Chapter 11

Summary

Jane waits for the carriage that is to bring her to Thornfield outside a hotel. When it arrives, she is relieved when she notices the plainness of the servant and ride. She doesn’t want to live with rich, snobby folks. When they reach Thornfield, they are greeted by a little old lady named Mrs. Fairfax, who is very polite and sweet to an astonished Jane. She finds out that her pupil is named Miss Varens. Mrs. Fairfax bids Jane goodnight and shows her into her small but comfortable room. Although the house is dark and depressing, Jane is delighted at the kindness of Mrs. Fairfax, who she supposes to be her employer. She thanks God for her good fortune and falls asleep.

When Jane wakes up, she looks for something to wear. Jane knows she isn’t pretty, but tries to look nice. She wishes she was taller and had a better figure and a nicer nose. Instead of moping though, she tries to make sure she is at least neat and clean. When she is satisfied that she looks pleasant enough, she goes down to meet Miss Varens. Jane meets Mrs. Fairfax on the way, and discovers that the good lady is not the owner of Thornfield at all, but the housekeeper. Jane feels even better now that she knows that Mrs. Fairfax’s kindness is genuine, not condescending. A man named Mr. Rochester is the owner, and Miss Varens is his “ward” (112). She then meets her pupil, Adèle Varens. Adèle is glad that Jane speaks French and chatters away about her voyage from France, where she had lived until her mother died. The talkative little girl sings a song for Jane, but Jane thinks that the song, clearly meant for a woman to sing, does not suit a little girl. Adèle turns out to be intelligent, but not hardworking. Jane plans to get her accustomed to work gradually.

Later, Jane asks Mrs. Fairfax about Mr. Rochester. She learns that he visits only occasionally, and is a strange man, yet has a good character. Jane explores the gigantic house, asking questions all the while as Mrs. Fairfax does her best to answer them. She reaches the third story, of which Mrs. Fairfax says, “one would almost say that, if there were a ghost at Thornfield, this would be its haunt” (118). As she walks around, she hears a strange, deep, melancholy laugh. Mrs. Fairfax scolds a middle-aged servant named Grace Poole for the noise. Jane notices that Grace is plain and redheaded. Then the old lady changes the subject. Adèle runs up to them and calls them for dinner in French, and they all go to eat.

Reaction

The part about Jane’s appearance is very relatable, and I liked the glimpse of her insecurities. In addition, Adèle seems amusing, though she talks too much. I wonder what Mrs. Fairfax means by ‘ward.’ Is Adèle Mr. Rochester’s daughter, or not? Adèle also talks in French sometimes, and Brontë, worryingly, doesn’t translate. So far, I can guess what she means by the context clues, but I hope she sticks to English for the rest of the novel, because though I do know ‘bonjour,’ I’m not too swell at French. Oh, and this chapter had the quotation on the back cover! About the creepy laugh, I’m going to guess that there is a ghost, and it’s not Grace Poole.