Novel review: Jane Eyre

TITLE: JANE EYRE

AUTHOR: Charlotte Bronte

REVIEWER: Mubiru George

SUMMARY, SETTING, THEMES AND CHARACTERISATION

SUMMARY
The novel begins with Jane living at her aunt’s, Mrs Reed. Mrs Reed and her children are very cruel towards Jane and one night Mrs Reed locks Jane into the ‘Red Room’, a supposedly haunted room in the family home.
Mrs Reed sends Jane to Lowood School where the headmaster, Mr Brocklehurst, is also cruel towards Jane. Conditions are very poor at the school and Jane’s best friend, Helen Burns, dies of consumption. Jane later becomes a teacher at Lowood.
Jane applies for a governess position at Thornfield Hall and gets the post. She becomes governess for Adele. Jane begins to fall in love with her employer, Mr Rochester.

A fire breaks out at Thornfield, nearly killing Rochester as he sleeps. Jane saves him. Rochester claims it was Grace Poole – a servant – who started the fire, however Jane doesn’t think it was.
Jane is shocked when Rochester confesses his love and desire to marry her. She thought he wanted to marry Blanche Ingram. On the day of their wedding, a man turns up at the church to declare that Rochester cannot marry as he is already married.

Rochester reveals all about his marriage, claiming his wife Bertha, is mad and he still wants to be with Jane.

Jane cannot be with Rochester when he is still married so she runs away, becoming homeless and then sick. The Rivers family take her in and nurse her back to health.

Jane inherits her uncle’s wealth and estate. She finds out that the family that took her in are actually her cousins. St

John Rivers asks Jane to join him in his missionary work abroad and be his wife. She nearly accepts but when she hears Rochester calling her in a dream, she decides she cannot marry someone she doesn’t love.

Jane returns to
Thornfield. When she arrives, she discovers it has burnt down and Rochester is now living at Ferndean, his usual retreat, and is blind. Jane rushes to him and they marry.

The novel concludes with Jane and Rochester married with children. Rochester also regains his sight in one eye.

SETTING
Jane Eyre takes place in five different settings: Gateshead Hall, Lowood School, Thornfield Hall, Moor House, and Ferndean in England. Each of these settings includes a different stage in Jane’s life.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Jane Eyre- she is the novel’s narrator of the novel and is ten when the story begins.

Mrs. Reed- she is Jane’s aunt.

John Reed- he is Mrs. Reed’s son, Jane’s cousin.

Eliza Reed- she is Mrs. Reed’s daughter who is a religious but unkind cousin.

Georgiana Reed- she is Mrs. Reed’s daughter who is a beautiful but self-centered cousin.

Bessie- she is the nurse at Gateshead who shows Jane some kindness.

Mr. Reed- he is Mrs. Reed’s late husband and Jane’s late uncle on her mother’s side.

THEMES

1. Isolation
Jane’s sense of loneliness and isolation is evident in the way she hides behind thick curtains in a deserted room, excluded by her aunt and cousins.
Religion. Helen accepts any cruelty and punishment with courage and without complaint. Jane struggles with this idea, believing that one should stand up to unjust treatment and undeserved cruelty. Helen presents her with an alternative point of view, driven by the Christian belief that one should ‘Love your enemies’.

2. Equality
The powerful communication between Rochester and Jane brings across the equality of their minds, regardless of their positions in society. Jane is eloquent and articulate with him, and certainly not afraid to be honest.