I am reading Jane Eyre and I have to say that I am really enjoying the book. I am about halfway done with the book now and I am going to give a summary. This book takes place in the mid to late 1800's and so far has had three major setting changes three times. When we first meet Jane she is about eight years old and lives in her cruel aunts lavish house (Gateshead) in the English countryside.Jane Eyre is an orphaned headstrong confident young girl who has experienced no love her life. So far she has made a few friends but none that fill space that a young child needs to feel from a parent. Her aunt is cruel to her and sees Jane as a burden that she cannot wait to rid herself of. Jane has three cousins who are not kind to her and are particularly fond of hitting her. While at Gateshead Jane grows fond of the house-maid Bessie. Bessie is kind to Jane but not like a loving mother. Little Jane is always accused of doing the naughty things that her cousins do; her aunt seems to have enough of Jane and confines her to the red-room. The red-room makes quite a negative impression on Jane because it is said that the ghost of her dead uncle dwells there. Jane "experiences" the presence of his ghost after she is locked in the room for hours and is reduced to fainting. The doctor is sent for, Jane tells him of her unfair treatment and Jane is sent to Lowood Institute by her aunt.
We next transition to the Lowood Institution for poor young ladies. Mr, Brocklehurst is the head of Lowood and not liked at all. He accuses Jane of being possessed by the devil. He required that all the young ladies at Lowood be dressed in a dismal manner and not fed well. He believes that by doing this to the girls he will harden them and rid all the young girls of the devil. Mr. Brockelhurst hypocritically goes so far as to cut off a girls naturally curly hair because it is not "modest and plain" when his own wife and daughters walk in with beaver hats and curled hair! Jane makes a few good friends while at Lowood: Helen and Miss Temple. Helen is also headstrong like Jane and she passes away when Jane is young. Miss Temple is a teacher at Lowood and generally looks out for the girls and makes sure that they are health. Whenever the girls have a bad breakfast she tries to sneak them food. Miss Temple befriends Jane and takes a liking to her. While at Lowood Jane excels in her studies and becomes head of the class. A board of benefactors are appointed to Lowood and take better care of the girls while Jane is at the school. After Jane finishes her studies, she becomes a teacher for two years; at age eighteen she decides she wants to leave Lowood. From age ten to eighteen she had been confined to the school and has hardly ventured from its walls. Jane puts an add in the paper at the hopes of becoming a governess. Jane gets the call and is appointed the position of governess to a little girl near Millcote London at a house called Thornfield.
Jane describes Thornfield as less in grandeur than Gateshead, but she believes that she will be happy as a governess. Upon arrival at Thornfield she meets the housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax, who is an older woman and who welcomes Jane to the house with kindness. Thornfield is owned by Mr. Rochester who at this point in the story is the seemingly mysterious guardian of a little girl named Adele Varens. Adele is a little French girl who was brought to the English countryside by Mr. Rochester. Adele was also orphaned like Jane. At this point in the story Jane is very happy at Thornfield at is impressed by Adele's scholastic skills.
So far major conflict in this story is Jane not being loved and wanted. She also conflicts with her aunt and Mr. Brocklehurst quite a bit.
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