Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is about a young orphan being raised by Mrs. Reed, her cruel aunt. One day as punishment for fighting with her bullying cousin John, Jane’s aunt locked her in the room in which her Uncle Reed had died. While there Jane scares herself into believing that she sees her uncles ghost, screams and faints. When She wakes, She finds herself in the care of the apothecary Mr. Lloyd. He suggested to Mrs. Reed that Jane be sent away to school.

The school’s headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst was a cruel, hypocritical man. He would preach of poverty to his students but steal from the schools funds to support a lavish lifestyle for his own family. A massive typhus epidemic sweeps Lowood, and many, including Jane’s friend Helen died of consumption. The epidemic also results in the departure of Mr. Brocklehurst by attracting attention to the dangerous conditions at Lowood. Jane the stays on at the school for many more years.

She accepts a governess position at a manor called Thornfield, where she is to teaches a little French girl named Adèle. Jane’s employer at Thornfield is Rochester, with whom Jane starts finding herself secretly falling secretly in love with. She saves Rochester from a fire one night, which he claims was started by a drunken servant , but seeing as how the servant continues to work at Thornfield, Jane doesn’t believe that she’s been told the whole story.

Rochester proposes to Jane, who accepts almost disbelievingly.

The wedding day arrives, and as Jane and Mr. Rochester prepare to exchange their vows, the voice of Mr. Mason cries out that Rochester already has a wife. Mason introduces himself as the brother of that wife—a woman named Bertha. Rochester does not deny Mason’s claims, but he explains that Bertha has gone mad. He takes the wedding party back to Thornfield, where they witness the insane Bertha scurrying around on all fours and growling like an animal. Rochester keeps Bertha hidden on the third story of Thornfield and pays Grace Poole to keep his wife under control. Bertha was the real cause of the mysterious fire earlier in the story. Knowing that it is impossible for her to be with Rochester, Jane leaves.

Penniless and hungry, Jane is forced to sleep outdoors and beg for food. Finally, three siblings who live in a manor alternatively called Marsh End and Moor House take her in.