John Reed In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

Children are expected to live up to the expectation(s) set by their parents and or relatives in numerous families. Often times, these expectations are portrayed as being achievable because of the fact their relatives had been able to complete the tasks laid before them in the past. Being able to complete and meet these expectations, causes the child to be seen and regarded as honorable by not only their family but by society. Unsurprisingly, life does not always go as intended. These expectations can drive the child to lengths they have never been or reached before in order to keep up and not fail. If the child does not fulfil the wishes of their family, they are often known as being dishonorable. The humiliation of knowing to have let down

In the opening of Jane Eyre, John Reed, only a mere fourteen years old, called Jane an animal and ordered her around as if she was one his servants, not his dear, younger cousin. Unkind, disrespectful, demanding, and impatient Mr. John is “large and stout for his age, with dingy and unwholesome skin… heavy limbs and large extremities” (15). With this quote, one is able to associate John with a portrait of an animal much more than that of a human being, resulting in him being overwhelmingly intimidating. Additionally, not an apparent respectful young man, “John had not much affection for his mother and sisters and an antipathy to me [Jane]” (15). From the start, John was neither dedicated to his family nor his image as much as he was dedicated to inflicting torment on ten-year-old Jane. He bullied Jane constantly throughout the day, making Jane fear his presence each and every second; taking advantage of Jane because he was older and richer than her, he commanded her, teased her, and used her as he pleases: “‘What do you want?’ I [Jane] asked, with awkward diffidence. ‘Say, ‘What do you want, Master Reed?’” (15). This quote demonstrates John Reed acting very much like a tyrannical male instructing Jane to address him as master when in fact he is Jane's cousin. John Reed, as unkind and brutal as he is, was withal

With no job or a clear and notable desire for one, John Reed hence was responsible for his family entering into a financial crisis. Debt after debt gave rise to Mr. John’s encounter with jail; soon after, not taking this (the time he spent in jail) as a valuable lesson and opportunity to reflect, he “... gave himself up to strange ways” (206) and his mental health began to deteriorate as he continued to lose sight of who he was and what he was supposed to be for his family: a strong, supportive, unimpeachable male who could ensure his family’s stability for years to come. John Reed “ruined his health and his estate amongst the worst men and the worst women...his mother helped him out [of jail] twice, but as soon as he was free he returned to his old companions and habits. His head was not strong” (206). After analyzing this quote, one is able to identify Mr. John is not in the right state of mind and cannot be what his family needs him to be. What’s more, if he is dependent on his mother to assist him in the situations he has found himself in because of what he has done, the ability for him to support his family significantly decrease. Henceforth, after three years of continuous decline in his health, John Reed was pronounced dead. Upon hearing of her sons departure, Mrs. Reed “brought on a stroke… and the loss of money and