Jane Eyre Blog #9

In the first fifteen chapters of Jane Eyre we meet some interesting characters: Jane, Mrs. Reed, John Reed, Georgiana Reed, Bessie, Mr. Brocklehurst, Miss Temple, Helen Burns, Mrs. Fairfax, Adele, and Mr. Rochester. Jane is really the author of this book. She starts out as a quiet, obediant ten-year-old orphaned girl living with her aunt, but as the chapters go on, she attends school at Lowood and eventually becomes a governess. Mrs. Reed is Jane's aunt and when Jane was living with her, she wanted nothing to do with her. She was hateful and believed everything was Jane's fault. She once locked Jane in the red-room for defending herself against John Reed. John Reed is a very greedy boy who abused Jane in her childhood. He once said to her, "You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant, mamma says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not live here with gentlemen's children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mamma's expense. Now, I'll teach you to rummage my bookshelves; for they are mine, or will do in a few years. Go and stand by the door, out of the way of the mirror and windows," (pg:15 p:8). Eliza and Georgiana Reed are John Reed's sisters and act like they don't notice John when he hurts Jane. Bessie was Jane's nursemaid while she was living with the Reed's. She was very stern, but friendly with Jane. Bessie came to visit Jane before she left Lowood to work as a governess. Mr. Brocklehurst ran Lowood. He came to visit Jane before she moved into the school. He was very strange and it showed more when he visited Lowood. He made the girls cut their hair if he felt it was too long. Mrs. Temple was a teacher at Lowood who loved Jane. She was very sweet and nurturing. Helen Burns was one of Jane's first friends at Lowood. She got picked on by Miss Scatcherd for silly things, but held her head high whenever she received her punishment. In the spring, she caught Typhus and died. When Jane was eighteen she put out an advertisement as a governess looking for work and Mrs. Fairfax hired her. Mrs. Fairfax is an old woman that is sweet and gentle, but strict. She really cares about Jane, I think, and introduces Adele- the girl Jane would be teaching. Adele is a girl who came to England from France with Mr. Rochester. She is a very spoiled girl who is used to getting her way on everything. Mr. Rochester is an old man who took care of Adele after her mother had abandoned her. He isn't sure if Adele is his daughter or not, but he wants the best for her even if he doesn't show it. He takes an interest in Jane.