Jane Eyre

Chapter 1

1. Why did Jane live at Gateshead with the Reeds who hated her?
Jane’s parents were dead so her uncle, Mr Reed, had taken her into his care. He
himself died soon and left her with his wife and children who didn’t like her at all.
2. Why did Jane not sit in the drawing room with the Reeds?
Because The Reeds didn’t like her company and John always bullied her. So she
preferred to read a book in the window seat.
3. Why did Jane suffer at Gateshead?
Mrs. Reed was cruel to her. She didn’t treat her kindly. John Reed was always
bullying her.
4. Describe John Reed and why Jane was afraid of him?
He was a schoolboy of fourteen. He was tall. He used to eat too much and he had
flabby cheeks, He hated Jane. He always caused her trouble and bullied her.
5. Describe the Red Room
The red room was Mr. Reed’s. He died in that same room and nobody ever slept in it
for nine years. It was deserted, cold, dark and silent. Everything in the room was dark
red. Jane thought that Mr. Reed’s ghost might come again to his room.
6. “You have no right to take our books.” Comment
John Reed said this to Jane when he discovered she was reading on of their books.
He told her she didn’t belong to the house and she had no right in it.
7. Why did Aunt Reed lock Jane in The Red Room?
She didn’t see that John annoyed Jane. She only saw her when she attacked John.
She always blamed Jane so she decided to lock her in the fearful red room as a
punishment.
8. “Go and tell mother she’s run out into the rain” Comment
John Reed said this to his sister Eliza when at first, they didn’t find Jane in the room.
John thought that Jane had run into the rain
9. “Take her away to the red room and lock her in there” Comment
Mrs. Reed said this to the maids when she saw the fight between Jane and John. Mrs.
Reed was blind to John’s bad behaviour. She didn’t see Jane’s bleeding head. So she
decided to lock the girl in the fearful red room.
10. “You cruel boy! You’re like a murderer.” Comment
Jane said this to John Reed when he hit her with the book. She attacked him like a
mad cat. John Reed was the cause of all her troubles at Gateshead.
11. Why did Jane Scream wildly while trying to open the door of the red room?
Besides all her fears of the gloomy dark room, Jane suddenly saw something against
the wall just as she was thinking of Mr. Reed’s ghost. She was filled with horror. She
screamed and tried to get out of the room but it was locked.

Chapter 2

1. Who was the man in black? Why did he come to Gateshead?

He was Mr. Brocklehurst – the owner of Lowood School. He came to see Jane, the
naughty and wicked girl, whom Aunt Reed wanted to send away to school.
2. What did Jane beg her aunt for? What was her aunt’s reply?
She begged her to let her out of the Red Room and punish her some other way. Her
aunt decided to lock her in the red room for an hour longer.
3. Why did Dr. Lloyd come to examine Jane?
Jane was sick and Dr. Lloyd came to see what was wrong with her and why she was
so much frightened.
4. Why did Jane feel miserable?
She was an orphan and nobody was kind to her. John always bullied her and told her
she had no right to live with them. Her aunt was cruel to her and treated her badly
and unequally to her children.
5. Why was Jane sure her Aunt would send her to school soon?
Jane was sure that her Aunt would send her to school soon because she hated her
and she could hardly bear to look at her.
6. How was Christmas different for Jane than it was for the Reeds?
The Reed children had presents, dinners and evening parties, but Jane was given
none of that. Aunt Reed had ordered that Jane should be kept alone in the nursery
away from her children.
7. “That proves you have a wicked heart” Comment
Mr. Brocklehurst said this to Jane when she told him she would try to avoid death
and she wouldn’t go to hell. He didn’t understand her childish nature. He was sure
that she was a sinful girl with a wicked heart.
8. What did Jane’s answers prove to Mr. Brocklehurst?
It proved to him that Jane was a wicked girl just as her aunt had described her in the
letter, she had sent him earlier.
9. How did Jane describe Mr. Brocklehurst?
He was dressed in black from head to foot, and seemed as tall as a column. His face
was like a carved mask. His eyes were grey, under a pair of bushy eyebrows. His voice
was deep and frightening.
10. “Well, Jane Eyre, Are you a good child” Comment
Mr. Brocklehurst said this to Jane when he came to see her at Gateshead. He asked
her some questions to make sure of Aunt Reed’s complaints about her. Jane didn’t
reply to that question because she didn’t know how to answer.
11. How did Jane feel when Aunt Reed asked Mr. Brocklehurst to take her to
Lowood? Why did she feel that way?
Jane’s heart almost stopped with joy when she heard this. Her only thought was that
she would soon be sent away to start a new life in a new place away from Gateshead
with all its people who hated her.