Jane Eyre’s Journey of Resilience and Love
Jane Eyre’s Early Life
The story is narrated by Jane Eyre, who at age 10 is in the custody of her aunt, Mrs. Reed. Mr. Reed, Jane’s mother’s brother, took her into his home when she was orphaned. However, he died soon after, and despite making promises to his wife that he would raise Jane as one of their own children, she has known nothing but humiliation and abuse from everyone in the lavish mansion, Gateshead Hall.
When Jane begins to question the injustice she faces and rebels against it, she is sent to a girls’ school, Lowood.
Life at Lowood Institution
Lowood is an institution funded in part by grants to educate orphans. Mr. Brocklehurst, the treasurer, desires to make girls and women “tough, patient, and unselfish,” justifying the hunger and cold they suffer at the institution. However, the superintendent, Miss Temple, is a bright and kind woman who appreciates Jane.
Jane soon makes friends, including Helen Burns, a girl who dies of pneumonia but leaves an indelible mark of stoicism and Christian faith on Jane. When a typhoid epidemic sweeps through the school, improvements are made to the quality of life there. Jane ends up spending eight years at Lowood—six as a student and two as a teacher.
Becoming a Governess at Thornfield
After Miss Temple, whom Jane has come to see as a mother figure, gets married, Jane feels she has no ties left to Lowood. She publishes an advertisement in the newspaper for her services as a private governess. Her proposal is accepted by Mrs. Fairfax of Thornfield, who offers her double the salary she received at Lowood.
Before Jane departs, Bessie, a former caretaker, visits to say goodbye and tells her that seven years ago, an uncle came looking for her at Gateshead before heading to Madeira.
Mrs. Fairfax, Thornfield’s housekeeper, warmly welcomes Jane and explains the situation: she is there to be the governess to Adele Varens, an eight-year-old girl in the custody of Mr. Rochester, the mansion’s owner, who only visits occasionally. The first time Jane explores the house accompanied by Mrs. Fairfax, they hear a tragic and supernatural laugh on the third floor, which Mrs. Fairfax attributes to an employee, Grace Poole.
Meeting Mr. Rochester
Despite the improvement in her situation, the freedom Jane now enjoys leaves her feeling unsatisfied; she yearns for “something” she cannot define. The routine at Thornfield overwhelms her. One day, while walking to the town of Hay, she helps a gentleman who has fallen from his horse. Upon returning to the house, she realizes it was her employer, Mr. Rochester.
He is direct and abrupt, although he recognizes her intelligence, talent, and the hard work she has devoted to Adele. Mrs. Fairfax tells Jane that he did not inherit the property until about nine years ago when his older brother, with whom he had quarreled, died. Mr. Rochester soon shows a strange predilection for confiding in Jane, telling her that Adele is possibly his daughter, the result of an affair with a deceitful French dancer.
Secrets and Mysteries Unfold
One night, Jane hears scratching and the same sinister laugh just outside her room. Upon investigating, she finds a fire in Mr. Rochester’s room and wakes him, saving his life. He begs her not to mention the incident to anyone.
Jane realizes there is a secret at Thornfield. Without explanation, Mr. Rochester leaves the property and returns accompanied by friends and a beautiful young woman named Blanche Ingram, who is rumored to be courting him. All of this makes Jane realize she is in love with him, despite knowing she possesses neither the beauty, social standing, nor wealth that someone like him would desire.
During the visit of one of the guests, Mr. Mason, Jane overhears cries on the third floor and becomes an unwitting accomplice to her employer. Mr. Rochester, though calm, asks for her help in caring for Mr. Mason, who has been stabbed and bitten by a woman, according to their cryptic conversation. Rochester summons a doctor and has Mr. Mason leave the house before dawn.
Jane’s True Identity
Jane’s love and respect for Mr. Rochester prevent her from questioning him, though she longs to know what he is hiding. He confides in her further, only deepening the mystery. Suddenly, the coachman from Gateshead arrives to inform Jane that her cousin John has died and that Mrs. Reed, who has suffered a stroke, wishes to see her.
The proximity of death has changed her aunt. It is remorse that has led her to summon Jane. Three years earlier, she received a letter from John Eyre, Jane’s uncle, asking to adopt her. Mrs. Reed replied that Jane had died at Lowood, unable to bear the thought of her niece prospering.
A Marriage Proposal and a Shocking Revelation
Shortly after returning to Thornfield, Jane has a chance encounter with Mr. Rochester. He tells her that her time at Thornfield has come to an end, as he is about to be married. Jane, who had begun to see the mansion as the home she never had, cries and confesses that she does not want to leave. He proposes marriage, and though initially in disbelief, Jane accepts.
Mr. Rochester tells her that his courtship of Miss Ingram was a charade to make Jane jealous and ensure her love for him was as strong as his for her. They plan to marry in a month. Jane, wanting to maintain her self-respect, refuses his lavish gifts, insisting on remaining true to herself.
Two nights before the wedding, while Mr. Rochester is away, Jane wakes to find a strange woman in her room who tears her bridal veil. The encounter leaves Jane terrified. When she tells Mr. Rochester, he tries to convince her it was Grace Poole, her imagination transforming the woman’s appearance.
On the day of the wedding, as the priest asks if anyone objects, a lawyer named Briggs and Mr. Mason arrive and declare that Mr. Rochester is already married to Mr. Mason’s sister, Bertha Mason, who is still alive. Rochester leads everyone to the third floor and shows them Grace Poole’s quarters, where they find Bertha, a mentally unstable woman who tries to attack them.
Briggs reveals that his letter to Jane, informing her of her inheritance from her uncle, led him to seek her out. Mr. Mason, who was with John Eyre in Madeira, accompanied him to England.
A Difficult Decision and a New Life
That evening, Mr. Rochester tells Jane that his marriage to Bertha was arranged by his father and brother, who knew of the mental illness in her family and saw her as an heiress. After four torturous years of marriage, with his father and brother dead, he returned to England, locked Bertha away at Thornfield, and lived his life as if nothing had happened. Only Grace Poole and a trusted doctor knew of his secret.
He claims he was unable to find love until he met Jane and promises to take her to Europe and devote himself to her. Jane is torn. She loves him, but his proposal goes against her moral principles. She chooses to follow the law of God and leaves Thornfield quietly during the night with the little money she has.
Finding Family and Facing Loss
Jane’s journey leads her to the desolate town of Whitcross, where she is left with no money, food, or shelter. After days of hardship, she collapses at the doorstep of a house. St. John Rivers, the son of the recently deceased owner, finds her and takes her in.
Once Jane recovers, she tells St. John, a clergyman, her story, concealing her true identity. He helps her secure a job as a teacher in a school funded by Miss Oliver, the daughter of the wealthiest man in town. Though initially unhappy in her new position, Jane finds satisfaction in her work, thanks in part to St. John’s support.
One day, while examining a portrait of Miss Oliver, Jane notices her own last name on the back. It is revealed that St. John, his sisters, and Jane are cousins on her mother’s side. Jane is overjoyed to have found family and learns that she has inherited a fortune from her uncle. She divides the inheritance equally among herself and her cousins.
A Reunion and a Hopeful Future
Despite finding contentment with her newfound family, Jane still grieves for Mr. Rochester. St. John asks her to marry him and accompany him on a missionary trip to India. While Jane is drawn to the idea of serving God, she does not love her cousin and repeatedly rejects his proposal. Just as he is about to persuade her, she hears Mr. Rochester’s voice calling her name.
Jane returns to Thornfield to find the mansion in ruins. She learns that Bertha started a fire and jumped to her death. Mr. Rochester, in trying to save her, was blinded and lost a hand. Jane rushes to his side, and their reunion is filled with emotion.
The story concludes ten years later. Jane is happily married to Mr. Rochester. They have a family, and though Mr. Rochester remains blind, they have found peace and happiness together.