Jane Eyre: Level 6

By Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre becomes a governess in the house of wealthyMr. Rochester. She is asked to marry Mr. Rochester but he hasa terrible secret. This is an inspirational tale about a woman'squest for self-discovery and love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Compass Publishing
• Release date: Feb 24, 2009
• ISBN: 9781599663227

Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) was an English novelist and poet, and the eldest of the three Brontë sisters. Her experiences in boarding schools, as a governess and a teacher eventually became the basis of her novels. Under pseudonyms the sisters published their first novels; Charlotte's first published novel, Jane Eyre(1847), written under a non de plume, was an immediate literary success. During the writing of her second novel all of her siblings died. With the publication of Shirley (1849) her true identity as an author was revealed. She completed three novels in her lifetime and over 200 poems.

Book preview

Jane in Trouble

It was cold and windy, and the dark clouds threw rain against the windows of Gateshead Hall. We had already had a miserable walk that morning, and fortunately, we could not venture out again. Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed positioned themselves near the fire with their mother and Bessie, the nurse, but I was not allowed to sit with them. Until Bessie tells me that you are a nice little girl, and I observe it with my own eyes, you cannot sit near the fire, said Mrs. Reed.

What does Bessie say that I have done? I asked. Mrs. Reed disliked children who asked questions, so she ordered me to sit in another room and be quiet until I could speak politely. I went into the breakfast room, retrieved a book from the bookcase, and sat in the window seat. I pulled the curtains shut, forming my own little world. I looked at the rain in the garden and then at the pictures in the book, and I was happy in my own way.

Then the door opened, and I heard John Reed’s voice inquiring as to my whereabouts. Tell Mother that she has gone out into the rain, he told his sisters.

She’s hiding behind the curtains, I’m sure, said Eliza.

What do you want? I asked, coming out of my hiding place.

You should say, ‘What do you want, Master Reed?’ I want you to come here, he replied, sitting down in an armchair.

John Reed was a big, fourteen-year-old boy who ate too much. He did not like his sisters or mother very much, and he absolutely hated me. He constantly bullied me, so I was always afraid of him. I knew that he would hit me, but I had to obey, so I stood in front of him and allowed him to strike me. What were you doing behind the curtain? he asked.

I was looking at a book.

He requested to see the book, so I gave it to him.

"You should not take books from our bookcase because you are a dependent. Your father left you no money, and you should be begging in the streets instead of eating good meals with us and reading our books. Go and stand near the door."

I stood near the door, and he threw the book at me, knocking me down and causing me to hit my head against the door. I felt blood on my face, and I was suddenly more angry than afraid. You are like a murderer! I shouted at him. He charged at me and took hold of my hair, so I scratched him with my fingers. He shouted very loudly and called me a rat.

Eliza and Georgiana fetched Mrs. Reed, who arrived with Bessie and the maid, Abbot. Take her away and lock her in the red room, ordered Mrs. Reed.

Bessie and Abbot carried me up the stairs. I fought them all the way. I had never done that before, but I was really angry, and it felt good.

Hold her arms, Miss Abbot. She’s like a mad cat! They were angry with me for hitting John because they thought of him as their young master and expected me to think of him as my master too.

He is not my master because I am not a servant!

You are less than a servant, Miss Eyre, because you don’t work for your food. Sit down on this chair and think about your bad behavior. You should be grateful that Mrs. Reed looks after you because if she didn’t, you would be forced to live in a poorhouse. She and her children have a lot of money, and you have none, so you should try to be nice to them. If you are a bad girl, God may let something horrible come down the chimney and take you away! They left and locked the door behind them.

The red room, which was not used very often, had red carpets, curtains, and a large bed with a white cover. There were two windows in the pink walls, and a white armchair stood near the bed. It was cold and quiet in this room because people rarely entered it. Mrs. Reed sometimes came to look at some papers and jewels that she kept in a secret drawer in the cupboard. On the cupboard, stood a small picture of Mr. Reed, who had died in this room nine years ago.

I sat in the chair and thought about my bad behavior. Eliza was selfish, John was a bully, and Georgiana had a bad temper, but they were never in trouble. On the other hand, I tried to please people, but I was always in trouble and being punished. I could not understand it then because I was only ten years old. Now, many years later, I realize I was very different from everybody else at Gateshead Hall. They could not love me any more than I could love them.

My head was sore and bleeding, and I was angry and afraid. As it grew colder and darker in the room, I looked at the picture of Mr. Reed. I could not remember him, but I knew that he was my uncle—my mother’s brother—who looked after me when my parents died. Before he passed away, he made his wife promise to look after me. I was wondering if Mr. Reed might come back from the dead to see if his wife was keeping her promise, when I saw a strange shadow appear on the wall. Positive that it was his ghost, I screamed.

Bessie and Miss Abbot came running into the room, but when they saw there was nothing wrong, they were angry and accused me of trying to trick them. Mrs. Reed entered as well, and I begged her to release me from the room, but she pushed me back in and locked the door again.

A Kind Doctor

When Mrs. Reed pushed me back into the room and locked the door, I must have fainted because the next thing I can remember is waking up in bed with the doctor sitting in a chair next to me. I felt very safe while he was there, but when he realized that my condition had improved, he left.

Bessie spoke to me kindly and asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink. When I asked her if I was ill, she informed me that I had fainted in the red room but was certain that I would soon be better. It was very late at night, so she called the housemaid, Sarah, to sit with her, and they talked about ghosts until they fell asleep. The candle and the fire both burned out, but I was too afraid to sleep that dark night. Sometimes, I still shake with fear when I think of the red room.

I got out of bed at noon the next day and sat in the nursery near the fire. Although it should have been a happy day, I could not stop silent tears from coming to my eyes. Mrs. Reed and the children had all gone out in the carriage, and Bessie was being unusually kind to me. She had even brought me a piece of cake on a beautiful plate that I was never allowed to use, but I was not hungry, and the plate did not look beautiful that day. She brought Gulliver’s Travels, one of my favorite books, for me to look at. The pictures, which had always delighted me, now looked dreary and frightening, and I put it on the table next to the uneaten cake.

Bessie began to make some new clothes for Georgiana’s doll and sang as she worked. I usually enjoyed her songs, but today they all sounded very depressing and made me cry. The doctor returned and asked whether I was better because he saw that I had been crying and thought I might be in pain. I am only crying because I am miserable, I replied.

Don’t be silly, Miss. There is no reason for you to be miserable, said Bessie.

The doctor looked at me carefully and asked me what had made me ill the day before.

She fell, said Bessie quickly.

I was knocked down, I said, but that is not what made me ill.

The servants’ bell rang, and Bessie had to leave, but she would rather have stayed. The doctor waited for her to go and then asked, What did make you ill, if the fall did not?

I was locked until after dark in a room in which there is a ghost.

Are you afraid of ghosts?

I am afraid of Mr. Reed’s ghost because he died in that room. Even Bessie will not go into it after dark, and it was exceptionally cruel to lock me in there without a light!

"You look like a sensible girl, and I am sure you are not really afraid of ghosts. Are you afraid now, in the daylight?"

No, but night will come again. Besides, I am very unhappy about other things. I told him that John and Mrs. Reed were cruel to me, and he asked me if I would like to live somewhere else.

If I had anywhere else to go, I would be glad to go there, but I cannot leave Gateshead until I am a woman.

Do you have any relations besides Mrs. Reed?

She told me once that I might have some very poor relations called Eyre somewhere, but she didn’t know anything about them.

"Would you like

Reviews for Jane Eyre

[danielstj · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I don't understand why this book is considered to be a classic-- not at all.

[larryerick · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm an old guy. Not so old that I could have dated the author in high school (she was a couple years ahead of me), but still, not exactly the prime audience for this book. So, maybe I should skip a review altogether. And maybe I should add my two-cents for those other old guys out there thinking of reading the book. This is supposed to be a romantic novel, right? A listing I just saw an online poll that says this is the third most popular classic book ever. On the other hand, my ebook reader system doesn't categorize it as "Book", but under "Kids". Why? Because the lead character starts out as a child and ends up as barely an adult? Let me ignore all that and just say I don't think this is a romance. I think it's a book about "What is love?" Plus, it's also about 350 pages too long, attaching the equivalent of a ten page lyric poem to pretty much every look out the window or walk outside. It's also very hung up on "plain" appearances, though that is one aspect of how it assesses what love is. "Is it possible to truly love a plain person?" "Does a plain person deserve love?" ("Can plain people find love and happiness just like regular folks?") Coincidentally, the author makes it easier to conclude an answer to that question by manipulating the narrative to provide a person who can't actually see the plain appearance. It should be mentioned that education and having "culture" is also thrown into the mix. Thankfully, the author seems to relent and conclude that beauty and culture are not absolute requirements for bliss, but nevertheless provide a higher standard of love, so don't pass them up if you can get them. Finally, I want to make a point about the many movies and television shows that have been made about this book and how -- I think -- they have distorted our view of the actual text of the book. For instance, I watched a video summarizing which actor played the best "Rochester". The conclusion was unquestionably, the handsome former James Bond actor, Timothy Dalton. I ask, did anyone even read the book's description of Rochester? There were other videos that compared multiple film versions of one of the first "proposal" scene. While I only viewed about six of the roughly dozen filmed versions available to me, not one of them had the right setting, the means by which the characters come together for the scene, the dialogue, and/or the reactions of the characters to the proposal discussion, as it was set in the actual book. I also watched the very start to about five films. All but two left out the entire first third of the book, with only one starting with the initial scene that sets the tone. My point isn't that a movie must be faithful to a book. My point is that I strongly suspect that what some people remember so fondly in the book was never there to begin with, and that the book simply does not measure up to the films that may be in peoples' minds.

[jon1lambert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It took me a long time to read the book that I thought I had read in my youth but hadn't. I liked the strength of character of Jane Eyre, her firm and unwavering resolve but not the inflexible, inhuman resolve of of St John Rivers. Principles before emotional waywardness to the level illustrated in Jane Eyre goes beyond modern standards. Oh come on, Jane, I felt at certain times, chill out and marry Rochester after what he's been through. The ending was bleak and a bit far-fetched.I thought the book was brilliant though and am really pleased that I have now read it.

[antao-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 1981-01-31)Ever since my first reading of Jane Eyre I've always viewed it as an account of the indelible effects of emotional abuse, and as such, a very grim book indeed. The novel opens with a recall of the emotional deprivation the 8-year-old Jane receives daily at the hands of her aunt. The story then continues with Jane's time at Lowood School, an institution devoted not so much to teaching the children of paupers, as to teaching them their place in life.By the time she reaches adulthood Jane is really quite damaged, and she regards herself as a social inferior. This self-image is never really challenged, much less altered or dispelled. The many reviews that praise Jane's undoubted courage unfortunately gloss over this or omit it completely, giving a misleading impression. It is apparent that Jane never ever overcomes the effects of her ghastly childhood. Remember, she is only able to accept Rochester after he had been brought down in the world by the loss of his home and fortune, and his disablement. And while she does, in the end, reject St John, the reader should note how close she comes to succumbing to this emotionally remote, manipulative, hypocritical bully.To my mind, the most astounding thing in Jane Eyre is Charlotte's implicit (explicit?) criticism of the saintly St. John Rivers. He's supposed to be a man of God, as beautiful as an angel, but with a will of iron and a heart of stone. The way he bullies Jane, using his power as a man and as a servant of God to try to force her to submit to him against her will, is horrific. It's as if he sees an independent woman as a threat which he has to destroy.Where did this terrifying character come from? Imagination, or did Charlotte perhaps know someone like him?I think it's Jane's raw, violent, unexamined sexuality. Having never really had much in the way of human warmth, guidance, or emotional education, Jane is quite literally wild. She seeks sensuality like a starving beast and has an almost animal understanding of what constitutes a connection between two human beings. Jane probably doesn't even know what sex is, yet she burns with desire. Rochester - depraved, debauched, debilitated by vice and excesses- sees this in her and in the purity of her passion, he is able to cleanse himself and transcend his baser instincts. I completely buy their relationship, and while it is, objectively, very iffy by today's standards (the gap in age, experience, social status! the mad wife in the attic! the illegitimate child!), it is also completely, viscerally believable. Jane Eyre still shows that lust within love should still be the (moral) goal. She actually effectively teaches Rochester this, as someone barely half his age. She teaches him some morals.For me, the novel’s strength lies in vivid writing that brings the people and the scenes to life, whether or not one likes them, or approves. The style isn’t always to my taste (I don’t care for the 19th Century habit of addressing the reader) but is compelling in a way that is the hallmark of a great writer.Maybe a modern politically-correct world that is obsessed with conformity no longer recognises this kind of gift.The inherent craft of a storyteller is to use invention to more clearly express essential truths of ideas, emotions, impressions and events. Sometimes fiction contains more truth than a fact. What else can a reader expect from a group of authors other than some uncertainty between what's real and what's not?

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very much how I remembered. A great book that can be read over and over. St. John was even worse than I remembered. He really pressured Jane.

[trisarahdactyl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jane Eyre is the story of an orphan girl and the difficult life choices she must face. It centers around an intriguing love affair with her master, Mr. Rochester. The pace of the book is perfect; just when you begin to settle into the story, it takes an unexpected turn. These sudden twists continue to the very end.

[ohsnap_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There are going to be a lot of people who will disagree or even hate me for this statement but I really didn't think much of this book. I know its a classic and I know its often considered one of the best novels of its time, if not all time and maybe these were the reasons I found it dissapointing. I felt indifferent to the characters and although the ending is supposedly sweepingly romantic, it didn't really affect me.I think perhaps its just personal taste as to why I didn't really warm to this novel like so many others have. I can't fault it for any technical reasons nor can I deny that its extremely well written and a great accomplishment. For me, it lacked a certain something. I also found it slightly tedious and tiring. Perhaps this is because I took so long to get through it that I just became bored with it. Had I read it under different circumstances such as continuously over a couple of days, maybe I would have had a different opinion of it. As it was, I had to read snatches over it - often no more than twenty minutes at a time - occasionally whenever I could find the time. I'm reluctant to say that I didn't like it but the truth is, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who asked me for a good book to read simply because often reading it felt like a chore - something I HAD to do rather than WANTED to do.

[kathleen586 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Susan Ericksen was an excellent narrator. I loved listening to her read! I first read Jane Eyre three years ago and it was so good to revisit this wonderful book.

[tanyatomato · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this one before, but I understood and appreciated it more this time around. I decided to pick it up again after reading Jasper Ffojde's The Eyre Affair to fill in the missing pieces.

[aajay_19 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jane Eyre was the first book I read on graduating to the Young Adult section of the library at the age of 13. I have re-read it every 2 or 3 years since then-and I'm 81. My favorite novel of all time. When I was young, I read it for the pathos of a young orphan but as I grew older I realized the depth of feeling and intellect which informs the book. Into the 70s when I discovered that young people saw it as a great feminist model--and so it is. Every time I read it I find something else to ponder. Ranks right up there with the best of Jane Austen. One of the highlights of my last trip to England was a visit to Haworth and the moors of Yorkshire.

[le_petit_rien · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked Jane for 3/4 of this book and then she took a turn on me; look, I'm just as enamoured with Mr. Rochester but seriously, Mrs. Jane Rochester? What have you become Jane? After all that time? What did you learn?

[amaryann21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this classic.

[pummzie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I know that 2.5 stars may seem a little severe for a book that has a guaranteed place on those annual lists of Britain's top reads - however a) that coveted place is only achieved as it happens to be a set text for many GCSE pupils (Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mocking Bird end up on the list for the same reason) and b) Jane Eyre is one of the most maddeningly, annoyingly, ridiculously perfect, goody-two-shoes, downtrodden characters ever written. I couldn't stand her. Not when I was thirteen and not now. Just about everyone in the story is two-dimensional. Jane's family are fairy-tale appalling, Mr Rochester is the archetypal mysterious, brooding man who women love to fear and harbour dreams of taming and there is even a monster in the attic, so to speak. All the ingredients are there for a winning story.... if only Jane were not so Snow White, I would be able to countenance that this is indeed a novel for adults...

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An orphan suffers through Gothic beatings, meets the love of her life, loses him (because she can't run away with and live with a married man), suffers some more and then finds him again. She endures. Is it any wonder this book still sells?

[daristeiad · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Now I know why this is a classic. I've never been so fascinated with the mundane life struggles a single woman could face in 19th century England. It held me enthralled throughout and I eagerly anticipated each turn of the plot.

[penelopemarzec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book. I've read it over and over--and enjoyed it every time. The dark atmosphere is so delightful. :^)

[kasthu_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh, Jane Eyre, how do I love thee? The first time I read this book was in middle school; then I read it twice in high school and once in college. The recent movie adaptation inspired me to re-read this book after an eight-year gap since my last reading.I won’t go into the plot since it’s one of those plots that most people in the English-speaking world seem to know (even if they haven’t read the book), and one of those plots that resonates throughout English literature. Suffice it to say that Jane Eyre is one of those books that stands up to the test of time well—not just historically but personally as well. It captured my imagination as a teenager; and, as I’ve been dealing with some recent emotional disappointment, there are some quotes in Jane Eyre that really seemed to reflect my mood—especially when the house party is held at Thornfield and Jane reflects on her new-found feelings for Mr. Rochester—that she believes are unreturned:It does good to no woman to be flattered by her superior, who cannot possibly intend to marry her; and it is madness in all women to let a secret love kindle within them, which, if unreturned and unknown, must devour the life that feeds it; and, if discovered and responded to, must lead, ignis-fatuus-like, into miry wilds whence there is no extrication (Ch. 16)Or how about:I had not intended to love him: the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germ of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me. (Ch. 17)Or one of my favorites:It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot....Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings….knitting stockings….playing on the piano….It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.- (Ch. 12)How can you not love a book that speaks to your mood, no matter what it is? I think also the appeal to this book for me lies in the fact that I identify so much with Jane herself; I see a lot of myself in her personality. She’s such an introspective person, someone who experiences emotion strongly; but it’s very quietly experienced, which is probably why that emotion is so strongly felt in the first place. There’s so little opportunity for Jane to emote that when she experiences feelings for Mr. Rochester, she doesn’t expect it. Jane's feelings of being a social outsider is very familiar, to me, too. I love a novel that, even after reading it five times, causes me to see the book anew each time I read it.

[ouladybird2005 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So, this isn't going to be a very impartial review. Jane Eyre has been my favorite book since I was thirteen. The only criticism would be maybe the ending? Things get pretty well tied up with a bow, but that may be just a marker of the time period/genre. I find Jane to be a very likable and sympathetic character and Charlotte to be a great story-teller. That being said if you aren't that into classics as a genre you might not be such a fan. If you do enjoy classics and especially gothic novels you can't go wrong.

[caropi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story is a classic... I had read it several times. Is not the classical female heroine but is a story that shows that good persons by the end ended up having good things... Also it shows characters that are conflicted, that are not perfect and have to get through adversity. Is a pretty good book and I will recommend the book to any persons that wants to read the classics.

[sriemann_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome. Completely understand now why it is a classic, and why 27 movie versions have been made.

[ishtahar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful as ever. What I particularly like about re-reading old favourites is the way that you find something new in them every time. This time it was the significance of the moon in the novel, especially as a forerunner of change.

[jayne_charles_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of the better Victorian novels I have read, this is carefully constructed, thoughtfully written, and spaces its key events nicely so the plot doesn't sag. I thought the section where the 'gypsy' turns up stretched credibility a tad, but otherwise a nice read with a satisfying ending.

[dystopiism · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This just wasn't my thing at all. I couldn't even properly finish it, I only skimmed the last 20 or so pages. I found it boring and the entire time I was reading it I wasn't enjoying myself at all, I felt like I was trudging through mud. That being said, without this book I might never have had the epiphany of "Why am I wasting my precious minutes reading books I don't enjoy? I'm not obligated to anyone." Simple? You would think so, wouldn't you?

[jarvenpa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I still reread Jane Eyre from time to time; it is the prototypical novel of the aspiring romantic. And who can't love Jane? It reads much differently now than when I was a young thing (and differently by far in light of books like the Wide Sargasso Sea, which look at the perspective of the mad wife in the attic). But I haven't been able to get my bright daughter to even glance at it. Sigh.

[mwcgrad97 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite classics. The beginning is kind of slow, so I tend to skim the early chapters. The good parts for me start when Jane has begun working for Mr. Rochester and begins hearing strange noises from the attic. There's an element of suspense, but there's also a love story here. It's also a character study, so there's a little bit of everything for every taste. I don't really like the end, or more specifically, events leading up to the end, but there's something about it all that keeps me coming back.

[yoshikawa_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book had its moments, but was way too long! (Could've been better)

[homeschoolmimzi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. It's pure, exquisite, elegant literature- with all its characteristic British wit, restraint and grace. Definitely a book to re-read.

[paradiseporch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Too bad I missed this classic in my early teens – I would have loved it then: the romance, the period detail, the discovery of words. Now I think, “Attempted bigamism & gross deceit, and too many words.”

[amandacb_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Only my favorite book! Perhaps because I could relate so much to Jane: quiet, demure, but with a fire inside of me. When I was younger I could never understand Jane's attraction to Rochester; upon reading this again as an older adult, I get it. I re-read this every few years and keep finding hidden gems inside of it.

[beckworth_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite love stories. I have probably seen all the movie versions.