Plot
Jane Eyre is an orphaned girl who falls into the hands of her cruel, rich aunt, Mrs. Reed. She is being raised in Gateshead, the home of Mrs. Reed and her three children. The only kindness she receives is that of the servant Bessie who takes care of her. One day Jane is sent away to school at the suggestion of Mr. Lloyd, the kind apothecary. Jane is delighted at the prospect of leaving Mrs. Read and her cousins, but soon realizes that her life has not gotten any better when school turns out to be just as severe as her life back at Gateshead.
The school is run by Mr. Brocklehurst, a hypocritical, cruel, abusive man. He uses the schools funds to provide a wealthy, luxurious lifestyle for him and his family while preaching a creed of poverty and hardship to his students. Jane befriends a girl named Helen burns, seemingly her only companion, whose strong, martyrlike attitude towards the miseries of Lowood is helpful to Jane and displeasing all at the same time. When a typhus epidemic breaks out in the school, Helen dies, and Jane is left alone once again. Though typhus takes Helen, it also results in the departure of Mr. Brocklhurst. The school is taken over by a group of gentle, sympathetic gentlemen and Jane's life is improved dramatically because of it. She attends Lowood for 6 more years as a student, then stays 2 more as a teacher.
After teaching at Lowood, Jane desires to experience new things and see what lies beyond the doors of the school she has known her whole life. She gains the position of governing an energetic french girl named Adele at Thornfield Manor. Once there, she falls in love with the dark, passionate master of the estate, Edward Rochester. Through many trials and mysteries, Rochester proposes to Jane, who accepts. On the day of their marriage, their wedding is interrupted by Mr. Mason who declares that Mr. Rochester already has a wife. Jane is appalled to find out that the accusation is true, Edward is married to a mad woman named Bertha who he keeps locked up in the attic for the safety of his household. Despite Mr. Rochester's ardent desire for Jane to stay with him, she refuses to marry him and flees Thornfield.
Out of hunger and pennilessness, Jane has no other option but to beg for food and shelter in a nearby manor called Moor House. Three siblings reside there, Mary, Diana and St. John Rivers. The siblings are kind to her and nurse her back to health, St. John finding her a job as a teacher at a charity school in Morton. One day Jane is surprised to receive news that her uncle, John Eyre has died and left her a fortune of 20, 000 pounds. She is even further surprised when she discovers that this same uncle John is also the uncle of Mary, Diana and St. John. When she finds out that the three siblings are her cousins she immediately decides that she will split the fortune equally between all four of them.
St. John makes plans to become a missionary and travel to India. He wishes Jane to accompany him to India as his wife. Jane refuses to marry him, for she does not love him, nor does he love her, he only wishes her to marry him out of duty, not out of love. St. John continues to pressure her into accompanying him, and she almost gives in to his persuasions when one night she hears the voice of Mr. Rochester calling to her. She immediately leaves Moor House and travels to Thornfield to answer the cry she had heard. When she arrives, she finds the the entire manor has been burned and destroyed by the mad Bertha Mason, who in turn, perished in the fire. Mr Rochester, in an attempt to save his household, lost his eyesight and one of his hands. Jane hurries to the house where he currently resides, Ferndean, where he lives with two servants named John and Mary.
When she makes it to Ferndean, she is reunited with Edward and their relationship is rebuilt. Jane still loves him despite his lack of eyesight and rugged appearance. They are soon married, and the novel ends by Jane writing that she has been married for ten wonderful years and that she and Mr. Rochester enjoy their life together in perfect equality and bliss.
The school is run by Mr. Brocklehurst, a hypocritical, cruel, abusive man. He uses the schools funds to provide a wealthy, luxurious lifestyle for him and his family while preaching a creed of poverty and hardship to his students. Jane befriends a girl named Helen burns, seemingly her only companion, whose strong, martyrlike attitude towards the miseries of Lowood is helpful to Jane and displeasing all at the same time. When a typhus epidemic breaks out in the school, Helen dies, and Jane is left alone once again. Though typhus takes Helen, it also results in the departure of Mr. Brocklhurst. The school is taken over by a group of gentle, sympathetic gentlemen and Jane's life is improved dramatically because of it. She attends Lowood for 6 more years as a student, then stays 2 more as a teacher.
After teaching at Lowood, Jane desires to experience new things and see what lies beyond the doors of the school she has known her whole life. She gains the position of governing an energetic french girl named Adele at Thornfield Manor. Once there, she falls in love with the dark, passionate master of the estate, Edward Rochester. Through many trials and mysteries, Rochester proposes to Jane, who accepts. On the day of their marriage, their wedding is interrupted by Mr. Mason who declares that Mr. Rochester already has a wife. Jane is appalled to find out that the accusation is true, Edward is married to a mad woman named Bertha who he keeps locked up in the attic for the safety of his household. Despite Mr. Rochester's ardent desire for Jane to stay with him, she refuses to marry him and flees Thornfield.
Out of hunger and pennilessness, Jane has no other option but to beg for food and shelter in a nearby manor called Moor House. Three siblings reside there, Mary, Diana and St. John Rivers. The siblings are kind to her and nurse her back to health, St. John finding her a job as a teacher at a charity school in Morton. One day Jane is surprised to receive news that her uncle, John Eyre has died and left her a fortune of 20, 000 pounds. She is even further surprised when she discovers that this same uncle John is also the uncle of Mary, Diana and St. John. When she finds out that the three siblings are her cousins she immediately decides that she will split the fortune equally between all four of them.
St. John makes plans to become a missionary and travel to India. He wishes Jane to accompany him to India as his wife. Jane refuses to marry him, for she does not love him, nor does he love her, he only wishes her to marry him out of duty, not out of love. St. John continues to pressure her into accompanying him, and she almost gives in to his persuasions when one night she hears the voice of Mr. Rochester calling to her. She immediately leaves Moor House and travels to Thornfield to answer the cry she had heard. When she arrives, she finds the the entire manor has been burned and destroyed by the mad Bertha Mason, who in turn, perished in the fire. Mr Rochester, in an attempt to save his household, lost his eyesight and one of his hands. Jane hurries to the house where he currently resides, Ferndean, where he lives with two servants named John and Mary.
When she makes it to Ferndean, she is reunited with Edward and their relationship is rebuilt. Jane still loves him despite his lack of eyesight and rugged appearance. They are soon married, and the novel ends by Jane writing that she has been married for ten wonderful years and that she and Mr. Rochester enjoy their life together in perfect equality and bliss.