| Plot Summary of Plain Jane: A Novel of Jane Seymour |
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"Jane Seymour knew she was plain at an early age. Growing up as the eldest daughter of an insignificant nobleman, she knew her looks and lack of a good dowry would hinder her chances for a good marriage. However, a chance meeting with William Dormer, oldest son of an honorable family, brought the hope of a different fate. They were very similar in many ways and soon they fell in love. Sadly, it was not to be, as his family would not consent to the match.
Instead of staying in her current situation, Jane went to the court of Henry VIII to be a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. Henry was loosing patience with his wife's inability to bear a son, and the entire court was affected by it. The king tried to get a divorce, but was refused. Rumor had it that the king would take measures into his own hands and marry Anne Boleyn. People began forming different parties; on one side was Katherine of Aragon's party and on the other was Anne Boleyn's party. Jane, ever loyal, stayed with her mistress, now in exile, for as long as she could before she was called back to court to become a lady-in-waiting to the new queen, Anne Boleyn.
Anne Boleyn's reign started out triumphantly but soon changed tone. Instead of giving birth to a son, she gave birth to a daughter. Her next pregnancy ended with a stillborn son. The king soon began to tire of her demanding nature and her failure to produce a living son in the length of time they had been together. His gaze began to wander and fell on the most unlikely source. Jane was the exact opposite of Anne in every way. She was plain, quiet, and submissive. In a whirlwind, the king had Anne executed for adultery and married Jane.
As the new wife of the king, Jane had something the previous wives didn't have: observations. She was able to see where they had failed and why. She hoped she would be able to use this information to her advantage and keep her husband in love with her. Would this plan work? Would she end up the way the other wives did? Could she bear the king a son?
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Brittany Joy Higdon, Resident Scholar
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