Jane Eyre ch.1-4

Characters:

Mrs Reed
The benefactress of Jane. Dislikes her and excludes her from family life, is ashamed to have to look after her. Doesn't understand her, and does not try to.

Georgiana, Eliza and John
Adopted siblings of Jane. Follow their mother's example of shunning Jane, and John physically abuses her as he likes to exert what power he has over people ie. he's a bully.

Mr Brocklehurst
The owner of Lowood school. Fiercely Christian, so believes he is right in the name of God, although as a reader we disagree with his values because we see little compassion for the girls at Lowood.

Jane
Lonely child who has no one who really understands her, and hasn't been given much of a chance in life. Luck never really comes her way. She is reasonably intelligent, and very plain looking, which becomes to her disadvantage in her childhood, because she becomes less likeable.


Ch.1- Jane is accosted by John

Very negative language, "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day," "cold winter wind."

Establishing Jane as lonely, finds comfort in escaping from world to books. Language becomes more flamboyant, "scarlet drapery," "like a Turk."

Jane narrating, shows you through her eyes, like a film, "afar, it offered...near, a scene of wet lawn..."

She's in Gateshead.

Barrenness of scene is established very early on- extreme weather conditions and harsh climates, emulate emotions in Jane.

Ch. 2- Jane spends the night in the red room.

Description childlike- still believes in "tiny phantoms, half fairy, half imp." Her fear of these things are real, doesn't think reasonably yet.

Dramatic, high tension contrasts to the bleakness of first chapter. Jane's fiesty character which she usually suppresses comes out here.

Bessie is established as a friend of Jane's, her only friend at present.

Ch. 3- Mr Lloyd asks Jane if she wants to go to school

Bessie is again shown to be the only person to show Jane compassion, giving her the bird of paradise plate, and nursing her back to health.

Mr Lloyd shows how beauty is thought of in that period, "if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness." People think if she's ugly on the outside, she will be inside too.

Jane has a glimmer of hope which she clings onto. Shows how oppressed she feels in Gateshead.

Ch. 4- Mr Brocklehurst collects Jane

Preparing for new stage in her life.

Mr Brocklehurst talks of religion and we see how he manipulates the Bible to get it to say what he wants it to, eg. that Jane must be a 'bad' girl because she doesn't like the Psalms. Because Jane is author, we are made as reader to doubt how genuine a Christian he is.