Chapter 8

Summary

After school ends, Jane goes into a corner and cries stormily. Helen tries to calm her down by saying that if Jane is good, it does not matter what others think. Jane tries to explain that she is upset because she wants people to love her. Helen chastises her for thinking too much of “the love of human beings” (75). They agree to disagree, I suppose, and hug. Miss Temple comes along and invites them to have tea with her. Jane explains her childhood to Miss Temple, who promises to investigate the matter and have Jane’s reputation cleared. This means that she will talk to Mr. Lloyd and confirm that Jane is not a liar. Jane is put at ease, and the two girls enjoy some seed cake given to them by the kind Miss Temple as they sit in her office. By the questions that Miss Temple asks Helen and Jane’s description of her behavior, it can be inferred that Helen is sick and Miss Temple is worried about her.  As they converse, Jane observes Helen blooming under the kind attention and becoming beautiful in her earnestness. When the girls leave, Miss Temple cries precisely one tear for Helen, and sighs mysteriously.

The next day, the shrewish Miss Scatcherd makes Helen wear a band around her head saying ‘slattern,’ referring to her supposed sloppiness. Helen takes it calmly, but Jane rips it off in anger as soon as school gets out. The next week, Miss Temple announces before the whole school that Jane is innocent of all charges made by Brocklehurst, and the teachers and girls are glad. Grateful for the chance to start afresh, Jane puts her heart and soul into schoolwork and does very well, becoming a model student.

Reaction

Again, I agree with Jane’s vengeful view rather than Helen’s view. Peace is nice, but doing something is better than passivity, in my humble opinion. Helen is a tragic character because she hides her sorrows, yet is hardly rewarded for her behavior. In fact, her illness and Miss Temple’s single dramatic tear lead me to believe she will probably die. Helen is Jane’s sole attachment to Lowood, so she must be gone for Jane to be able to leave. And leave Jane must, since, as readers should know, she leaves the school and ends up at a place called Thornfield. No, that’s not a spoiler, it’s on the back cover. One thing I must say is that the actual syllabus at Lowood seems much easier than at a modern day high school. I mean, she is promoted to art class and French, which are electives for us. She pretty much has none of our core subjects, lucky duck.