Jane Eyre: Lowood School

Summary

Analysis of Main Conflicts

Analysis of Thematic Issues

Mood & Tone

Dreary (tone)

• When Jane arrived at the school, it was raining
• Helens death

Sympathic (mood)

• Jane's humiliation
• Helen's death

Literary Elements

Symbolism

• Miss Temple as a motherly figure

Irony

• Mr. Brockelhurst teachings are completely hypocritical to his lifestyle
• pg. 74

Discussion and Wrap Up

Overall, was Jane's experience a postive or negative time?

How did it change Jane's personality?

How does Jane going to Lowood change her past and future experiences? Would have her life been the same? Was it more positive or negative?

FONTS

Jane Eyre

Lowood School

Contextual Analysis

Analysis of Main Characters

Mr. Brockelhurst

Miss Temple

• Master of Lowood
• Cruel
• Preaches privation

Helen Burns

• Superintendent of Lowood
• Shows Jane compassion
• Helps prove Jane's innocence
• pg. 53-54

• Jane's friend at Lowood
• Dies of consumption
• Strongly believes in endurance through pain and Christianity
• pg. 64

Lowood is a parallel to the Bronte sisters experience at Cowan Bridge School.

Helen Burns was influenced by Maria Bronte who died at age 11 because of consumption.

Jane Eyre

Mr. Brockelhurst terrorizes her and makes her time at Lowood extremely miserable while also introducing his teachings.

Helen Burns introduces a strong form of Christianity which Jane does not necassarily agree with. She brings

out Jane's tendency to be headstrong and full of pride.

Miss Temple shows Jane kindness and is almost like a motherly figure.

Mr. Brocklehurst is based off of Cowan Bridge School's William Carus Wilson.

Mr. Brocklehurst is removed

Mr. Brocklehurst returns

Jane leaves Gateshead and heads to Lowood School

Jane meets Helen Burns and become instant friends

Jane starts to talk to Helen about her book, and become friends. Jane learns that Lowood school is actually a charity school that is for female orphans.

His treatment towards the girls did not go unnoticed, espeically when it was found to be one of the causes of the sickness, and finally he was removed from his power at Lowood. Bringing the school to improve.

Mr. Brocklehurst returns and Jane is nervous he remembers about her incident before she arrived at school. She drops her slate and he humiliates her and makes her stand on a stool and orders no one to talk with her.

Jane is getting ready to leave Gateshead and go to pursue her education at the Lowood Institute. She has a conversation with Bessie before she leaves, saying how Mrs. Reed told Jane not to disturb her before she leaves to say goodbye.

Jane notices the harsh conditions

Helen dies from diease

Jane begins her studies at Lowood Institute

Jane finishes her studies and becomes a teacher

When spring hits, it causes half of the girls in school to become ill with typhus. Jane befirends a girl Mary Ann Wilson. Then Jane learns Helen is dying from consumption.

Jane learns that the school is always cold. The girls are overworked and forced to sit through long, endless sermons.

Jane arrives at Lowood on a rainy day, and is meeted by two young teachers. The next day she meets some of her classmates and Miss Temple (the superintendent) and also learns part of what her days would consist of at Lowood.

Since the conditions have improved, she had no problem with her studies for the next six years. Jane stayed at Lowood to become a teacher, then she left for Thornfield.

On the night of Helens death, Jane sneaks to see her one last time in Miss Temple's room. Helen reassures her that she is happy to leave and is not in much pain. They fall asleep, with Jane holding Helen, and Helen dying in her arms.

Social Class

Religion

Mr Brockelhurst

• Purging students of their pride, privation
• pg. 73

Mr. Brockelhurst the wealthy clergyman mistreats the poor, orphaned children. He makes the living conditions at the school miserable while at home, living a life of luxury.

Helen Burns

• Christianity
• Being passive
• Endure through pain
• pg. 63

Man vs Nature

Man vs Man

Helen

Students

Vs

Mr. Brocklehurst

Vs

Illness

Vs

Living Conditions

Students

Acceptance

Passion

• Jane expresses her passion for different things throughout the section
• Pride
• Headstrong
• pg. 63 (against Helen's endurance)

• Jane strives to feel like she belongs
• She wants to feel wanted because her entire life she has been treated like an outcast
• pg. 79