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Summary GCSE English Literature - Jane Eyre: Grade 9/A*, fully annotated
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Jane Eyre Author/ContextCharlotte Bronte (1816-55), was the daughter of Patrick Bronte, an Irishman and curate
in Yorkshire for over forty years. Many of the facts within Jane Eyre, are biographical.
Charlotte's mother died in 1821, which left five daughters and one son in the care of
their aunt, Elizabeth Branwell. Four daughters went to school, the Clergy Daughters'
School at Cowan Bridge, which was the model for Lowood Institution. Many of the
aspects of the Clergy School were very similar to Lowood, and in 1825, Charlotte's two
elder sisters died there.
The remaining children, Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell, afterward pursued their
education at home instead. This involvement led to rich collaborations among the four in
creating an in-depth and varied fantasy life, enacted through stories, tales, poetry, and
miniature publications. From 1831-32, Charlotte attended Miss Wooler's School at Roe
Head, where she later returned to teach, from 1835-8. From 1839-1841, she was a
governess with two different families in parts of England. In 1842, Charlotte accompanied
her sister Emily to Brussels to pursue studies in languages, at the Pensionnat Heger. At
the end of the year, they returned to England at the death of their aunt. But Charlotte
returned to Brussels in 1843 to continue her studies for a year. During this time, she fell
in love with a teacher at the school M. Heger, but which was fated and fruitless, as well
as unrequited, upon Charlotte's return to England.
Charlotte and her sisters attempted to establish their own school in 1844, a project which
failed. In 1846, Charlotte and her two sisters published a volume of poetry which got
little review, called Poems of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, under pseudonyms. By 1847,
all three sisters had finished their first novels. Both Emily's Wuthering Heights and
Anne's Agnes Grey, were accepted and published by the publisher, Thomas Newby, in
1848. Charlotte's first novel, The Professor, was rejected and never found a publisher.
But, in 1847, Jane's second novel, Jane Eyre, which she had begun writing only after her
first novel, was accepted and published by Smith, Elder Publishing Co. Jane Eyre was
immediately successful, so much that in 1848, Charlotte and Anne had to go to the
publishing companies to show their actual selves; much suspicion existed related to the
pseudonyms, where critics suggested there was only one actual author.
Jane Eyre brought Charlotte much success, and various invitations from all literary
circles. This was juxtaposed against the terrible loss of not only her brother Branwell in
September of 1848, but also both her sisters Anne in December of 1848, and Emily the
following summer. In 1849, Charlotte completed Shirley, her third novel. Her great
loneliness in later years was made up for my her companion and friend, Mrs. Elizabeth
Gaskell, whom she met in 1850 and who also wrote her biography.
In 1857, Charlotte put on memorial editions of Agnes Grey and Wuthering
Heights. Villette appeared in 1853, based on Charlotte's memories of her time in
Brussels. Despite the fact that the literary world was aware of her identity as a woman,
she still published under the name of Currer Bell. In 1854, against much hesitation,
Charlotte married her father's curate, at his desire. A few months later, she was dead
from complications and an illness, during pregnancy. Her fragment, Emma, was
published finally in 1860, in Cornhill Magazine, introduced by Thackeray. During
Charlotte's life she was a great admirer of Thackeray, wrote to him, and dedicated Jane
Eyre to him.
Charlotte Bronte was both greatly admired, and harshly criticized by literary critics in her
day. Many critics accused her of being overly emotional, rebellious, rage,
blasphemousness, and passionate. H. Martineau, a critic, wrote of Villette, that it "dealt
excessively with 'the need of being loved', and was passionately anti-Catholic." (Drabble,
134). Nevertheless, Charlotte Bronte was known in her day, and is remembered for her
"depth of feeling and her courageous realism." Her remarkable ability to capture the
humanism in her characters, especially in strong female protagonists, distinguished her
,from other novelists and writers who did not create such human, nor fallible portraits.
Charlotte Bronte is considered to be the most talented and popular of the Bronte sisters.
Jane Eyre Plot Summary
Jane Eyre is a Bildungsroman, or a coming-of-age novel, which recounts the first
nineteen years of the character of Jane Eyre, in the first-person voice.
Jane Eyre is a young girl, orphaned as a baby; both her mother and father die together
from a type of fever. Jane goes to live with her cruel Aunt Reed, who only takes her in as
the result of a promise to her husband on his deathbed. Mrs. Reed does not treat Jane so
very well, and her son often beats and verbally abuses her. Jane grows up for many
years very unhappy-an overly mature, sad, sallow and un-childlike child. Finally it is too
much for Mrs. Reed. Jane is sent to Lowood Institution, a charitable, cheap and strictly
kept school for clergyman's daughters. Jane attends this school for over eight years;
after a couple years, the standard of living at the school is improved. Jane makes the
friends of Helen Burns, and Ms. Temple, a teacher, while she is there. These two
individuals greatly affect Jane's personality and character, especially related to personal
philosophy, religion, and treatment of others.
Jane spends the last few years at Lowood as a teacher. Miss Temple finally marries, and
Jane places an advertisement for a position as a governess in the local paper. Soon she
is contacted by a Mrs. Fairfax, about the position of governess in Millcote, -shire, for a
young single girl. Jane gets leave from Lowood and journeys to Millcote to take the
position. There she begins as governess for Adèle Varens, a young French girl, and ward
of the master of Thornfield Hall, Mr. Rochester. Thornfield Hall is where Jane lives, now.
Jane begins to spend much time with Rochester; they grow a great friendship and
affection for each other. Jane begins to realize she is falling in love with Mr. Rochester.
Simultaneous to this, it appears that Rochester is courting the hand of Blanche Ingram,
in hopes of marrying her. This turns out to simply be a ploy by Rochester to make Jane
jealous, and increase her love for him.
Jane goes home for her aunt's death for several weeks. She returns to Thornfield Hall, to
find Mr. Rochester greatly missing her. During her time at the house, she has noticed the
presence of a madwoman in the attic, presumably, Grace Poole. In the middle of the
night, this woman tries to light Rochester's bed on fire. Jane wakes, smells the smoke,
and saves him. This happens before she leaves for her aunt's funeral. When Jane returns,
Rochester finally tells her of his love for her. They become engaged. The ceremony
approaches, and as it comes closer and closer, Rochester becomes more and more
arrogant. Jane declares she will still work once they are married-she will only be his
equal. Their relationship becomes off-balance. On the day of the marriage ceremony, the
rite is broken up by the entrance of Mr. Mason and Mr. Briggs. Here they reveal that
Rochester has been previously married. The madwoman in his attic, is Bertha Mason, his
first wife. The marriage doesn't go through; Jane sees Bertha, feels numb, sad, and
realizes she cannot marry Rochester out of wedlock, for fear of inequality in their
relationship.
Jane flees Thornfield, and arrives at Whitcross. She is destitute, begs and is near death
almost for three days, until she comes upon a house, whose members take her in and
care for her. She stays there for many days. She wakes and tells them most of her story.
She develops a great friendship with Diana, Mary and St. John Rivers, who is a pastor,
and are inhabitants of the house. Within good time, St. John finds Jane work as the
teacher of a village-school for peasant girls in that town, Morton. Jane takes the job.
Soon she finds through St. John that she has been left a fortune of twenty-thousand
pounds by her uncle in Madeira, who had died. She also finds out that St. John, Mary and
Diana are her cousins; her uncle is also their uncle with whom their father had once had
,a terrible quarrel. Thus they were left no inheritance. Jane immediately divides her
fortune equally between the four of them, and vacates the school position.
Jane goes to live at Moor House with her cousins. They are happy for a while, and St.
John begins to teach Jane Hindostanee. Jane finds him intelligent and greatly admires
him, but nevertheless is inwardly wary of his cold power over her. Finally he asks her to
marry him, for the "service of God" to become a missionary with him in India. Jane is
torn, but knows she could never have a kind and warm, loving relationship with St. John
that way as a husband. She tells him so, but he will not take her unless she is his wife.
She refuses him. At this time, she hears a sudden spectre of Rochester's voice calling her
from the near garden. She takes it as a sign, and the next day leaves from Whitcross in a
coach to see what has happened to Rochester.
Jane arrives in Millcote after a day and a half. She finds out and sees that Thornfield Hall
is a ruin; it burned down last fall from a fire Bertha Mason started. During the fire,
Bertha killed herself from jumping from the battlements; Rochester was blinded and lost
one of his arms from falling timber, when helping servants out of the house. He turned to
depression and utter isolation after her disappearance. Now he lives with two servants,
John and Mary, at Ferndean Manor, thirty miles away. Jane journeys there that night,
sees Rochester and makes herself known to him. He almost does not believe it is her, but
finally is convinced, and blesses the Lord for returning Jane to him. He is utterly happy,
and so is she, and despite his blindness and being a cripple, she accepts his hand in
marriage. They marry three days later. Jane brings Adèle to a closer school and makes
frequent visits. Mary and Diana marry and see her on a regular basis. St. John goes off
to India. Jane gives birth to one baby boy of Rochester's. The novel ends with Jane
telling us that she has been married to Rochester for ten years; she is happier than she
could ever be, because they love each other so much, they are each other's better half
and never tire of each other. They are perfectly suited for each other, and Jane is happy
spending her life loving and helping Rochester, being his 'prop'.
Jane Eyre Major Characters
Jane Eyre: Main character of entire novel. Young orphan who grows up, goes to school,
works, marries, creates a life for herself.
Mrs. Reed: Jane's harsh and cruel aunt who takes Jane in against her will, because of a
promise made to her husband, Jane's late uncle.
Eliza Reed: Mrs. Reed's second daughter who is rather more serious and quiet; she
eventually becomes a noviate and then a Catholic nun.
John Reed: Mrs. Reed's arrogant and spoiled son who likes to beat Jane for punishment
and amusement.
Georgiana Reed: Mrs. Reed's attractive and self-absorbed first daughter, who
eventually marries well in London.
Jane's mother: Jane Reed, who married against her family's wish, was disowned, and
who died when Jane was a baby.
Jane's father: John Eyre, a clergyman, who died with his wife.
Bessie: The nurse at Gateshead
Abbot: The maid at Gateshead.
Mr. Reed: Mrs. Reed's late husband, and Jane's late uncle on her mother's side.
Dr. Lloyd: The doctor who comes to see Jane after she has been ill in the Red-Room. He
suggests to Mrs. Reed that Jane go to school.
, Mr. Brocklehurst: The cruel, intolerant, overzealous and money-pinching master of
Lowood Institution, a pastor, who humiliates Jane in public, when she comes to Lowood.
Miss Miller: One of the teachers at Lowood.
Miss Maria Temple: The superintendent of Lowood Institution, whom Jane wishes to
emulate, and who cares for both Helen and Jane.
Miss Scatcherd: The history teacher at Lowood, who often punishes Helen Burns with a
whipping.
Helen Burns: The overly mature, fatalistic, religious best friend of Jane while she is at
Lowood; Helen dies early from tuberculosis at Lowood.
Reverend Nasmyth: The man whom Miss Temple eventually marries.
Mrs. Fairfax: The widow who initially inquires after a governess for Adèle Varens, at
Thornfield Hall.
Miss Adèle Varens: The bastard child of Céline Varens, a mistress of Rochester's while
he was in Paris; Rochester takes Adèle back with him to England, as his ward.
Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester: The master of Thornfield Hall, traditional Gothic male
hero, and eventual husband of Jane Eyre.
Sophie: The nurse or "bonne" of Adèle Varens, who is French.
Mme Pierrot: Jane's French teacher at Lowood Institution.
Leah: The maid at Thornfield Hall, who assists Grace Poole often.
Grace Poole: The woman whom Rochester hires to watch over and care for his mad first
wife, Bertha.
Pilot: Rochester's dog.
Rowland: Rochester's dead elder brother.
Céline Varens: Adèle's mother, and Rochester old French mistress, who ran off and left
her daughter.
Charge of the Vicomte: The French officer with whom Céline was cheating unknown to
Rochester.
Miss Blanche Ingram: The beautiful, cold, snotty, arrogant and condescending upper-
class woman whom Rochester leads to believe he wishes to marry.
Mesrour: Rochester's horse.
Mr. Mason: Bertha Mason, Rochester's first bride's, brother. He is from Jamaica, West
Indies.
Sibyl: The gypsy fortune-teller character played by Rochester.
Doctor Carter: The surgeon who cares for Mr. Mason when Bertha attacks him.
Bessie's sister: She dies.
Robert Laven: Bessie's husband and the coachman of Gateshead Hall.
Uncle John Eyre: The uncle of both Jane, St. John, Diana and Mary, who dies, lived in
Madeira, and leaves Jane a fortune of twenty-thousand pounds.
Mr. Briggs: The solicitor from London who handles Jane's fortune, and breaks up
Rochester's attempt at a bigamous marriage.
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