Jane Eyre is a novel written by the English author Charlotte Brontë. It was first published on October 19, 1847, by Smith, Elder & Co. in London under the name "Currer Bell." The first American edition came out in January 1848, published by Harper & Brothers in New York. The story follows Jane Eyre, the main character, as she grows up and faces challenges, including her feelings for Mr. Rochester, the owner of Thornfield Hall.

The book changed how stories were written by focusing on the moral and spiritual growth of its main character through a first-person point of view. This style allows readers to understand the character’s deep emotions and thoughts. Literary critic Daniel S. Burt said Charlotte Brontë was the first writer to explore the inner thoughts of characters in detail, influencing later authors like Marcel Proust and James Joyce.

The novel includes social criticism and emphasizes Christian values. Many people believe it was ahead of its time because it highlights Jane’s independence and addresses topics such as class, relationships, religion, and women’s roles. Jane Eyre is often compared to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen as one of the most famous romance novels. It is considered one of the greatest English novels. In 2003, it was ranked the tenth most-loved book in Britain by the BBC in The Big Read poll.

Plot

Jane Eyre is divided into 38 chapters. It was first published in three volumes during the 19th century. The first volume includes chapters 1 to 15, the second volume includes chapters 16 to 27, and the third volume includes chapters 28 to 38.

The second edition of the book was dedicated to William Makepeace Thackeray.

The novel is told from Jane Eyre’s perspective, as she describes her own experiences. The story takes place in northern England during the late years of King George III’s rule (1760–1820). The story has five main parts:
1. Jane’s childhood at Gateshead Hall, where she is treated unfairly by her aunt and cousins.
2. Jane’s time at Lowood School, where she makes friends but faces hardships.
3. Jane’s work as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she develops feelings for her employer, Edward Fairfax Rochester.
4. Jane’s time at Moor House, where her cousin, St John Rivers, asks her to marry him.
5. Jane’s reunion with Rochester and their marriage.

Throughout the story, the novel discusses important social issues and challenges the way society was organized at the time.

The five stages of Jane’s life are as follows:

At age 10, Jane lives at Gateshead Hall with her uncle’s family, the Reeds, because her uncle asked for her to be cared for after he died. Jane’s parents died of typhus years earlier, and her uncle, Mr. Reed, was the only kind member of the Reed family. Jane’s aunt, Sarah Reed, dislikes her and treats her unfairly. Mrs. Reed also tells her children not to be friends with Jane. Jane feels hurt by this treatment. The nursemaid, Bessie, is the only person who supports Jane, even though she sometimes scolds her. Jane is not allowed to join family activities and lives a difficult life. One day, after defending herself against her cousin John’s bullying, Jane is locked in the red room, where her uncle died. She faints from fear after thinking she sees his ghost. This event is important because it shows the complicated relationships between adults and children that appear later in the story. After this, Jane talks to Mr. Lloyd, a kind doctor, who learns how unhappy she is at Gateshead. He suggests she attend school, which Mrs. Reed agrees to.

Mrs. Reed then asks Mr. Brocklehurst, a strict man who runs Lowood Institution, to take Jane. She tells him Jane is dishonest, which he misunderstands as her being a liar. Before leaving, Jane tells Mrs. Reed she will never call her “aunt” again. She also tells Mrs. Reed and her daughters that they are dishonest and promises to share their cruelty with others at school. Mrs. Reed is hurt by these words but does not show it.

At Lowood Institution, a school for poor and orphaned girls, Jane finds life difficult. She makes a friend named Helen Burns. Helen is punished for having dirty nails, and Jane tells Helen she would not have handled such shame. Helen, however, says it is her duty to accept punishment. Jane shares her unhappy experiences at Gateshead with Helen, who advises her not to hold grudges.

Mr. Brocklehurst visits the school, and Jane accidentally drops her slate, drawing attention. She is forced to stand on a stool and called a sinner. Later, Miss Temple, a kind teacher, helps Jane explain her actions and clears her name. Helen and Miss Temple are important role models for Jane.

The 80 students at Lowood live in cold rooms, eat poor food, and wear thin clothes. A typhus outbreak causes many students to get sick, and Helen dies from illness in Jane’s arms. After Mr. Brocklehurst’s harsh treatment is discovered, new supporters improve the school’s conditions.

After six years as a student and two years as a teacher at Lowood, Jane grows tired of her life there. Her friend, Miss Temple, also leaves after marrying. Jane advertises for a governess job and is hired by Thornfield Hall to teach Adèle Varens, a young French girl.

One night, Jane meets Edward Rochester, the owner of Thornfield, after helping him when his horse slips on ice. Adèle was left in Rochester’s care after her mother, a famous dancer, abandoned her. Rochester teases Jane but soon becomes friendly with her.

Strange events happen at Thornfield, such as a mysterious laugh, a fire in Rochester’s room (which Jane helps him escape), and an attack on a guest named Mr. Richard Mason. After saving Rochester from the fire, he thanks her, and Jane feels strong emotions toward him. Rochester leaves for a party and returns with Blanche Ingram, a wealthy woman. Jane becomes jealous when she sees Rochester and Blanche seem to like each other.

Jane learns her aunt, Mrs. Reed, is sick and returns to Gateshead to care for her. Mrs. Reed confesses she was wrong to treat Jane unfairly and shows a letter from Jane’s paternal uncle, Mr. John Eyre, who wants Jane to live with him. Mrs. Reed dies soon after, and Jane helps her cousins before returning to Thornfield.

At Thornfield, Jane worries about Rochester’s planned marriage to Blanche. One evening, Rochester teases Jane about missing her after marrying someone else. Jane reveals her feelings for him, and Rochester admits he proposed to Blanche only to make Jane jealous. He then proposes to Jane, who accepts after doubting his sincerity. She writes to her uncle to share her happiness.

As Jane prepares for her wedding, a mysterious woman tears her wedding veil. Rochester believes this is connected to earlier strange events.

Major characters

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In order of first line of dialogue:

• Jane Eyre: The novel's narrator and main character. Jane was an orphan as a baby and had a difficult childhood with little love. She becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall. Jane is small and not very attractive, but she is passionate and has strong beliefs. She values freedom and independence. She also has a strong sense of right and wrong and is a determined Christian. Jane is ten years old at the beginning of the novel and nineteen or twenty at the end of the main story. At the end of the novel, it says that Jane has been married to Edward Rochester for ten years, so she is about thirty years old.

• Mrs Sarah Reed (née Gibson): Jane's aunt by marriage. She took care of Jane because her late husband wanted her to. According to Mrs Reed, her husband felt sorry for Jane and cared for her more than for his own children. However, Mrs Reed does not like Jane and treats her badly. She lies to Mr Brocklehurst about Jane's behavior, which makes him treat Jane harshly when she arrives at Lowood School.

• John Reed: Jane's first cousin who is fourteen years old. He bullies Jane a lot, even sometimes in front of his mother. He eats too much and has health problems and a bad appearance. Later in life, John ruins his life with drinking and gambling. He is said to have killed himself.

• Eliza Reed: Jane's thirteen-year-old first cousin. She is jealous of her younger sister and follows a strict daily routine. She is very religious and believes she is doing the right thing. After her mother dies, Eliza goes to a nunnery in France and tries to stay away from her sister.

• Georgiana Reed: Jane's eleven-year-old first cousin. She is beautiful and is treated very well, but she is rude and mean. Her older sister, Eliza, stops her from running away with a rich man named Lord Edwin Vere. Eventually, Georgiana marries a rich but old man.

• Bessie Lee: The nursemaid at Gateshead Hall. She is kind to Jane and tells her stories and sings to her, but she can be angry quickly. Later, she marries Robert Leaven and has three children.

• Miss Martha Abbot: Mrs Reed's maid at Gateshead Hall. She is not kind to Jane and tells her she has no right to be at Gateshead Hall.

• Mr Lloyd: A kind doctor who suggests that Jane should go to school. Later, he writes a letter to Miss Temple that confirms Jane's story and helps clear her name from the accusation that she lies.

• Mr Brocklehurst: The head of Lowood School. He is a religious person who believes in strict rules and discipline for the students, but not for himself or his family. His daughter, Augusta, says, "Oh, dear papa, how quiet and plain all the girls at Lowood look… they looked at my dress and mama's, as if they had never seen a silk gown before."

• Miss Maria Temple: The kind and caring head teacher at Lowood School. She helps Jane when she is falsely accused of lying and takes care of Helen in her final days. She later marries Reverend Naysmith.

• Miss Scatcherd: A strict and unfriendly teacher at Lowood. She punishes Helen Burns for being untidy but does not see her good qualities.

• Helen Burns: Jane's best friend at Lowood School. She does not hate those who treat her badly and believes in God. She teaches Jane about Christianity and dies of an illness in Jane's arms. Elizabeth Gaskell, in her book about the Brontë sisters, said that Helen Burns was very similar to Maria Brontë, who also died of the same illness at the age of eleven.

• Mrs Alice Fairfax: An older, kind woman who is the housekeeper at Thornfield Hall. She is related to the Rochester family.

• Adèle Varens: A young French girl who is cared for by Jane at Thornfield Hall. Her mother, Céline, was a dancer and had a relationship with Mr Rochester. Céline claimed Adèle was Mr Rochester's daughter, but he does not believe this because of Céline's behavior and because Adèle does not look like him. Adèle believes her mother is dead. Mr Rochester later tells Jane that Céline left Adèle and went to Italy with a musician. Adèle and Jane become close friends. After Jane leaves Thornfield Hall, Mr Rochester sends Adèle to a strict school, but Jane later finds a better school for her. When Adèle is old enough to leave school, Jane says she is kind and well-behaved, and she feels that her kindness to Adèle was worth it.

• Grace Poole: A woman between thirty and forty years old, with red hair and a plain face. Mr Rochester pays her a lot of money to keep his wife, Bertha, hidden and quiet. She is often blamed for strange things that happen at Thornfield Hall, such as strange laughter. She sometimes drinks too much, which allows Bertha to escape.

• Edward Fairfax Rochester: The owner of Thornfield Hall. He has a dark, strong, and serious face. He married Bertha Mason before the story begins, but readers do not know about this until much later. Rochester is an example of a Byronic hero.

• Leah: The housemaid at Thornfield Hall.

• Blanche Ingram: A young and wealthy woman who Mr Rochester plans to marry. She is very beautiful and talented, but she treats Jane and others of lower social class with disrespect. Mr Rochester shows that she and her mother are only interested in money when he spreads a rumor that he is not as rich as they think.

• Richard Mason: An Englishman who comes to Thornfield Hall from the West Indies. He is the brother of Rochester's first wife, Bertha, and still cares about his sister. During Jane and Mr Rochester's wedding, he reveals that their marriage is not legal.

• Robert Leaven: The coachman at Gateshead Hall. He tells Jane that John Reed has died, which causes Mrs Reed to have a stroke. He also tells Jane that Mrs Reed wants to see her before she dies.

• Bertha Antoinetta Mason: Edward Rochester's first wife. After their marriage, her mental health got worse, and she is now violent and in a very bad state. Mr Rochester says he was tricked into the marriage by Bertha's family, who knew she might become mentally ill. He keeps Bertha locked in the attic at Thornfield Hall. Grace Poole is in charge of looking after her, but Grace sometimes drinks and lets Bertha escape. After Richard Mason stops Jane and Mr Rochester's wedding, Rochester introduces Jane to Bertha. Bertha is described as a strange, wild figure that runs around in the dark. Eventually, Bertha starts a fire at Thornfield Hall and jumps from the roof to her death. Bertha is seen as Jane's opposite: Jane is kind and just, while Bertha is wild and cruel. Although her race is never mentioned, some people think she might have mixed heritage. Rochester suggests that Bertha's parents wanted her to marry him because he was of "good race," which implies that Bertha might have been of mixed race.

Context

The early parts of the story, where Jane is sent to Lowood, a strict boarding school, are based on the author's own life. Helen Burns's death from tuberculosis, also called consumption, is similar to the deaths of Charlotte Brontë's sisters, Elizabeth and Maria, who died of the same disease as children because of poor conditions at their school, the Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge near Tunstall, Lancashire. Mr. Brocklehurst is modeled after Rev. William Carus Wilson, an Evangelical minister who ran the school. Additionally, John Reed's struggle with alcohol and his downfall reflect the life of Charlotte's brother, Branwell, who became addicted to opium and alcohol before his death. Like Jane, Charlotte also worked as a governess. These details were shared in The Life of Charlotte Brontë (1857), written by Charlotte's friend and fellow writer, Elizabeth Gaskell.

The Gothic house, Thornfield Hall, may have been inspired by North Lees Hall, near Hathersage in Derbyshire’s Peak District. Charlotte Brontë and her friend Ellen Nussey visited this location in 1845, and Ellen described it in a letter from July 22, 1845. North Lees Hall was once home to the Eyre family, and its first owner, Agnes Ashurst, was reportedly locked in a padded room on the second floor because she was believed to be mentally ill. Some believe Wycoller Hall in Lancashire, near Haworth, inspired Ferndean Manor, where Mr. Rochester goes after the fire at Thornfield. This is because the owner of Ferndean, Mr. Rochester’s father, shares similarities with Henry Cunliffe, who owned Wycoller Hall in the 1770s and lived there until his death in 1818. One of Cunliffe’s relatives was named Elizabeth Eyre (née Cunliffe). The scene where Mr. Rochester’s wife sets fire to the bed curtains was first published in an August 1830 homemade magazine called The Young Men’s Magazine, Number 2. Charlotte Brontë began writing Jane Eyre in Manchester, and she likely imagined Manchester Cathedral’s churchyard as the burial place for Jane’s parents and Manchester as Jane’s birthplace. The novel may also have been influenced by Charlotte’s visit to Norton Conyers house in North Yorkshire in 1839, where she worked as a governess for the family’s grandchildren. Norton Conyers has a family story about a woman who was locked in the attic.

Adaptations and influence

The novel has been adapted into many different forms, such as plays, movies, TV shows, and at least three full-length operas. It has also inspired several important new versions and other stories, including Jean Rhys's important 1966 novel Wide Sargasso Sea.

A well-known line from the book appears at the start of Chapter 38: "Reader, I married him." Many authors have used similar versions of this line in their own works. For example, Liane Moriarty included this line in her 2018 novel Nine Perfect Strangers.

The book Reader, I Married Him: Stories inspired by Jane Eyre, a 2016 collection of short stories edited by Tracy Chevalier, was also inspired by this line. It was created to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Brontë's birth and is published by The Borough Press, which is part of HarperCollins.

The Thai novel Ruk Diow Kong Jenjira was adapted by Nida in 1993. In 1996, it became a TV drama on Channel 3, featuring actors Willie McIntosh and Sirilak Pongchoke.

The novel The French Dancer's Bastard, written by Emma Tennant, reimagines Adèle's background, examining if she was Rochester's child from a previous relationship and how she connects to Jane Eyre.

The most recent movie adaptation, Jane Eyre, came out in 2011 and was directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Mia Wasikowska played Jane Eyre, and Michael Fassbender portrayed Mr. Rochester. The film, along with the actors and costume designers, received and won several awards between 2011 and 2012.

Reception

When Jane Eyre was first published in 1848, people had very different opinions about it compared to how it is viewed today. Elizabeth Rigby, who later became Elizabeth Eastlake, wrote in The Quarterly Review that she believed the book was "most anti-Christian," claiming that the ideas in it challenged authority and broke rules, both in society and in religion. She also said the writer shared the same beliefs as those who supported political movements like Chartism, which opposed unfair treatment.

An anonymous review in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction noted the writer’s "extraordinary daring," but the review was mostly negative. It said the characters in the book were not realistic, the ideas were poor, and the portrayal of religion was harsh. The review also criticized the book for trying to remove social differences and dismissing moral ideas.

Some people at the time had more positive views. George Henry Lewes said the book felt like it came from someone’s own life, and many parts of it were similar to real experiences. Another critic from The Atlas praised the book’s energy, originality, and emotional power, calling it a work that could excite readers and make them feel deeply.

A review in The Era called Jane Eyre "an extraordinary book," saying it contained many ideas worth thinking about, celebrating, and grieving over. It noted the book explored deep emotions, struggles, and strong moral qualities, while also showing the strength of the main character.

The People’s Journal praised the novel’s energy, saying it never lets readers feel tired or bored. It described the author as having a unique talent, showing skill in storytelling, character descriptions, and creating vivid scenes.

In The Nineteenth Century, an American publication, the book was defended against claims that it was immoral. It said Jane Eyre had caused a strong reaction in both the United States and England, even surprising critics who were paid to write about it. The review noted that despite accusations of immorality, the book had a powerful emotional effect on readers.

A review in The Indicator discussed the mystery of the author’s identity, saying it would not be a secret for long. However, the reviewer strongly believed the author was not a woman, claiming no woman had ever written in such a direct, energetic, and bold style.

Literary critic Jerome Beaty said the book’s first-person perspective made readers too easily accept the main character’s views, even if those views were unusual.

In 2003, Jane Eyre was ranked number 10 in the BBC’s survey The Big Read, which asked British people to choose their favorite novel.

Genres

Before the Victorian era, Jane Austen wrote stories that shaped later popular fiction. The Brontë sisters also wrote influential stories in the 1840s. Their stories mix elements of gothic novels and Elizabethan plays, showing how the romance novel form can change and adapt.

The gothic genre uses supernatural events, strong emotions, and a mix of real and imaginary ideas to create a dark, mysterious mood. In Jane Eyre, Jane is a homodiegetic narrator, meaning she tells the story from her own perspective as a character. Her narration helps readers feel connected to her emotions. This storytelling method works with gothic features. For example, readers and Jane do not know why a mysterious laugh or strange sound happens in Thornfield Hall until later, when it is revealed to be caused by Bertha Mason. The unknown and the possibility of the supernatural work together. Emotions and reactions to gothic elements can exist only in the main character’s imagination. In the red room scene, Jane feels fear because she believes her dead uncle is haunting the room, even though this is her imagination.

The gothic genre uses the idea of the "Gothic double," where a character has a mirror image or another side. In Jane Eyre, Bertha Mason and Jane are linked as opposites. This idea helps explore complex themes. Another gothic technique is foreshadowing, which builds tension and suspense. For example, when a tree is struck by lightning after Jane agrees to marry Rochester, it hints at their future separation.

The gothic genre, along with ideas from "New Woman Gothic," challenges the idea that the antagonist is always a villainous father. Instead, it shows that obstacles to Jane’s happiness can come from many sources, such as social class, cultural rules, Bertha Mason, or Rochester himself.

The story of Jane Eyre follows a type of novel called a Bildungsroman, which focuses on a character’s journey to discover their identity and grow. Jane wants to be active in society and refuses to let gender or class stop her. Traditionally, Bildungsroman stories focused on men, but feminist scholars now highlight how women also grow and develop.

In the early 19th century, women in England faced many restrictions, such as the law of coverture, which limited their rights and made them depend on men. While Jane Eyre does not directly address these laws, Jane lives in a society where they exist, which affects how people act and think.

A Bildungsroman does not always follow a straight path. It shows a character’s growth through experiences, often from childhood to adulthood. The story of Jane Eyre is told as an autobiography, beginning when Jane is ten and ending when she is thirty. However, her emotional growth happens over time. For example, her friendship with Helen Burns helps her learn about kindness and loss.

In the 19th century, female Bildungsroman stories often showed a woman’s journey to find her identity, especially in the context of marriage. Jane gains knowledge and experience through her relationships. She learns about love and life before nearly marrying Rochester, gains spiritual and financial understanding while living with St. John, and finally finds happiness with Rochester. Her beliefs about religion also change over time, from her early interactions with Mr. Brocklehurst to her friendship with Helen at Lowood and her later rejection of St. John’s missionary work.

Themes

The novel includes repeated themes about ethnicity, especially related to Bertha, which reflect the society in which the story takes place. Mr. Rochester says he was forced to marry a "mad" Creole woman who grew up in the West Indies and is believed to have mixed racial heritage. Scholars note that Bertha represents the "other" in society, as others believe she followed her parents' choices. Her mental instability is seen as evidence that she cannot control herself and is vulnerable to harmful influences. Many writers of that time thought that people of certain ethnic backgrounds, particularly those with darker skin or not fully European, were more likely to have mental illnesses than white Europeans.

According to Susan Meyer, a scholar, Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre to respond to common 19th-century European ideas that compared white women and Black people to degrade both groups and highlight the need for white male control. Bertha is both a multiracial person and someone who appears to be white, but she is not fully accepted into European society because of her mixed heritage. She is called a Creole woman, which makes her feel like an outsider—neither Black nor fully white.

Unlike Bertha, Jane Eyre is seen as mentally stable from the start because she has a pale complexion and grew up in a European society. Jane is favored by Mr. Rochester early on because she is considered part of a superior ethnic group compared to Bertha. While Jane faces challenges, such as at Lowood Institution, these are not as severe as Bertha's struggles. Both women face suppression from men in their lives, but Jane is viewed positively because of her skin color. Though both are seen as not fitting typical feminine standards of their time, Jane is considered better because she demands respect and uses her skills as a governess, while Bertha is treated as a dangerous person to be locked away.

The novel also clearly references slavery, likely related to North America. Jean Rhys wrote Wide Sargasso Sea, a book about Bertha, which won a literary award in 1967. Rhys explores themes of power and dependence in marriage, showing the painful relationship between a powerful English man and a Creole woman from Dominica who is made powerless through deception. Both characters enter marriage with incorrect assumptions about each other. Rhys tells the story of Bertha, called "The Madwoman in the Attic," from a different perspective than in Jane Eyre.

The idea of gender equality became more visible during the Victorian period in Britain, following earlier works like those by Mary Wollstonecraft. R. B. Martin called Jane Eyre the first major feminist novel, though the book does not show any desire for equality between men and women in politics, law, education, or intellect. This is seen in Chapter 23, when Jane responds to Rochester’s harsh proposal.

The book The Madwoman in the Attic (1979) by S. Gilbert and S. Gubar influenced feminist criticism, as its title refers to Bertha. Feminist critics, like Ellen Moers, say Brontë’s novels are examples of "Female Gothic," showing women’s struggles with being trapped in homes and controlled by men, as well as their attempts to break free. Both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre explore these themes.

Throughout the novel, Jane moves between different social classes based on her life experiences. As a child, she interacts with middle-class people through the Reed family but is not of the same class. At Lowood, she lives with children who pay for school but live in poor conditions. Later, she works as a teacher for the same salary. Jane later becomes a governess, which gives her more money but makes her aware of her uncertain position as someone who teaches a wealthy child. After leaving Thornfield Hall, Jane loses her class identity while traveling. However, she later inherits money, which helps her gain independence.