Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

Jane as a Narrator

Can she be trusted?

Let's have a show of hands!

NO!

She is well spoken, yet she misleads

the reader on several occasions

Ghost

"All looked colder and darker... the strange little figure there gazing at me, with a white face and arms specking the gloom, and glittering eyes of fear... I thought it like one of the tiny phantoms"

Blanche Ingram

"Yes, the future bridegroom, Mr. Rochester himself, exercised over his intended a ceaseless surveillance,"

Grace Poole

"This was a demonic laugh - low, suppressed, and deep - uttered, as it seemed, at the very key-hole of my chamber-door... Was that Grace Poole? and is she possessed with a devil?"

Jane as a Moral Center

Come-uppance

Just desserts

If you did wrong to Jane, this is what you have coming!

Fitting Ends:

John Reed

Poverty

Disgrace

Suicide

"John Reed is dead too, sir: he ruined himself and half-ruined his family, and is supposed to have committed suicide."

"He ruined his health and his estate amongst the worst men and the worst women. He got into debt and into jail... His head was not strong...He came down to Gateshead about three weeks ago and wanted missis to give up all to him."

Mrs. Reed

Indebted to Jane

Jane's Inferior

Dependent

"I have twice done you a wrong which I regret now. One is in breaking the promise which I gave my husband to bring you up as my own child...to humble myself so to her is painful."

"Not without cause was this sentiment: Mrs. Reed looked frightened; her work had slipped from her knee; she was lifting up her hands, rocking herself to and fro, and even twisting her face as if she would cry..."

"'How dare I, Mrs. Reed? How dare I? Because it is the truth. You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity. I shall remember how you thrust me back--roughly and violently thrust me back--into the red-room, and locked me up there, to my dying day; though I was in agony; though I cried out, while suffocating with distress, 'Have mercy! Have mercy, Aunt Reed!' And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me--knocked me down for nothing. I will tell anybody who asks me questions, this exact tale. People think you a good woman, but you are bad, hard- hearted. You are deceitful!'"

Mr. Brocklehurst

Embarassed

Dishonour

Unholy

"'Deceit is, indeed, a sad fault in a child,' said Mr. Brocklehurst; 'it is akin to falsehood, and all liars will have their portion in the lake burning with fire and brimstone...'"

"The unhealthy nature of the site; the quantity and quality of the children's food; the brackish fetid water used in its preparation; the pupil's wretched clothing and accommodations - all these things were discovered; and the discovery produced a result mortifying to Mr. Brocklehurst... Mr. Brocklehurst... could not be overlooked"

These characters are obvious villains, yet, dare we add to the list...

Deceit

Secrecy

The punishment?

Blindness

Appropriate?

In other people’s presence I was, as formerly, deferential and quiet; any other line of conduct being uncalled for: it was only in the evening conferences I thus thwarted and afflicted him. He continued to send for me punctually the moment the clock struck seven; though when I appeared before him now, he had no such honeyed terms as "love" and "darling" on his lips: the best words at my service were "provoking puppet," "malicious elf," "sprite," "changeling," &c. For caresses, too, I now got grimaces; for a pressure of the hand, a pinch on the arm; for a kiss on the cheek, a severe tweak of the ear. It was all right: at present I decidedly preferred these fierce favours to anything more tender.

In conclusion:

Jane, as a narrator, establishes herself as trustworthy to the audience. However, she is only human, and as such she makes mistakes.

Jane, as a moral centre, exacts appropriate karmatic revenge on those who mistreat her.

Adieu!

So watch your step

Mr. Rochester!

The Lovely

Story-teller Extraordinaire!