Sezim Karyppaeva

Analysis of “ Jane Eyre” chapters 1-3

Plot and structure:

Even though the novel is divided into chapters, all plot structure is connected with meaning and smooth
act changing. At Mrs. Reed's house, Jane was raised as an orphan. It is a cloud of a straightforward
nature, it is not necessarily with the children of Mrs. Reed - Eliza, John and Georgiana - and often spent
time alone.

An action began at the house of Reed family, Jane, hiding behind a heavy curtain, read a book about
birds. John Reed, who said nothing, but interrupting and calling her, slapped very hardly. Girl rushed at
the offender, but they were separated by Mrs. Reed, who ordered to take the brawler to the Red Room. It
was a terrible punishment - Mr. Reed, uncle of Jane, died in the Red Room. She remembers her kind
Uncle Reed bringing her to Gateshead after her parents’ death, and she recalls his dying command that his
wife promise to raise Jane as one of her own. Suddenly, Jane is struck with the impression that her Uncle
Reed’s ghost is in the room, and she imagines that he has come to take revenge on his wife for breaking
her promise. Jane cries out in terror, but her aunt believes that she is just trying to escape her punishment,
and she ignores her pleas and after she lost consciousness. Than later she woke up and finds herself in her
own bedroom, in the care of Mr. Lloyd, the family’s kind apothecary. Bessie Lee, their servant was also
there and show with expression that she was unsatisfied with her behavior. Unwilling to mess with a
painful and such a bad girl, Mrs. Reed decided that it was time to identify Jane at school. Jane is
cautiously excited at the possibility of leaving Gateshead. Before she overhears a dialogue between Mrs.
Abbot and Mrs. Bessie, two servants of Mrs. Reed and learns more history about her life. Jane’s mother
was a member of the wealthy Reed family, which strongly disapproved of Jane’s father, an impoverished
churchman. When they married, Jane’s wealthy maternal grandfather wrote his daughter out of his will.
Not long after Jane was born, Jane’s parents died from typhus, which Jane’s father contracted while
caring for the poor.

Characters and Narrator:

The narrator and at the same time the main character, protagonist is Jane Eyre. She is the central character
of all the story, through whose body and eyes we see all story from the beginning, till the end. After
reading 3 chapters, I can say that she is smart, powerful, fighting for justice and person with strong inner
world. There are several Janes in the story and it the first two chapters we see the young girl Jane, who for
the first time show her real face. We hear everything from Eyre’s point of view and like listening
something a kind of autobiography.

Mrs. Reed is a cruel aunt of Jane, who raises her after death of her own parents. She thinks that the girl is
too pushy and bad tempered for what she treats her very badly and punishes constantly. Later on she
decides to send her to the school to get rid of the difficulties of upbringing the child.

Bessie Lee is the servant at Gateshead and is the only person, who is very kind and warm toward poor
girl. She always tells her stories, sings for her and is the only person with whom Jane Eyre takes leave of,
before driving to school.
Georgiana Reed, Eliza Reed, John Reed are the children of Mrs. Reed. They appear as spoiled, bad
tempered and as cruel as his mother. They constantly bully little girl and make troubles. Jane Eyre, who
patiently waited all the time, this time in burst of anger heats John and then was punished for that.

Mr. Lloyd is the Reeds’ apothecary, who suggests that Jane be sent away to school. Always kind to Jane,
Mr. Lloyd writes a letter to Miss Temple confirming Jane’s story about her childhood and clearing Jane
of Mrs. Reed’s charge that she is a liar.

Setting:

Writing skills of Charlotte Bronte developed during the years of the most acute class struggle in England,
during the years of Chartism, which stirred up the widest strata English people. This powerful movement
was caused by lawlessness and poverty working class and that treachery. So the novel “ Jane Eyre” is
written also in that times and setting in the chapter 1-3 is the house of Mrs. Reed where she as a young
girl was trapped in Gateshead. This sprawling house is almost her whole world. Jane has been here for
most of her ten years. Her life as a child is sharply defined by the walls of the house. She is not made to
feel wanted within them and continues throughout the novel to associate Gateshead with the emotional
trauma of growing up under its pressure from all house livers. At the middle of second chapter we can see
also the red room, where her uncle died and at the end of third chapter we see that Jane is moving to the
school.

Theme:

Even though we have not yet seen full picture of the novel I can say that first theme is a power of justice.
Jane Eyre a small girl, who have strength to get the justice and fight for it. We see that even if Mrs. Reeds
was cruel toward her she tried to be kind. Her inner world makes me feel proud of her and I am sure later
everything will be ok and that girl is ready to stand for her. Another theme could be cruelty of people,
there in the very first chapters we see that even little boy John beating and slapping poor girl for what
even was not punished. The novel shows, that cruelty of people sometimes can make scary things and
hurt people’s feelings.

Style:

Jane Eyre - a socio-psychological upbringing novel. Consistently revealing the spiritual evolution of the
heroine, telling about the formation of a solid, proud and strong character of Jane. The novel is often
called autobiographical, although the faces and events depicted in it are not directly related to the life of
the author. The life story of Jen Eyre is the fruit of fiction, but the world of her inner experiences is, of
course, close to S. Bronte and although Bronte herself, unlike her heroine, who from early childhood
knew all the bitterness of orphanage and other people's bread, grew up in a large family, surrounded by
her brother and sisters - artistic natures. She lived longer than all her family and died at the age of 38
without knowing what is marriage and happiness of life.

Symbols:

In these three chapters we can find only one symbol “The Red Room”, which must overcome in her
struggles to find freedom, happiness, and a sense of belonging. The room seems to her as prison, but even
after going out from there she feels that she is trapped financially and is excluded from family love, which
makes her a bit brave and after she heard she is going to school she was very happy, that she will find
new place to start new life. So this room is a kind of turning point and symbol of change and her hard life.