Chapter 2

Summary

Jane fights Miss Abbot and Bessie as they carry her to the red-room and protests when they berate her for her ‘shameful’ conduct. When they get her to the room, they start to tie her up and only refrain when Jane suddenly subsides in a panic. Then they discuss her in unflattering terms to her face, reminding her that she is a charity case and owes the Reeds for their generosity. Jane tells us that everyone in the household constantly reminds her of her dependence. Bessie seems to like Jane a bit more than Miss Abbot does. The ever-charming Miss Abbot decides it would be appropriate to frighten Jane by talking of God striking her down and monsters coming to grab her before her and Bessie leave Jane alone in the room. 

Poor Jane describes the coldness and eeriness of the room, which is where Mr. Reed died. She reflects on the unjustness of her punishment and life: Eliza Reed is respected despite her selfishness; Georgiana is adored for her beauty despite her rotten attitude, and the wimpy bully John is loved by his doting mom. Jane has a bout of justified self-pity, wondering why life is so miserable. Jane thinks that if she were more attractive and amiable, the Reeds would treat her better. She begins to think about Mr. Reed, and how he liked her when he was alive, and the possibility of a ghost coming to avenge Mrs. Reed ignoring Mr. Reed’s last wish –to treat Jane as a daughter. She sees a strange light and becomes so scared that she screams and rattles the locked door handle. Bessie and Miss Abbot come over, and while Bessie lets Jane take her hand, Miss Abbot is disgusted with Jane and thinks that she screamed for attention. Mrs. Reed comes in and voices her disgust as well, ignoring Jane’s pleas to be let out, and extending her confinement by an hour. The panic-stricken girl faints when the women leave.

Reaction

Jane’s sense of being wronged comes out strongly in this chapter, and it is hard not to agree with her. Miss Abbot is another detestable character, and her lack of empathy is astounding. Bessie seems to have softened; she could be a potential ally for Jane despite her harshness. It must be terrible for poor Jane to be berated for fighting back against such unfairness, especially since I think I would be more violent than Jane is. Jane’s childish fear of Mr. Reed’s ghost is understandable, and provides yet another opportunity for the adults in the house to show their ridiculous lack of compassion. She again just escapes being a cliché abused-orphan character by her delightfully vindictive hope for Mrs. Reed to be punished by a ghost. As a reader, I hope that Mr. Reed’s ghost will appear and punch his whole family in the face for me in an epic slow motion scene. Is that asking too much?