasion of Panama. Utilizing moles within the CIA, Menendez captures Hudson and David, and has Hudson manipulate Woods into shooting Mason before crippling Woods. He then executes Hudson, promising to return and complete his revenge at a later date.
In 2025, Menendez reemerges as the charismatic leader of Cordis Die, a militant populist movement. His organization stages a cyberattack that cripples the Chinese stock exchanges, forcing their government to leverage its economic influence and sparking a second Cold War between NATO and the Chinese-led Strategic Defense Coalition headed by Zhao. David, now a Navy SEAL code-named Section, spearheads an effort by American Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to track down Menendez. They fail to apprehend him, but learn that Menendez is planning a second cyberattack with global repercussions, dependent on a quantum supercomputer engineered by rogue developer Chloe Lynch. Section and two other SEALs, Harper and Salazar, either rescue Lynch by killing Menendez's second-in-command, DeFalco, or he escapes. The "Strike Force" mission "Second Chance" must be completed to rescue Lynch if the latter occurs.
JSOC finally capture Menendez in Yemen with the assistance of undercover CIA agent, Farid. However, prior to being apprehended, Menendez orders Farid to kill a captured Harper. Farid will be executed by Menendez if he refuses. American forces take Menendez aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Barack Obama, commanded by Admiral Briggs; however, Menendez escapes with the aid of a mole inside JSOC: Salazar. How Salazar's betrayal pans out is determinant on the fates of Lynch, Farid, and DeFalco.[b] Menendez hacks into the U.S military satellite to seize control of their entire drone fleet. Whether the Americans regain control is determined on whether the Strike Force missions were completed and whether Briggs remains alive to activate the ship's defenses.
Regardless, Menendez uses the drones to attack Los Angeles during a meeting of G20 leaders, hoping to kill them and ferment widespread economic and civil chaos. With the drones also targeting several other strategic cities across the U.S. and China, Section escorts the President of the United States to safety in a Cougar HE. Menendez is tracked to Haiti, where Section must either execute or reapprehend him.
Endings
The events of the player's ending is determinant on the fates of Menendez, Lynch, and Alex Mason, and whether the Strike Force missions were completed.
If Section executes Menendez, Cordis Die supporters launch a massive global insurrection, resulting in widespread anarchy. This is canonical and sets the background for Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
If Section reapprehends Menendez and Lynch survives, she will prevent Menendez's cyberattack and he will remain imprisoned, watching Lynch being interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
If Section reapprehends Menendez and Lynch was killed or not rescued, Menendez's cyberattack will succeed and he will break out of prison. After killing Woods, Menendez commits suicide.
If Mason survives being shot by Woods, he will reunite with him and Section. Otherwise, David retires from the military after visiting his father's grave.
If all the Strike Force missions were completed, China and the United States enter into an alliance, ending the second Cold War.
A non-canon ending is unlocked by completing the game, depicting Menendez and Woods performing at a concert with Synyster Gates and M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold.
Zombies
Characters and setting
Zombies takes place throughout various time periods, mostly focused during the modern time, in a post-apocalyptic world, created as a result of the missile launch from the moon striking the Earth. The majority of the story follows four new characters: Samuel Stuhlinger (David Boat), Marlton Johnson (Scott Menville), Abigail "Misty" Briarton (Stephanie Lemelin) and Russman (Keith Szarabajka). Dr. Edward Richtofen (Nolan North), one of the previous playable characters from the previous game, returns as the demonic announcer, overseeing the four characters. Another returning character is Dr. Ludvig Maxis (Fred Tatasciore), who instructs the new group to help him defeat Richtofen. Players can choose whether to help Maxis or Richtofen, which will have different results once the story ends. The map "Mob of the Dead" features a new crew of characters: Albert "The Weasel" Arlington (Joe Pantoliano), Billy Handsome (Ray Liotta), Michael "Finn" O'Leary (Michael Madsen), and Salvatore "Sal" DeLuca (Chazz Palminteri). The map "Origins" features an alternate version of the original crew: Tank Dempsey (Steven Blum), Nikolai Belinski (also voiced by Tatasciore), Takeo Masaki (Tom Kane), and Richtofen, as well as Maxis' daughter, Samantha (Grace Kaufman).
Story
In the year 2025 at Nevada, a team of CIA and CDC operatives investigate a nuclear testing site known as "Nuketown", where they are attacked by zombies. At the same time, Dr. Edward Richtofen seizes control of the zombies by entering the Aether. However, Dr. Ludvig Maxis joins with his daughter Samantha and Richtofen's former allies, Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, and Takeo Masaki, to thwart him. To end this, Maxis launches three massive nuclear missiles filled with Element 115, the element responsible for the reanimation of dead cells, at the Earth, destroying its atmosphere. One missile completely destroys Nuketown and all present, except for one individual, Marlton Johnson, who escapes after hiding out in the site's bunker.
Ten years later following the events of Moon, Earth has been reduced to a crumbling, hellish wasteland overrun by zombies. In this new world, four survivors - Samuel Stuhlinger, Abigail "Misty" Briarton, Marlton, and Russman - have banded together to survive in Washington with the help of a bus driven by a robotic driver. The four are contacted by both Richtofen and Maxis, who is now a digital artificial intelligence, for aid against the other. Both former scientists request the four to assist them in powering up a tower within the area to work in their favor. Once done, regardless of the path they choose, they are teleported by Richtofen to a crumbling skyline in Shanghai, China. The four learn of a cannibalistic cult known as The Flesh, as well as the beginnings of a new airborne pandemic of Element 115. Stuhlinger is threatened by Richtofen, who knows of his past as a member of The Flesh, a cannibalistic cult that eats zombies flesh, allowing only him to hear Richtofen and not the others. At the site, Maxis and Richtofen once again instruct the four to power up a second tower.
Following their battles in Shanghai, Russman leads the group across the continents to a large hole in the ground known as The Rift in Africa, hoping to find answers about the unseen forces commanding them. Richtofen commands Samuel to "mend the rift". The four gain a new ally in the form of a mute giant (real name later known as Arthur) in a Western town warped underground by temporal displacement, and are hampered by a ghostly woman in a massive mansion. In the canonical ending, the group aids Maxis, allowing him to use the power from the towers to enter the Aether and assume ultimate control, trapping Richtofen in a zombie's body. However, the Earth begins shaking, and Maxis explains to the four that he is beginning the process of the destruction of the Earth and humanity to reach Agartha, where he believes Samantha is; in the non-canon ending, the group aids Richtofen, letting him gain unlimited power over the Aether and the Earth, allowing him to kill Maxis and condemn Samantha's soul to eternal damnation. Maxis then plucks Samantha's soul from Richtofen's body on the Moon and forces her to join him in Agartha.
Realizing her father has been corrupted by the Aether, Samantha reaches out to an alternate version of him, who resides in Dimension 63. She ends up in 1918 France during World War I, where Group 935 was formed much earlier, with Maxis as one of its leaders, operating to secure German victory in the war. Group 935 created mechanical robots, as well as staffs that control the powers of the elements. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb believed to be of Vril origin, they accidentally unleash the first known zombie outbreak in history. Aiming to stop Germany, Japan, Russia and the United States of America send Takeo, Nikolai and Dempsey to capture Richtofen, the mastermind behind the advanced technology. By this time, Group 935's operatives have been wiped out, and Maxis himself was lobotomized when he began to turn into a zombie. The group are contacted by Samantha, who begs them to free her from Agartha. Richtofen puts Maxis' brain in a flying drone, and he joins the fight against the zombies and to free Samantha. The group is eventually successful, and while Maxis meets his daughter, they enter Agartha to be rewarded. A cutscene is played, showing Samantha with a boy named Eddie inside a house playing with toys of the characters who have appeared in the Zombies game mode throughout all three games. Air raid sirens are heard and the two children retreat to the basement with Maxis, with Samantha noting her father has a plan to make the heroes of their games real.
A separate story, "Mob of the Dead", taking place also in Dimension 63, focuses on four mobsters: Salvatore "Sal" DeLuca, Billy Handsome, Michael "Finn" O'Leary, and Albert "The Weasel" Arlington, who are incarcerated at Alcatraz Island. On New Year's Eve 1933, the four attempt to escape the prison, using Weasel's plan to build a makeshift airplane called Icarus. However, the prison becomes infested with zombies, and they are forced to fight their way out. They succeed in building the airplane, but crash-land at the Golden Gate Bridge. They are then teleported back to the prison, with no memories of their previous attempt (except Weasel, who keeps a journal of the ongoing events). They continuously try to escape, but the result remains the same. After many failures, they discover that they were actually stuck in Purgatory, constantly repeating a cycle as punishment for their past sins. In reality, the escape plan never came to fruition, and Weasel was killed by the other three on New Year's Eve, while the rest were executed by the electric chair weeks later. Having remembered the truth, Sal, Billy and Finn set out to kill Weasel once again. Two possible endings can occur: if Weasel is killed, the cycle repeats once again; if Weasel lives and the other three are killed, the cycle is broken, and he is finally freed of his punishment.
Development
Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick stated on November 8, 2011 that a new Call of Duty game was in development for a 2012 release and will be the newest installment in the franchise.[18] The game was officially confirmed by Activision during its fourth-quarter earnings call on February 9, 2012, and promised that it will feature "meaningful innovation" for the series.[19][20] Oliver North, who was involved in the Iran–Contra affair was a consultant on the 1980s portion and helped promote the game.[21][22] The author and defense expert Peter W. Singer served as a consultant on the 2025 storyline of the game.[23]
Internal leaks
Reports of Black Ops 2 surfaced following a product page for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 appeared on Amazon France before quickly being taken down in February 2012. No information had yet been released by Activision, but Gameblog claimed that Activision demanded it remove its original report too.[24] When it refused to do so, the publisher cut off Gameblog from ad support, review game mailings and future Activision events for refusing to comply.[25] Later Activision denied Gameblog’s claims that it has been cut off.[26] Around the same time, computer game artist Hugo Beyer also listed "Black Ops 2" as his current project in his Linkedin CV, before his LinkedIn page was taken down.[27] Beyer is an artist working for Nerve Software, "a Dallas-based independent developer" which has "helped" with previous Activision games including, Black Ops in 2010.[28] A "Black Ops 2" trademark by Activision was spotted January 2012.[29] Further, Black Ops 2 was listed by the France international entertainment retail chain Fnac in March 2012, which touted a predictable November release date.[30]
On April 9, 2012, an image was leaked from a URL on the official Call of Duty website, which leaked the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 logo, as well as a reveal date of April 28, 2012. The URL was later removed.[31] On April 18, 2012, Kotaku received an image from "a retail source", which showed a teaser poster that lacked a game title but had clear nods to Black Ops and a May 2 date that seemingly points to a reveal.[32] On April 27, 2012, an image containing two Target pre-order cards sent by IGN reader Richard confirmed the game's title and release date. The cards clearly display the Call of Duty: Black Ops II logo, and the release date November 13, 2012.[33][34]
Reveal
Call of Duty: Black Ops II advertisements are shown at Gamescom 2012 in Cologne, Germany
On April 23, 2012, Activision redesigned CallofDuty.com to announce that the game will be revealed on May 1, 2012 during the NBA playoffs on TNT.[35] The art featured on the site matched up perfectly with the supposed retailer leak received by Kotaku.[36] However, parts of the official website went live hours prior to the announcement, which revealed the title, confirmed the release date for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and the "21st Century Cold War" setting.[37] Activision had hinted that the game may eventually become available for Nintendo's own consoles, although had no official announcements for the time being.[38] As promised by Activision, the preview for the game was revealed in the form of a YouTube trailer that detailed the futuristic setting, the characters carried over from the previous games, and the conflict.[39]
After the game was revealed, the preorder rates on the game set records three times higher than for the preorders of the first Black Ops.[40] Critics have noted the trailer's similarities to that of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.[41][42][43] On July 19, 2012 a second trailer was released by Treyarch, offering insight into the game's narrative. The storyline has been described by writer David S. Goyer as "better than a Hollywood movie".[44]
Gameplay revisions
In developing Black Ops II, Treyarch introduced several revisions to the gameplay mechanics for online multiplayer that have been a hallmark of the Call of Duty franchise. These include the introduction of "multi-team" games that allow matches to host three or more teams of players, in contrast to the traditional two factions,[citation needed] and revisions to the "Create-A-Class" function that allows users to select which guns, attachments, weapon camouflage and perks (additional bonuses that alter aspects of gameplay) to use in multiplayer matches.[45] The "Kill Streak" function, which gives players in-game rewards for killing other players, was revised and is now known as "Score Streaks".
Whereas players still receive in-game rewards, these are unlocked by performing certain actions — such as killing other players, successfully capturing territory, and so on - rather than simply killing other players.[46][47] Furthermore, the "wager matches" feature included in Call of Duty: Black Ops was removed.[45] These changes were introduced to shift the emphasis towards objective-based gameplay, to reward players who work in teams and to make the game more accessible to new players.[46]
Additionally, Treyarch announced plans to integrate Black Ops II into the world of "eSports" or competitive gaming.[citation needed] To this end, Treyarch unveiled a matchmaking system designed to pair players up based on their skills within the game to ensure that online games are relatively equal in terms of player skill. They also announced what they termed "CODcasting", a form of live streaming that allows users to stream their games directly onto YouTube from their gaming consoles.[citation needed]
There is also 3D support if players are playing with an HDMI cable on a 3D TV. Before one enters multiplayer mode, one needs to simply just turn on the 3D setting in the "options" menu.
Japanese release
Square Enix released the game for the Japanese market on November 22, 2012 as a subbed version. A Japanese voice-dubbed version was released separately on December 20, 2012. The script for this version was translated by Zenigame Nakamoto. The translated version was criticized for its translation errors.[48]
The Japanese release of the Wii U port is only the dubbed version since the console was not available in Japan in November.[49]
Soundtrack
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Original Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Jack Wall[2]
Released
November 13, 2012
Genre
Video game soundtrack
Length
2:28:49
The game's soundtrack was composed by Jack Wall,[2] with the main theme composed by Trent Reznor[50] the leader of industrial rock project Nine Inch Nails since 1988.[50] The soundtrack was released as a part of the Hardened Edition and Care Package releases, as well as on iTunes and Amazon, with two supplemental tracks by Brian Tuey, as well as "Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550 (Allegro Molto)" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Also, a version of the song "Try It Out" by Skrillex and Alvin Risk is used in the game, but it is not present in the soundtrack album. When the Campaign is completed, after the end credits, Woods and Menendez perform a concert with heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold on their song "Carry On", with Woods on drums and Menendez on rhythm guitar. The band chose to use Woods as the drummer in the game due to the loss of their original drummer The Rev, who died of a drug overdose on December 28, 2009. The band's song "Shepherd of Fire" is featured on the Zombie mode Origins. Additional artists include Sean Murray, Jimmy Hinson, Sergio Jimenez Lacima, Kamar de los Reyes, Azam Ali, & Rudy Cardenas.[51]
The Replacers
Heralding the release of Black Ops II's DLCs, Activision releases a live-action short starring a well-groomed Peter Stormare, who acts as a "Replacer", part of a group who are sent by mutual friends to take your place during your daily life while you can stay at home and play Black Ops II's new content. Stormare goes on to explain the aims of his jobs and is then shown in multiple situations where he has taken over random people's jobs, such as masquerading as a pregnant lady's husband, working at an office, and enduring a grandmother's endless talking, as well as other such scenarios.
To promote Black Ops II's second DLC, entitled "Uprising", comedian J.B. Smoove joined Stormare in the second production of The Replacers, in which the two maintain a haphazard relationship. Stormare normally acts as a mentor to the new replacer Smoove by pointing out his various quirks while doing his job, such as his poor performance defending his client while he replaces a lawyer, admitting that he might be guilty.
Downloadable content
A Black Ops II Season Pass was released by Treyarch with the release of the game. On December 12, 2012, all Xbox 360 Season Pass holders received access to the Nuketown Zombies map, with PC holders following on January 17, and PlayStation 3 holders on January 19, having been delayed two days due to PSN technical issues.[52][53] It was later released as an individual download for PC on April 13, 2013.[54]
The first major DLC pack is called Revolution. It was announced on January 8, 2013 and released for Xbox 360 on January 29 and PC and PS3 on February 28[55] The pack contained four new multiplayer maps - Downhill, Hydro, Mirage and Grind; and two new Zombies modes - Turned and Die Rise. Also included was the first DLC weapon; the Peacekeeper. Turned occurs in the Diner segment of the TranZit map from the original release, and allows up to four players to fight each other in two teams - one human against three zombies. The Die Rise map is a larger zombies survival map taking place in a destroyed office building, where one to four players use elevators to travel between floors.[56]
Personalisation pack microtransactions for the game were released for Xbox 360 on March 12, 2013, and PC and PS3 on April 12. These allow the player to make small aesthetic changes to the multiplayer functionality of the game, like adding the flag of their country to the kill notification box, adding new weapon skins and allowing the player to use more Create-a-Class slots.[57][58]
The second major DLC pack is known as Uprising. It was released for Xbox 360 on April 16, 2013 and came out for PC and PS3 players on 16 May.[59] It includes the new zombies map Mob of the Dead as well as new multiplayer maps Magma, Vertigo, Encore, and a re-imagining of fan-favourite from previous installment Black Ops Firing Range, known as Studio.[60]
The third major DLC pack is called Vengeance. It was released for Xbox 360 on July 2, 2013, and PC and PS3 on August 1. It includes new zombies map Buried as well as new multiplayer maps Cove, Detour, Rush and a remake of the popular map Summit from Black Ops: Uplink.[61]
The fourth and final major DLC pack is called Apocalypse. It was released for Xbox 360 on August 27, 2013, and PC and PS3 on September 26. It includes new zombies map Origins back to the old characters (Takeo, Nikolai, Richtofen and Dempsey), as well as new multiplayer maps Pod, Frost and two remakes of popular maps Courtyard and Stadium of Call of Duty: World at War and Black Ops: First Strike DLC.[62]
On July 8, 2014, Activision released Nuketown 2025 for the Wii U Version. On March 27, 2013, Activision revealed that they were considering releasing Revolution, but a firm decision has not yet been made.[63]
Reception
Critical reception
Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator
Score
GameRankings (WIIU) 86.07%[64]
(X360) 85.53%[65]
(PS3) 82.57%[66]
(PC) 79.17%[67]
Metacritic (X360) 83/100[68]
(PS3) 83/100[69]
(WIIU) 81/100[70]
(PC) 74/100[71]
Review scores
Publication
Score
G4 4.5/5[72]
Game Informer 8.5/10[73]
GameSpot 8.0/10[74]
GameTrailers 9.4/10[75]
IGN 9.3/10[76][77]
OPM (UK) 8/10[78]
OXM (US) 8.5/10[79]
OXM (UK) 8/10[80]
Call of Duty: Black Ops II received generally positive reviews from critics. IGN editor Anthony Gallegos describes the game as "a good example of how to evolve an annualized franchise."[76] Gallegos praised the game for telling a story was genuinely interesting and creating a villain that he empathised with to the point of questioning his own actions over the course of the story. Gallegos directed criticisms at the artificial intelligence of allies in Strike Force mode and at the ending of the campaign, which he felt was disappointing even though he was aware that the outcome was directly influenced by the choices he made.
Dan Ryckert of Game Informer was also critical of the artificial intelligence of Strike Force mode, and was unimpressed by the "Pick Ten" system introduced to multiplayer modes, noting that it was "interesting, but ultimately less exciting" than the system used in previous Call of Duty titles.[73] Like Gallegos, Ryckert praised the narrative and structure of the single-player campaign, introducing changes that he felt were overdue and noting that the branching storylines "had me talking to others about their experiences in a way I had never done before with this [Call of Duty] series".
Steven O'Donnell and Stephanie Bendixsen, of video game talk show Good Game, both gave the game an 8.5 out of 10, praising the gameplay multiplayer and zombies mode, but were critical of the campaign's confusing narrative and Strike Force missions.[81] In particular to the narrative Good Game, was critical of the opening battle where the player guns down fleeing Africans rebels, feeling that it was added purely for shock value and commenting that
The landscape of shooters is changing somewhat. The fact is that everyone loves playing military shooters, but we're also realising that we don't want to glorify aimless killings. A lot of games are trying to make you feel that conflict and even make you feel bad about what you're doing. But I don't think it's been handled very well here.[81]
Frederick Charles Fripp of IT News Africa gave it a final score of 9.2/10 and wrote that "BO2 is a non-stop action-packed shooter that will keep gamers on their toes and on the edge of their seats. It has everything a player could want in a game: great graphics, a good story, easy controls and superb acting."[82]
Sales and revenue
Activision reported sales figures for Black Ops II in the U.S. were more than 7.5 million copies sold on launch day[12] and grossed over $500 million, in the US alone in its first 24 hours, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time until the record was surpassed by Grand Theft Auto V in September 2013. It is the fourth year in a row that the Call Of Duty series has broken the same record. 2011's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 grossed $400 million on one full day; 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops grossed $360 million on day one; in 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 brought in $310 million.[10]
Black Ops II went on to gross $1 billion in the first 15 days of availability, beating Modern Warfare 3's record of the first 16 days.[83] On November 5, 2013, IGN confirmed that the game sold 24.2 million copies,[84] making it the third highest selling game in the series, behind 2010's Black Ops, and 2011's Modern Warfare 3.
Lawsuit
In July 2014, former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega sued Activision for lost profits from the use of his likeness in the game. He also claims that his inclusion translated to higher sales of Black Ops II.[85] Noriega makes an appearance in the Cold War portions of the game and aids the primary antagonist. The suit sought compensation for lost profits and damages for his depiction as a "kidnapper, murderer, and enemy of the state" in the game.[86] On October 28, the Los Angeles court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Noriega's inclusion was protected under free speech laws.
References
Notes
Jump up ^ The game was published by Square Enix in Japan.
Jump up ^ Lynch will be absent if she was not rescued and will die if all the Strike Force missions were not completed. If Lynch was rescued and Farid is alive, he will die either shielding her from Salazar or killing DeFalco (if he is alive); if Farid was killed, Lynch will be killed.
Citations
Jump up ^ "Game Credits" (PDF). Retrieved November 5, 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c Gilbert, Ben (July 10, 2012). "Black Ops 2 soundtrack bolstered by Trent Reznor, Mass Effect composer Jack Wall". Joystiq. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Wii U can be the preferred platform for core games, says Nintendo". Wiiudaily.com. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Kelly, Neon (May 1, 2012). "Black Ops 2 officially confirmed by Activision". Videogamer.com. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Ivan, Tom (May 1, 2012). "Black Ops 2 site goes live, confirms release date, '21st Century Cold War' setting". Computerandvideogames.com. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Crecente, Brian (May 1, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 releases on Nov. 13, will include future LA battle". The Verge. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Select - Our pick of all the latest Nintendo News". Official Nintendo Magazine. Nintendo (48): 6–7. 2012. ISSN 1836-4276.
Jump up ^ "Black Ops 2 brings in $500 million in first day".
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be coming at you in 3D this November". Warp Zoned. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Warman, Matt (November 16, 2012). "Call of duty: Black Ops II sales hit $500 million in first 24 hours". The Daily Telegraph. London.
Jump up ^ "GTA V makes a record $800m in 24-hours".
^ Jump up to: a b "Black Ops sold 7.5 million copies in November – NPD".
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II Reviews". Giant Bomb. November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 teaser trailer pairs Snapchat and The Matrix". The Verge. April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
^ Jump up to: a b c "48 Things That You Should Know About Call of Duty: Black Ops II". Kotaku. May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 preview". Shacknews. May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Black Ops 2 spans decades, offers branching missions and choice". Joystiq. May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
Jump up ^ Scalzo, John (November 9, 2011). "Activision announces Call of Duty: 9, multiple Blizzard titles for 2012". Warp Zoned. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
Jump up ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (February 9, 2012). "Activision Confirms New Call of Duty Game in 2012". IGN. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
Jump up ^ Votta, Marlon (February 10, 2012). "Official confirmation on COD:BO2, title a mystery". inentertainment.co.uk. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty Creators Say Oliver North Helped Make Their Game More Authentic".
Jump up ^ Thier, Dave (May 2, 2012). "Oliver North is Selling Call of Duty: Black Ops 2". Forbes.
Jump up ^ "Interview: 'Black Ops II' consultant Peter Singer". USA Today. May 2, 2012.
Jump up ^ Dutton, Fred (February 17, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 listed on Amazon France - report • News •". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Jackson, Mike (February 17, 2012). "News: 'Black Ops 2' listed on Amazon". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Conditt, Jessica (February 19, 2012). "'Activision doesn't blacklist journalists,' working on resolution with Gameblog". Joystiq. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Gilbert, Ben (February 17, 2012). "Treyarch contract art studio employee lists 'Black Ops 2' among current projects [update: pulled!]". Joystiq. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Jackson, Mike (February 17, 2012). "News: Black Ops 2 appears on developer CV". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Sliwinski, Alexander (January 9, 2012). "Report: Activision scoops up blackops2.com". Joystiq. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Purchese, Robert (November 9, 2010). "Major Spanish/Portuguese shop lists Call of Duty: Black Ops 2". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ Winfrey, Lorenzo (April 9, 2012). "Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 Logo Leaked, Reveal Trailer Release Date Outed | ZoKnowsGaming". ZoKnowsGaming.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
Jump up ^ Narcisse, Evan (April 18, 2012). "Is This an Official Poster for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2?". Kotaku. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (April 27, 2012). "Black Ops 2 Title, Release Date Confirmed". IGN. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Gunther, Cory (April 27, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 confirmed by Target, coming November 13". Slashgear.com. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Staff (April 24, 2012). "May 1 Call of Duty premiere points to Black Ops 2". videogaming247. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Robinson, Andy (April 23, 2012). "Official: New Call of Duty to premiere May 1". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
Jump up ^ Ivan, Tom (May 1, 2012). "News: Black Ops 2 site goes live, confirms release date, '21st Century Cold War' setting". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ Fossum, Erik (May 2, 2012). "Vi lytter til fansen" (in Norwegian). pressfire.no. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Callofduty". YouTube. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ Wilson, Jeffrey L. (May 4, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Blows Away Amazon Pre-Order Records | News & Opinion". PCMag.com. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ Cook, Dave (May 2, 2012). "Black Ops 2 Trailer Secrets – 29 Things You Missed". NowGamer. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
Jump up ^ Plant, Michael (May 3, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 announcement trailer released". The Independent. London. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
Jump up ^ Otero, Jose (May 1, 2012). "Is Black Ops 2 America's Metal Gear Solid?". 1UP.com. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
Jump up ^ Douglas, Ana (July 19, 2012). "The Story Line Of 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2' Better Than A Hollywood Movie". Business Insider. Retrieved August 4, 2012. I would argue that with Black Ops, the story is better than most movies being made.
^ Jump up to: a b Cowen, Nick (August 14, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – multiplayer hands-on preview". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Yin-Poole, Wesley (August 21, 2012). "Treyarch hopes Black Ops 2 multiplayer changes will make Call of Duty a team game again". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
Jump up ^ Ottone, Robert (August 21, 2012). "Treyarch Looking To Enhance 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2' Multiplayer Experience". International Business Times. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
Jump up ^ Ashcraft, Brian. "How Square Enix Screwed Up Black Ops II for Japan". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
Jump up ^ "コール オブ デューティ ブラックオプスII[吹き替え版]発売日決定！Wii U版も同日発売！" (in Japanese). Square-Enix Co., Ltd. October 3, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b "Whoa, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor Is Doing the Theme Music for Black Ops 2". Kotaku.com. July 10, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II Soundtrack". VGMdb. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
Jump up ^ Mitchell, Richard (December 12, 2012). "Xbox Black Ops 2 season pass holders get Nuketown Zombies today [update: Trailer] - Joystiq". Joystiq. Joystiq. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ keshav (January 19, 2013). "PSA: Nuketown Zombies available now for PS3/PC Season Pass owners - Charlie INTEL Blog: Call of Duty Black Ops 2, Modern Warfare 3". Charlie Intel. Charlie Intel. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty®: Black Ops II - Nuketown Zombies Map". Steam. Valve. April 13, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ Hinkle, David (March 1, 2013). "Black Ops 2 'Revolution' DLC hits PS3 and PC". Joystiq. Joystiq. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (January 8, 2013). "Black Ops II Revolution DLC Confirmed". IGN. IGN. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ Pitcher, Jenna (March 12, 2013). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 gets microtransactions for 'little luxuries' in game". Polygon. Polygon. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ Pitcher, Jenna (March 27, 2013). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 microtransactions coming to PS3 and PC on April 12". Polygon. Polygon. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ Reilly, Luke (April 25, 2013). "Black Ops 2 Uprising DLC Hits PS3/PC Next Month - IGN". IGN. IGN. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
Jump up ^ Fletcher, J.C. (April 16, 2013). "PSA: Black Ops 2, Dishonored, Forza Horizon DLC out today". Joystiq. Joystiq. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ Cundy, Matt (July 2, 2013). "Black Ops 2 Vengeance DLC out today new maps, Zombies, Wonder Weapon". DL Central. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
Jump up ^ Chris Pereira, Mitch Dyer (August 8, 2013). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's Final DLC Revealed: Apocalypse". IGN. IGN. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
Jump up ^ iDigitalTimes Staff Reporter (March 27, 2013). "'Black Ops 2' DLC: Bacon Camo, Other Micro Items Confirmed For April Release On PS3 And PC". International Digital Times. International Digital Times. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II (WIIU)". GameRankings. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II (X360)". GameRankings. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II (PS3)". GameRankings. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II (PC)". GameRankings. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II for Xbox 360 - Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II for PlayStation 3 - Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II for Wii U - Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II for PC - Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ Kelly, Kevin. "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Review - Xbox 360". G4tv. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Ryckert, Dan (November 13, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops II review from GameInformer". Game Informer.
Jump up ^ Watters, Chris (November 13, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops II Review". GameStop.
Jump up ^ "REVIEW - Call of Duty: Black Ops II". Retrieved November 13, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Gallegos, Anthony (November 13, 2012). "This is not the Shooter you expected". IGN. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
Jump up ^ Gallegos, Anthony (November 21, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Wii U Review". IGN. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Black Ops 2 PS3 review – Ditching modern warfare for future shooter thrills". Official UK PlayStation Magazine. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops II review". Official Xbox Magazine. November 13, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Review". Official Xbox Magazine UK. November 13, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Bendixsen, O'Donnell (November 20, 2012). "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2". Good Game. Season 5. Episode 42. November 20, 2012 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. ABC Television.
Jump up ^ Fripp, Charlie (December 12, 2012). "Review: Call Of Duty Black Ops 2". IT News Africa. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Grosses $1 Billion In 15 Days" (Press release). Santa Monica, California: Activision. December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Call of Duty: A Short History". IGN. Ziff Davis. November 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
Jump up ^ Dave, Parish (July 15, 2014). "Ex-dictator Manuel Noriega sues Activision over 'Call of Duty' game". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
Jump up ^ Mullins, Dexter (July 16, 2014). "Manuel Noriega sues over ‘Call of Duty’ videogame". Aljazeera America. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
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Jane Eyre
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This article is about the novel. For other uses, see Jane Eyre (disambiguation).
Jane Eyre
Title page of the first Jane Eyre edition
Author
Charlotte Brontë
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Genre
Novel
Set in
Northern England, early 19th century[a]
Publisher
Smith, Elder & Co.
Publication date
16 October 1847 (1847-10-16)
Media type
Print
OCLC
3163777
Dewey Decimal
823.8
Followed by
Shirley
Text
Jane Eyre at Wikisource
Jane Eyre /ˈɛər/ (originally published as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography) is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published on 16 October 1847, by Smith, Elder & Co. of London, England, under the pen name "Currer Bell". The first American edition was published the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York.
Primarily of the Bildungsroman genre, Jane Eyre follows the emotions and experiences of its eponymous heroine, including her growth to adulthood and her love for Mr. Rochester, the Byronic[1] master of fictitious Thornfield Hall. In its internalisation of the action—the focus is on the gradual unfolding of Jane's moral and spiritual sensibility, and all the events are coloured by a heightened intensity that was previously the domain of poetry—Jane Eyre revolutionised the art of fiction. Charlotte Brontë has been called the 'first historian of the private consciousness' and the literary ancestor of writers like Proust and Joyce.[2] The novel contains elements of social criticism, with a strong sense of Christian morality at its core, but is nonetheless a novel many consider ahead of its time given the individualistic character of Jane and the novel's exploration of classism, sexuality, religion, and proto-feminism.[3][4]
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Jane's childhood
1.3 Lowood
1.4 Thornfield Hall
1.5 Other employment
1.6 Proposals
2 Characters
3 Context
4 Adaptations and influence
5 Reception
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
Plot[edit]
Introduction[edit]
The novel is a first-person narrative from the perspective of the title character. The novel's setting is somewhere in the north of England, late in the reign of George III (1760–1820).[a] It goes through five distinct stages: Jane's childhood at Gateshead Hall, where she is emotionally and physically abused by her aunt and cousins; her education at Lowood School, where she gains friends and role models but suffers privations and oppression; her time as governess at Thornfield Hall, where she falls in love with her Byronic employer, Edward Rochester; her time with the Rivers family, during which her earnest but cold clergyman cousin, St. John Rivers, proposes to her; and her reunion with, and marriage to, her beloved Rochester. During these sections, the novel provides perspectives on a number of important social issues and ideas, many of which are critical of the status quo (see the Themes section below). Literary critic Jerome Beaty opines that the close first person perspective leaves the reader "too uncritically accepting of her worldview", and often leads reading and conversation about the novel towards supporting Jane, regardless of how irregular her ideas or perspectives are.[5]
Jane Eyre is divided into 38 chapters, and most editions are at least 400 pages long. The original publication was in three volumes, comprising chapters 1 to 15, 16 to 27, and 28 to 38; this was a common publishing format during the 19th century (see three-volume novel).
Brontë dedicated the novel's second edition to William Makepeace Thackeray.
Jane's childhood[edit]
Young Jane argues with her guardian Mrs. Reed of Gateshead, illustration by F. H. Townsend
The novel begins with the titular character, Jane Eyre, aged 10, living with her maternal uncle's family, the Reeds, as a result of her uncle's dying wish. It is several years after her parents died of typhus. Mr. Reed, Jane's uncle, was the only person in the Reed family who was ever kind to Jane. Jane's aunt, Sarah Reed, dislikes her, treats her as a burden, and discourages her children from associating with Jane. Mrs. Reed and her three children are abusive to Jane, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The nursemaid Bessie proves to be Jane's only ally in the household, even though Bessie sometimes harshly scolds Jane. Excluded from the family activities, Jane is incredibly unhappy, with only a doll and books for comfort.
One day, after her cousin John Reed knocks her down and she attempts to defend herself, Jane is locked in the red room where her uncle died; there, she faints from panic after she thinks she has seen his ghost. She is subsequently attended to by the kindly apothecary Mr. Lloyd to whom Jane reveals how unhappy she is living at Gateshead Hall. He recommends to Mrs. Reed that Jane should be sent to school, an idea Mrs. Reed happily supports. Mrs. Reed then enlists the aid of the harsh Mr. Brocklehurst, director of Lowood Institution, a charity school for girls. Mrs. Reed cautions Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane has a "tendency for deceit", which he interprets as her being a "liar". Before Jane leaves, however, she confronts Mrs. Reed and declares that she'll never call her "aunt" again, that Mrs. Reed and her daughter, Georgiana, are the ones who are deceitful, and that she will tell everyone at Lowood how cruelly Mrs. Reed treated her.[6]
Lowood[edit]
At Lowood Institution, a school for poor and orphaned girls, Jane soon finds that life is harsh, but she attempts to fit in and befriends an older girl, Helen Burns, who is able to accept her punishment philosophically. During a school inspection by Mr. Brocklehurst, Jane accidentally breaks her slate, thereby drawing attention to herself. He then stands her on a stool, brands her a liar, and shames her before the entire assembly. Jane is later comforted by her friend, Helen. Miss Temple, the caring superintendent, facilitates Jane's self-defence and writes to Mr. Lloyd, whose reply agrees with Jane's. Jane is then publicly cleared of Mr. Brocklehurst's accusations.
The 80 pupils at Lowood are subjected to cold rooms, poor meals, and thin clothing. Many students fall ill when a typhus epidemic strikes, and Jane's friend Helen dies of consumption in her arms. When Mr. Brocklehurst's maltreatment of the students is discovered, several benefactors erect a new building and install a sympathetic management committee to moderate Mr. Brocklehurst's harsh rule. Conditions at the school then improve dramatically.
The name Lowood symbolizes the "low" point in Jane's life where she was maltreated. Helen Burns is a representation of Charlotte's elder sister Maria, who died of tuberculosis after spending time at a school where the children were mistreated.
Thornfield Hall[edit]
Further information: Thornfield Hall
After six years as a student and two as a teacher at Lowood, Jane decides to leave, like her friend and confidante Miss Temple, who recently married. She advertises her services as a governess and receives one reply, from Alice Fairfax, housekeeper at Thornfield Hall. Jane takes the position, teaching Adèle Varens, a young French girl.
One night, while Jane is walking to a nearby town, a horseman passes her. The horse slips on ice and throws the rider. Despite the rider's surliness, Jane helps him to get back onto his horse. Later, back at Thornfield, she learns that this man is Edward Rochester, master of the house. Adèle is his ward, left in his care when her mother abandoned her.
At Jane's first meeting with him within Thornfield, Mr. Rochester teases her, accusing her of bewitching his horse to make him fall. He also talks strangely in other ways, but Jane is able to stand up to his initially arrogant manner. Mr. Rochester and Jane soon come to enjoy each other's company, and spend many evenings together.
Odd things start to happen at the house, such as a strange laugh, a mysterious fire in Mr. Rochester's room (from which Jane saves Rochester by rousing him and throwing water on him and the fire), and an attack on a house guest named Mr. Mason. Then Jane receives word that her aunt Mrs. Reed is calling for her, because she suffered a stroke after her son John died. Jane returns to Gateshead and remains there for a month, attending to her dying aunt. Mrs. Reed confesses to Jane that she wronged her, giving Jane a letter from Jane's paternal uncle, Mr. John Eyre, in which he asks for her to live with him and be his heir. Mrs. Reed admits to telling Mr. Eyre that Jane had died of fever at Lowood. Soon afterward, Mrs. Reed dies, and Jane helps her cousins after the funeral before returning to Thornfield.
St. John Rivers admits Jane to Moor House, illustration by F. H. Townsend
Back at Thornfield, Jane broods over Mr. Rochester's rumoured impending marriage to the beautiful and talented, but snobbish and heartless, Blanche Ingram. However, one midsummer evening, Rochester baits Jane by saying how much he will miss her after getting married, but how she will soon forget him. The normally self-controlled Jane reveals her feelings for him. Rochester is then sure that Jane is sincerely in love with him, and he proposes marriage. Jane is at first sceptical of his sincerity, but eventually believes him and gladly agrees to marry him. She then writes to her Uncle John, telling him of her happy news.
As she prepares for her wedding, Jane's forebodings arise when a strange woman sneaks into her room one night and rips her wedding veil in two. As with the previous mysterious events, Mr. Rochester attributes the incident to Grace Poole, one of his servants. During the wedding ceremony, Mr. Mason and a lawyer declare that Mr. Rochester cannot marry because he is already married to Mr. Mason's sister, Bertha. Mr. Rochester admits this is true but explains that his father tricked him into the marriage for her money. Once they were united, he discovered that she was rapidly descending into congenital madness, and so he eventually locked her away in Thornfield, hiring Grace Poole as a nurse to look after her. When Grace gets drunk, Rochester's wife escapes and causes the strange happenings at Thornfield.
It turns out that Jane's uncle, Mr. John Eyre, is a friend of Mr. Mason's and was visited by him soon after Mr. Eyre received Jane's letter about her impending marriage. After the marriage ceremony is broken off, Mr. Rochester asks Jane to go with him to the south of France, and live with him as husband and wife, even though they cannot be married. Refusing to go against her principles, and despite her love for him, Jane leaves Thornfield in the middle of the night.[7]
Other employment[edit]
Jane travels as far from Thornfield as she can using the little money she had previously saved. She accidentally leaves her bundle of possessions on the coach and has to sleep on the moor, and unsuccessfully attempts to trade her handkerchief and gloves for food. Exhausted and hungry, she eventually makes her way to the home of Diana and Mary Rivers, but is turned away by the housekeeper. She collapses on the doorstep, preparing for her death. St. John Rivers, Diana and Mary's brother and a clergyman, saves her. After she regains her health, St. John finds Jane a teaching position at a nearby village school. Jane becomes good friends with the sisters, but St. John remains aloof.
The sisters leave for governess jobs, and St. John becomes somewhat closer to Jane. St. John learns Jane's true identity and astounds her by telling her that her uncle, John Eyre, has died and left her his entire fortune of 20,000 pounds (equivalent to over £1.3 million in 2011[8]). When Jane questions him further, St. John reveals that John Eyre is also his and his sisters' uncle. They had once hoped for a share of the inheritance but were left virtually nothing. Jane, overjoyed by finding that she has living and friendly family members, insists on sharing the money equally with her cousins, and Diana and Mary come back to live at Moor House.
Proposals[edit]
Thinking Jane will make a suitable missionary's wife, St. John asks her to marry him and to go with him to India, not out of love, but out of duty. Jane initially accepts going to India but rejects the marriage proposal, suggesting they travel as brother and sister. As soon as Jane's resolve against marriage to St. John begins to weaken, she mystically hears Mr. Rochester's voice calling her name. Jane then returns to Thornfield to find only blackened ruins. She learns that Mr. Rochester's wife set the house on fire and committed suicide by jumping from the roof. In his rescue attempts, Mr. Rochester lost a hand and his eyesight. Jane reunites with him, but he fears that she will be repulsed by his condition. "Am I hideous, Jane?", he asks. "Very, sir: you always were, you know", she replies. When Jane assures him of her love and tells him that she will never leave him, Mr. Rochester again proposes, and they are married. He eventually recovers enough sight to see their firstborn son.
Characters[edit]
Jane Eyre: The novel's protagonist, second wife of Edward Rochester, and title character. Orphaned as a baby, she struggles through her nearly loveless childhood and becomes governess at Thornfield Hall. Jane is passionate and strongly principled, and values freedom and independence. She also has a strong conscience and is a determined Christian.
Mr. Reed: Jane's maternal uncle, who adopts Jane when her parents die. According to Mrs. Reed, he pitied Jane and often cared for her more than for his own children. Before his own death, he makes his wife promise to care for Jane.
Mrs. Reed: Jane's aunt by marriage, who adopts Jane on her husband's wishes, but abuses and neglects her. She eventually casts her off and sends her to Lowood School.
John Reed: Jane's cousin who bullies her incessantly, sometimes in his mother's presence. John ruins himself as an adult by drinking and gambling, and is thought to have committed suicide.
Eliza Reed: Jane's cousin. Jealous of her more attractive sister and a slave to rigid routine, she self-righteously devotes herself to religion. She leaves for a nunnery near Lisle after her mother's death, determined to estrange herself from her sister.
Georgiana Reed: Jane's cousin. Although beautiful and indulged, she is insolent and spiteful. Her sister Eliza foils Georgiana's marriage to the wealthy Lord Edwin Vere, when the couple is about to elope. Georgiana eventually marries a, "wealthy worn-out man of fashion."
Bessie Lee: The nursemaid at Gateshead. She often treats Jane kindly, telling her stories and singing her songs, but she has a quick temper. Later, she marries Robert Leaven.
Robert Leaven: The coachman at Gateshead, who brings Jane the news of John Reed's death, which has brought on Mrs. Reed's stroke, and Mrs. Reed's wish to see Jane before Mrs. Reed died.
Mr. Lloyd: A compassionate apothecary who recommends that Jane be sent to school. Later, he writes a letter to Miss Temple confirming Jane's account of her childhood and thereby clears Jane of Mrs. Reed's charge of lying.
Mr. Brocklehurst: The clergyman, director, and treasurer of Lowood School, whose maltreatment of the students is eventually exposed. A religious traditionalist, he advocates for his charges the most harsh, plain, and disciplined possible lifestyle, but not, hypocritically, for himself and his own family. His second daughter Augusta exclaimed, "Oh, dear papa, how quiet and plain all the girls at Lowood look... they looked at my dress and mama's, as if they had never seen a silk gown before."
Miss Maria Temple: The kind superintendent of Lowood School, who treats the students with respect and compassion. She helps clear Jane of Mr. Brocklehurst's false accusation of deceit and cares for Helen in her last days. Eventually, she marries Reverend Naysmith.
Miss Scatcherd: A sour and strict teacher at Lowood. She constantly punishes Helen Burns for her untidiness but fails to see Helen's substantial good points.
Helen Burns: Jane's best friend at Lowood School. She refuses to hate those who abuse her, trusts in God, and prays for peace one day in heaven. She teaches Jane to trust Christianity and dies of consumption in Jane's arms. Elizabeth Gaskell, in her biography of the Brontë sisters, wrote that Helen Burns was 'an exact transcript' of Maria Brontë, who died of consumption at age 11.[9]
Edward Fairfax Rochester: The master of Thornfield Hall. A Byronic hero, he is tricked into making an unfortunate first marriage to Bertha Mason many years before he meets Jane, with whom he falls in love.
Bertha Antoinetta Mason: The violent and insane first wife of Edward Rochester. Bertha moved to Thornfield, was locked in the attic, and eventually committed suicide after setting Thornfield Hall aflame.
Adèle Varens: [a.dɛl va.ʁɛ̃] An excitable French child to whom Jane is governess at Thornfield. Adèle's mother was a dancer named Céline. She was Mr. Rochester's mistress and claimed that Adèle was Mr. Rochester's daughter, though he refuses to believe it due to Céline's unfaithfulness and Adèle's apparent lack of resemblance to him. Adèle seems to believe that her mother is dead (she tells Jane in chapter 11, "I lived long ago with mamma, but she is gone to the Holy Virgin"), but Mr Rochester later tells Jane that Céline actually abandoned Adèle and "ran away to Italy with a musician or singer" (ch. 15). Adèle and Jane develop a strong liking for one another, and although Mr. Rochester places Adèle in a strict school after Jane flees Thornfield, Jane visits Adèle after her return and finds a better, less severe school for her. When Adèle is old enough to leave school, Jane describes her as "a pleasing and obliging companion – docile, good-tempered and well-principled", and considers her kindness to Adèle well repaid.
Mrs. Alice Fairfax: An elderly, kind widow and the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall.
Leah: The housemaid at Thornfield Hall.
John: An old, and normally the only, manservant at Thornfield.
Mary: Normally referred to as 'John's wife' and sometimes 'the cook'.
Blanche Ingram: A socialite whom Mr. Rochester temporarily courts to make Jane jealous. Ms. Ingram is described as having great beauty and talent, but displays callous behaviour and avaricious intent.
Richard Mason: An Englishman from the West Indies, whose sister is Mr. Rochester's first wife. He took part in tricking Mr. Rochester into marrying Bertha. He still, however, cares for his sister's well-being.
Grace Poole: Bertha Mason's caretaker. Mr. Rochester pays her a very high salary to keep Bertha hidden and quiet, and she is often used as an explanation for odd happenings. She has a weakness for drink that occasionally allows Bertha to escape.
St. John Eyre Rivers: A clergyman who befriends Jane and turns out to be her cousin. St. John is thoroughly practical and suppresses all of his human passions and emotions in favour of good works. He is determined to go to India as a missionary, despite being in love with Rosamond Oliver.
Diana and Mary Rivers: St. John's sisters and (as it turns out) Jane's cousins. They are poor, intelligent, and kind-hearted, and want St. John to stay in England.
Rosamond Oliver: A beautiful, kindly, wealthy, but not deep thinking, young woman, and the patron of the village school where Jane teaches. Rosamond falls in love with St. John, only to be rejected because she would not make a good missionary's wife.
Mr. Oliver: Rosamond Oliver's wealthy father, who owns a foundry and needle factory in the district. He is a kind and charitable man, and is fond of St. John.
Alice Wood: Jane's maid when Jane is mistress of the girls' village school in Morton.
John Eyre: Jane's paternal uncle, who leaves her his vast fortune and wished to adopt her when she was 15. Mrs. Reed prevented the adoption out of spite towards Jane.
Context[edit]
The Salutation pub in Hulme, Manchester, where Brontë began to write Jane Eyre; the pub was a lodge in the 1840s.[10][11]
The early sequences, in which Jane is sent to Lowood, a harsh boarding school, are derived from the author's own experiences. Helen Burns's death from tuberculosis (referred to as consumption) recalls the deaths of Charlotte Brontë's sisters Elizabeth and Maria, who died of the disease in childhood as a result of the conditions at their school, the Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge, near Tunstall, Lancashire. Mr. Brocklehurst is based on Rev. William Carus Wilson (1791–1859), the Evangelical minister who ran the school. Additionally, John Reed's decline into alcoholism and dissolution recalls the life of Charlotte's brother Branwell, who became an opium and alcohol addict in the years preceding his death. Finally, like Jane, Charlotte became a governess. These facts were revealed to the public in The Life of Charlotte Brontë (1857) by Charlotte's friend and fellow novelist Elizabeth Gaskell.[12]
The Gothic manor of Thornfield Hall was probably inspired by North Lees Hall, near Hathersage in the Peak District. This was visited by Charlotte Brontë and her friend Ellen Nussey in the summer of 1845 and is described by the latter in a letter dated 22 July 1845. It was the residence of the Eyre family, and its first owner, Agnes Ashurst, was reputedly confined as a lunatic in a padded second floor room.[12]
It has been suggested that the Wycoller Hall in Lancashire, close to Haworth, provided the setting for Ferndean Manor to which Mr. Rochester retreats after the fire at Thornfield: there are similarities between the owner of Ferndean, Mr. Rochester's father, and Henry Cunliffe who inherited Wycoller in the 1770s and lived there until his death in 1818; one of Cunliffe's relatives was named Elizabeth Eyre (née Cunliffe).[13]
The sequence in which Mr. Rochester's wife sets fire to the bed curtains was prepared in an August 1830 homemade publication of Brontë's The Young Men's Magazine, Number 2.[14]
Charlotte Brontë began composing Jane Eyre in Manchester, and she likely envisioned Manchester Cathedral churchyard as the burial place for Jane's parents and the birthplace of Jane herself.[15]
Adaptations and influence[edit]
Main article: Adaptations of Jane Eyre
A 1949 adaptation for NBC University Theatre
The novel has been adapted into a number of other forms, including theatre, film, television - and at least two full-length operas, by John Joubert (1987–97) and Michael Berkeley (2000). The novel has also been the subject of a number of significant rewritings and reinterpretations, notably Jean Rhys's seminal novel Wide Sargasso Sea.
Reception[edit]
Although Jane Eyre is now commonly accepted in the canon of English literature and is widely studied in secondary schools, its immediate reception was in stark contrast to its contemporary reputation. In 1848, Elizabeth Rigby (later Elizabeth Eastlake), reviewing Jane Eyre in The Quarterly Review, found it "pre-eminently an anti-Christian composition,"[16] declaring: "We do not hesitate to say that the tone of mind and thought which has overthrown authority and violated every code human and divine abroad, and fostered Chartism and rebellion at home, is the same which has also written Jane Eyre."[16]
In 2003, the novel was ranked number 10 in the BBC's survey The Big Read.[17]
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ The exact time setting of the novel is impossible to determine, as several references in the text are contradictory. For example, Marmion (pub. 1808) is referred to in Chapter 32 as a "new publication", but Adèle mentions crossing the Channel by steamship, impossible before 1816.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Harold Bloom declared Eyre a "classic of Gothic and Victorian literature." Bloom, Harold (July 2007). "Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre"". Midwest Book Review. Chelsea House Publishers: 245. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Burt, Daniel S. (2008). The Literature 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Novelists, Playwrights, and Poets of All Time. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 9781438127064.
Jump up ^ Gilbert, Sandra & Gubar, Susan (1979). The Madwoman in the Attic. Yale University Press. CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)
Jump up ^ Martin, Robert B. (1966). Charlotte Brontë's Novels: The Accents of Persuasion. NY: Norton.
Jump up ^ Beaty, Jerome. "St. John's Way and the Wayward Reader" in Brontë, Charlotte (2001) [1847]. Richard J. Dunn, ed. Jane Eyre (Norton Critical Edition, Third ed.). W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 491–502. ISBN 0393975428.
Jump up ^ Brontë, Charlotte (16 October 1847). Jane Eyre. London, England: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 105.
Jump up ^ Brontë, Charlotte (2008). Jane Eyre. Radford, Virginia: Wilder Publications. ISBN 160459411X.
Jump up ^ calculated using the UK Retail Price Index: "Five Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a UK Pound Amount, 1830 to Present". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
Jump up ^ Gaskell, Elizabeth (1857). The Life of Charlotte Brontë. 1. Smith, Elder & Co. p. 73.
Jump up ^ "Jane Eyre: a Mancunian?". BBC. 10 October 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
Jump up ^ "Salutation pub in Hulme thrown a lifeline as historic building is bought by MMU". Manchester Evening News. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b Stevie Davies, Introduction and Notes to Jane Eyre. Penguin Classics ed., 2006.
Jump up ^ "Wycoller Sheet 3: Ferndean Manor and the Brontë Connection" (pdf). Lancashire Countryside Service Environmental Directorale. 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
Jump up ^ "Paris museum wins Brontë bidding war". BBC News. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
Jump up ^ Alexander, Christine, and Sara L. Pearson. Celebrating Charlotte Brontë: Transforming Life into Literature in Jane Eyre. Brontë Society, 2016, p. 173.
^ Jump up to: a b Shapiro, Arnold (Autumn 1968). "In Defense of Jane Eyre". Studies in English Literature, 1500–1900. 8 (4): 683. JSTOR 449473.
Jump up ^ "The Big Read". BBC. April 2003. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
External links[edit]
Find more aboutJane Eyreat Wikipedia's sister projects
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Jane Eyre at Project Gutenberg
Jane Eyre public domain audiobook at LibriVox
Dating Jane Eyre
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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Characters
Jane Eyre
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Setting
Thornfield Hall
Films
Jane Eyre (1910)
Woman and Wife (1918)
Orphan of Lowood (1926)
Jane Eyre (1934)
Jane Eyre (1943)
Sangdil (1952)
Jane Eyre (1970)
Jane Eyre (1996)
Jane Eyre (1997)
Jane Eyre (2011)
Television
Jane Eyre (1956)
Jane Eyre (1973)
El Ardiente Secreto (1978)
Jane Eyre (1983)
Jane Eyre (2006)
Theatre
The Master of Thornfield (1954)
Jane Eyre (musical)
Related works
Wide Sargasso Sea (novel)
Wide Sargasso Sea (1993 film)
Wide Sargasso Sea (2006 film)
Jucy (2010)
The Eyre Affair
See also
Adaptations of Jane Eyre
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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848)
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Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell (1846)
List of Brontë poems
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This page was last edited on 18 September 2017, at 20:38.
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/wiki/Jane_Eyre_(disambiguation)
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Jane Eyre (disambiguation)

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values: The title page to the original publication of Jane Eyre, including Brontë's pseudonym "Currer Bell".

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https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/3163777

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16191329

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Jane Eyre – Afrikaans
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Jane Eyre – Catalan
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Jane Eyre – Welsh
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Jane Eyre – German
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Jane Eyre – Estonian
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Jane Eyre – Spanish
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Jane Eyre – Esperanto
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https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – French
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Jane Eyre – Galician
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https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – Indonesian
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https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – Italian
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https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – Hungarian
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Jane Eyre – Dutch
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nl
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https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – Norwegian
no
no
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https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – Portuguese
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pt
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https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – Romanian
ro
ro
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values: Джейн Эйр – Russian

values: Џејн Ејр – Serbian

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https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – Serbo-Croatian
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https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
Jane Eyre – Swedish
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Jane Eyre – Turkish
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Jane Eyre – Vietnamese
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