JaneEyreCharlotteBronteWasbornofIrishancestryin1816LivedatHaworth,aparsonageMotherdiedofcancerwhenCharlottewas5yearsold.Charlotte’sReligiousViewsFather,PatrickBronte,wasanAnglicanclergymanDuetoherupbringing,sheoftenwroteaboutreligioushypocrisy—thosewhopreachonedoctrinebutlivebyanotherTheBronteSistersCharlottehadfoursistersandonebrother.Aftertheirmother’sdeath,Bront?andhersistersweresenttotheClergyDaughters’School.ThefoodwasbadDisciplinewasharshDiseasewasrampantBronte’stwooldersisters(Maria&Elizabeth)diedoftuberculosis.TuberculosisTuberculosiswasacommonkillerduringtheVictorianera.Tuberculosisoftendestroysitsvictims’lungs,resultinginabloodycough.Ifuntreated,sufferersmaydieoftuberculosisbecausetheirlungsaresobadlydamaged.AllintheFamilyTheClergyDaughter’sSchoolatCowanBridgewouldbecamethemodelforLowood,thefictitiousgirls’schoolinJaneEyre.Charlote’ssistersAnneandEmilyBrontebothbecamesuccessfulwriters.In1846,Charlotte&hersistersstartedpublishingpoemsandbeganwritingnovels:TheProfessorwasCharlotte’sattempttofictionalizeherloveforacollegeprofessorshehadmetatBrussels.In1847WutheringHeightswassisterEmily’sfirstsuccess.CharlottefollowedwithJaneEyre.Charlotte’sbrother,Branwell,wasagiftedpainter.EmilyBronteAnneBronteBranwellBronteCharlotteBronteAll3BronteSisters…UsedamasculinepennamebecausewomenwriterswerenottakenseriouslyatthattimeinVictorianEngland.CharlotteusedthenameCurrerBell.MarriageBellsIn1854Charlottemarriedherfather'scurate,ArthurBellNichols.Thenextyear,shebecamepregnant,thenill.

Shediedamonthbeforeher39thbirthday.THENOVELJaneEyrewaspublishedinLondonin1847.KeyFactsAlleventsaretoldinthepastfromJane’spointofview.Thesettingisearly19thCenturyEngland.JaneEyreisclassifiedasbothaGothicandaRomanticnovel.JaneEyreOurprotagonistOrphanedasachildBecomesgovernessatThornfieldAfeistyyoungchild,whogrowsintoastrongwoman.EmbodiestheEnglishworking-classwoman.Willmarry....?EdwardRochesterJane’sbossatThornfieldGruffandrudeMadewealthybyfamilymoneyBenefactortoAdèleVarensVerysecretiveandsometimesdeceitfulReedFamilyJane’sfamilyonherfather’ssideMrs.ReedisJane’scruelauntwhosendsJanetoLowood;shelocksJaneinthe“RedRoom”forpunishmentJohn,Eliza,andGeorgianaareJane’sspoiledcousins;theyarerudeandselfish;theyeithertormentJaneorignoreherRiversFamilyJane’scaretakerswhensheleavesThornfield–arehercousinsonhermother’sside.St.John–MinisteratMorton,triestogetJanetobehismissionarywifeDianaandMary–kindandindependentwomen,serveasrolemodelsforJane(weonlyseeoneofthesisters[Mary]inthemovie)St.JohnRiversBerthaMason BerthaislockedintheatticatThornfieldStartsthebedroomfire,andeventuallyburnsthehousedownKillsherselfinthehousefireExotic,sensualpersonificationoftheOrientWhyissheatThornfield?Mrs.FairfaxHousekeeperatThornfieldServesasamotherfigure/rolemodelforJaneTellsJaneaboutsecretsofThornfieldandtheRochesters.ThornfieldManorOtherCharactersHelenBurns–Jane’sfriendatLowood,teacheshercharacter,diesinJane’sarmsMr.Brocklehurst–cruelanddishonestmasterofLowoodSchoolMissTemple–Jane’sfavoriteteacher,positivefemalerolemodel/motherfigureHelenMr.BrocklehurstMissTempleOtherCharacters(Cont.)GracePoole–Bertha’smysteriouskeeper,servesasBertha’sscapegoatAdèleVarens–Jane’spupil,daughterofRochester’soldmistress,CeleneRichardMason–Bertha’sbrother,exposesthesecretmarriageBlancheIngram–socialiteafterRochester’smoney,oppositeofJaneAdèleBlancheIngramCharlotte’sGothicInfluenceJaneEyredisplayssomecharacteristicsofthegothicnovel:ImprisonedwomenAheroinewhofacesdangerSupernaturalinterventionsatcrucialmomentsintheplotAromanticreconciliationJaneEyre’sRomanticHeritageTheRomanticMovementCameintoplayinattheendofthe18thCentury.Championedfortherightsoftheindividualoverthedemandsofsociety.BelievedthathumanswereinherentlygoodValuedimaginationoverreasonInspiredbynatureIntroductionJaneEyreisanorphanin1800sEngland.Jane’sparentsdiedoftyphuswhenshewasababy.Mrs.Reed,heraunt,hasagreedtoraiseher,butsheandherthreechildrentreatJanecruelly.

Yet,Mrs.ReedexpectsJanetobethankful.JaneEyre:IntroductionWhenJanetriestostandupforherself,herauntisfurious.ShecallsJaneanungratefulchildandsendsherawaytoaboardingschoolcalledLowood.

JaneEyre:IntroductionAtLowoodthegirls...sleeptwotoabed,getupbeforedawn,batheinice-coldwater,getburntporridgeforbreakfast,andaretaughttosufferinsilence.TyphusJaneEyre’sLowoodsuffersanoutbreakoftyphus,adiseasethatisspreadbyfleas,ticks,andlicecausesheadaches,chills,rashes,andfeversthatlastuptothreeweeksBothtuberculosisandtyphusarediseasesassociatedwithcrowded,unsanitaryconditions.ThethreatofcatchingoneofthesediseasesisamajorconcernforthecharactersinJaneEyre.LifeatLowoodThesuperintendentofLowoodSchoolisMr.Brocklehurst.

JaneimmediatelymakesfriendwithagirlcalledHelenBurns.ShealsoadmiresherheadteacherMiss.Temple.Asaconsequenceofbadconditions,typhusbreaksout.Manygirlsdie,includingHelen,Jane’sbestfriend

JanestaysatLowoodeightyearsasapupilandthentwoyearsasateacher.

ThornfieldHallAfterpostinganadvertisementinalocalpaper,JanebecomestheprivategovernessatThornfieldHall.HerpupilisayoungFrenchgirlnamedAdele.ThornfieldHallbelongstoaMr.RochesterJanedoesnotmeethimformonths.

Finally,Mr.RochesterreturnshomeandstayslongerthanusualatThornfieldHall

RoleoftheGovernessWiththenewstressonfemaleeducation,governesseswereindemand.Paywaspoor,butitwasoneoftheonlyjobsavailabletoeducated,yetimpoverishedyoungwomen.Employers&otherservantsoftenshunnedthegovernessbecausetheyfelttheywere“puttingonairs.”Theiremployerswouldoftenignorethem,too,becausetheyhadasuperioreducation,whichintimidatedmanypeople–especiallymen.Mysteries...OnenightatThornfield,Jane

wakesupandhearsevillaughter...Whocouldthisbe?WhatisgoingoninMr.Rochester’sbedroom?OnedayMr.Rochestergivesapartyforsomefineguests.InattendanceisaMiss.Ingram,abeautifulwoman,whoadoresMr.Rochester.DuringthepartyaMr.Masonarrives.Whoisthismysteriousman?WhatishedoingatThornfield?Whatwillhappentohim?OnedayJanereceivesaletterregardingMrs.Reed,herwickedaunt.Mrs.ReedisdyingandwantstoseeJaneagain.WhywouldshewanttoseeJaneagain?Whatsecretdoesshepossess?WhenJanecomesbacktoThornfieldHall,Mr.Rochesterisveryhappytoseeheragain.HegivesJanethenewsthathehasdecidedtomarry.Whowillhemarry?Willtheweddingactuallytakeplace?JaneEyre:

AGroundBreakingNovelTheheroineissmall,plain,&poorTheheroineisthefirstfemalecharactertoclaimtherighttofeelstronglyaboutheremotionsandactonherconvictionsThisromanticgroundhadpreviouslybeenreservedformalesSuchapsychologicallycomplexheroinehadneverbeencreatedbeforeByronicHeroThistermiscreatedbythefamouspoetGeorgeGordon,LordByron.Characteristicsare…ProudGloomyMysteriousPassionate*Mr.RochesterisanexampleofthistypeLoveJaneisconstantlyinasearchforlove.SheissearchesforromanticloveinRochester,motherlylovethroughMissTempleandMrs.Fairfax,andfriendshipthroughtheRiverssiblings,HelenBurns,andRochester.Jane’ssearchforlovemightstemfromthescornshefeltasachildSocialClassJaneoftenfeelsinadequatecomparedtomanyoftheothermaincharactersinthenovel.JanefeelsthatherloveforRoche