Who is Jane Eyre? Jane Eyre was an orphan, typical of many in the days of the 1800s. Although she is a fictional character in the Charlotte Bronte novel, Jane Eyre, her plight was all too common.
Jane Eyre’s mother was Jane Reid who was from a wealthy family who lived in Gateshead, England. She was disowned by her family because she fell in love with a Clergyman who was poor. When she married, her family refused to know her.
Times were harsh in those days but as a family, they were happy. Jane’s father was one of three children. He had a brother John who became a merchant in Madeira and a sister who also later married and had children of her own. John Eyre features to a small degree in Jane Eyre as it is he who leaves his fortune to Jane.
Jane’s parents lived their lives in their community looking after the people in their parish. In time they had a child, a baby girl whom they named Jane. However, the story changed for Jane as while she was still an infant, both her parents died suddenly.
Who Is Jane Eyre?
It was then that her life started to change. Her mother’s brother, who had opposed the family disowning his sister, sent for the baby and meant to love her and rear her as his own in his family home with his wife and three children.
However, he also took ill and died but before his death he made his wife promise to care for his niece Jane Eyre as their own children. However, Mrs. Reid disliked Jane Eyre and after ten years sought to send her to a charity school for poor children. Here Jane was expected to obtain an education of sorts and become useful in service to others.
It was never intended by Mrs. Reid that Jane would have a happy or successful life. She just wanted to put her away where she would not bother her anymore.
However, in time, Jane finished her education and became a governess to Mr. Rochester’s ward. She worked hard and later took her place in society, but not before many up and downs in her life that were no fault of her own, but the result of her interaction with her family and others with whom she came into contact. Through the eyes of Jane Eyre we get to see a glimpse of society as it was in the 1800s and how Society and the poor fared in their private lives and in the business world of the day.
The second part of Jane Eyre covers her growing love of Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester is not quite what he seems however. The revelation that his first wife is still alive and living in Thornfield Hall devastates Jane and she leaves Mr. Rochester.
She eventually returns about a year later having mysteriously heard the call of the now stricken Mr. Rochester. They marry quietly and have a son together.
