Chapter 9

Summary

Life at Lowood gets better in the spring. Almost half of the girls get very sick due to the poor conditions at school, so the healthy members of school have much more freedom and food than usual. Jane hangs out with Mary Ann Wilson, a funny, original, and entertaining girl who could “reciprocate any racy and pungent gossip” (85) that Jane can think of. Jane assures us that she knows Mary Ann is an inferior companion to Helen, but Helen is sick. Jane hears that Helen has consumption, but does not know how serious tuberculosis is. One night, Jane thinks about life and death, and realizes that Helen is seriously sick and in danger of perishing soon. Since the nurse won’t let her in, she shows more of her pluckiness and breaks into Helen’s sickroom. Helen confirms that she is going to die, and the two girls snuggle in Helen’s bed. The dying girl tells Jane that she believes in God, and is not sorry to die. Jane questions all of Helen’s assertions in her head, but does not voice her doubts about heaven and God. The girls fall asleep after saying goodnight affectionately. Jane wakes up in the nurse’s arms; she is being carried away because Helen died during the night. Present-day Jane implies that she set up a grave for Helen fifteen years later, with Helen’s name and the word “Resurgam” (90) inscribed in it.

Reaction

I don’t know if I like the implications about friendship in this chapter. Helen is an amazing, true, and noble friend to Jane, but Mary Ann is no less worthy. Jane mentions that she and Mary Ann get along very well because their personalities mesh, and Jane and Helen get along because of mutual respect and affection. As long as people love each other, their friendship is true, in my opinion. Also, what do Mary Ann and Jane gossip about? I’m curious. Anyway, Helen’s death makes this chapter extremely poignant. It also marks the end of Jane’s childhood. The scene with the girls hugging each other right before Helen’s death is so cute that Helen’s peaceful death is shocking and upsetting. However, Jane never mentions feeling any grief. I think that Jane does not mourn because Helen accepts death and asks Jane to be happy. In addition, I looked up the word Jane puts on Helen’s grave, ‘resurgam,’ and it means, “I shall rise again” in Latin. Like a phoenix?