Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

Details Of The Book

Title: Jane Eyre
Author: Charlotte Brontë
Publication: First published in 1847 (with her pen name Currer Bell)

About The Author

Charlotte Bronte, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters, was an English novelist and poet. She published a book of poems jointly with Emily and Anne in 1846, and used a pseudonym to avoid the prejudice against women writers at the time. Although the book did not attract much attention, they decided to continue writing. In 1847, Jane Eyre is published under her pen name Currer Bell, her works began to attract public attention and received many good reviews.

About The Story

Main Characters

• Jane Eyre: the heroine
• Mr. Reed: uncle, deceased at the beginning of the novel
• Sarah Reed: aunt, often abusive to Jane Eyre
• John Reed: uncle’s son, who is a terrible scoundrel in the story
• Eliza Reed: uncle’s daughter, who is a simple and reclusive woman and eventually becomes a nun
• Georgiana Reed: uncle’s daughter, loves vanity
• Bessie Lee: uncle’s maid, treats Jane Eyre very well, later marries Robert Leaven
• Mr. Lloyd: the pharmacist of Reed’s family, who suggests to Aunt Reed that Jane Eyre be sent to school
• Mr. Brocklehurst: Director of the Lowood Orphanage
• Maria Temple: the teacher of the orphans at Lowood, Jane Eyre’s valued friend as a student
• Miss Scatcherd: the wicked teacher of the orphanage
• Helen Burns: Jane Eyre’s best friend in the orphanage, sad and philosophical, later died of lung disease
• Edward Fairfax Rochester: male protagonist, owner of Thornfield Hall
• Bertha Antoinetta Mason: Rochester’s wife, a madwoman
• Adèle Varens: Rochester’s adopted French child
• Alice Fairfax: estate housekeeper
• Blanche Ingram: the object of Rochester’s scandal
• Richard Mason: Bertha’s brother
• Grace Poole: the maid who looks after Bertha
• St. John Eyre Rivers: The priest who helps Jane Eyre, who leaves home, and Jane Eyre’s cousin. Later went to India as a missionary
• Diana and Mary Rivers: two sisters of the priest
• Rosamond Oliver: object of affection for St. John
• John Eyre: Jane Eyre’s uncle

Plot Summary

Jane Eyre was an orphan girl, raised in the home of her aunt and uncle, Mrs. Reed, at Gateshead Manor, and shrouded in the shadow of abuse by her aunt and uncle. At the age of ten, she was sent to Lowood boarding school, where the dean, Brocklehurst, was a selfish and cruel man. She went through all kinds of torture, and her best friend Helen died of lung disease; but she finished her studies by her strong will and became a good teacher. She worked as a teacher in the orphanage for two years, but she could not stand the solitude there and went to Thornfield Hall to be employed as a teacher.

The owner of the manor, Rochester, is a gloomy and moody person, he and Jane Eyre often debate over certain ideas, but the two gradually grows affectionate. One day Mrs. Reed sends for Jane Eyre, saying that she is critically ill and wants to see Jane Eyre. During the meeting, Mrs. Reed gives her a letter, which was sent by Jane Eyre’s uncle three years ago, asking her for news about Jane Eyre. Mrs. Reed lies that Jane Eyre is sick and dying in the orphanage. Before she dies, Mrs. Reed finally finds her conscience and tells Jane Eyre the truth. Rochester proposes to her and Jane Eyre agrees and happily prepares for the wedding, only to find out at the wedding that Rochester already has a legal wife and that his wife has been traumatized and is a mental patient.

Jane Eyre flees Thornfield Hall, heartbroken. Penniless and having lost her parcels, she begs along the way and finally collapses in front of the house of St. John the Priest, where she is rescued by St. John and his two sisters. They help her find work as a teacher. St. John later found out that Jane Eyre was his cousin, and Jane Eyre’s uncle left her all the inheritance, which she divided equally among her and her three cousins. Cousin St. John proposes to her, but Jane Eyre does not say yes. When Jane Eyre returns to Thornfield Hall, the entire estate is in ruins. Rochester’s wife jumped to her death, and Rochester was burned blind and lost a hand, leaving him alone. Jane Eyre and Rochester finally married, adopted Adèle as their daughter, and had a boy, while Rochester’s eyes were restored to the point where he could see his son.