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. 

Chapter 10

Summary

Jane skips eight years in her narrative, explaining to us that they were uninteresting. She was an excellent student – the best in her class – and graduated to teach at Lowood for two years. In addition, the conditions at Lowood improved for those eight years, because the outbreak of illness caused an investigation in which the deplorable conditions were revealed to the public, and new management changed it for the better. After Jane’s two years of teaching, Miss Temple marries and leaves. Now, Jane has no reason to continue at Lowood, and after a night of thinking, decides to advertise as a governess to get a job. A woman named Mrs. Fairfax replies to the advertisement and offers Jane a job at a large house called Thornfield. Her pay will be “thirty pounds per annum” (97) – which is about 50 dollars per year in a modern conversion. After tedious back-and-forth permission letters, Jane is given formal permission to work at Thornfield. While Jane is waiting to leave for Thornfield, guess who shows up to visit? Bessie!

Bessie is now married, and has two kids – she named the girl after Jane, aww. The two reunite joyfully and catch up. Apparently, the Reed family is not very happy nowadays. John Reed misbehaves a lot and makes Mrs. Reed very anxious and upset. Georgiana almost eloped, but Eliza stopped her and now the sisters hate each other. Jane then tells Bessie about Lowood. After hearing about Jane’s experience, Bessie concludes that Jane is still not beautiful, but is accomplished, ladylike, and talented. She tells Jane that a man named Mr. Eyre stopped by about a year after Jane left. He was in a hurry, so was not able to visit Lowood, but he talked to Mrs. Reed, who was rude to him. Mr. Eyre was Jane’s uncle and wanted to see her. His visit proves that Jane’s family is “gentry” (102) as much as the Reed family is. Bessie and Jane talk about good times for a while longer, but Jane then has to get going to Thornfield, so the two women part amiably.

Reaction

This is another transition chapter, this time between Lowood and Thornfield. Jane skipping eight years in the narrative does not throw me off balance though, because Jane’s important scenes and character development at Lowood were already done. I liked seeing her initiative and independence in getting a job. In the Victorian era, nursing, being a governess, and writing were pretty much the only socially acceptable jobs for women, so Jane’s best option was applying for the position of governess in a rich household. Most intriguing of all was Bessie’s news about Mr. Eyre dropping by seven years ago – why has he never visited before, and why hasn’t he visited again?

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?  

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. 

Chapter 7

Summary

Jane tells us about the harsh life the Lowood girls lead. Now that it is winter, the girls suffer from insufficient clothing to protect them from the bitterly cold weather, and they still do not have enough food to be healthy. Sundays are the worst; the girls must walk in the snow to church and back, and suffer through long sermons. Anyone who fails to pay attention to the sermon is punished. Worst of all, Mr. “I’m a hypocritical preachy dude” Brocklehurst soon shows up for a visit. Yes, the same man I refused to blog about a few chapters ago, the overseer of Lowood. At first, he takes no notice of Jane, and instead finds fault with the school in general. He objects to the meal of bread and cheese that Miss Temple handed out because he thinks proper meals are earthly pleasures. Miss Temple is disgusted, but she must obey him. Ol’ Brockles, having lost what little reason he might possess, goes on to demand that the girls cut off all their hair. The man actually claims that “vanity itself might have woven” (69) the girls’ plain buns and they need to be removed. 

Then, Jane unfortunately happens to drop her slate, calling attention to herself. Brocklehurst, recognizing her, makes good on his promise to tell the school about Jane’s supposed immorality. He tells the girls that Jane is in cohorts with the devil, and is a liar. To top it all off, he makes her stand in front of the school until class is dismissed. Finally, Brocklehurst leaves the school. Jane is rendered mortified and miserable by the false accusation and her ruined reputation, but Helen comforts her subtly by smiling at her whenever she passes by.

Reaction

I told you guys that Mr. Brocklehurst is evil. But I know what his problem is. He’s jealous! He must be balding or something, because he sure is fixated on the girls’ hair. In addition, the part about Helen smiling is confusing at first. Jane refers to Helen as “a girl” (72) and then talks about her as if she is a stranger for a line or two. It is very poetic, but I had a moment of confusion – seriously, read it. But the last sentence is awesome; want some ice for that burn, Miss Scatcherd?

Chapter 6

Summary

The next day, Jane realizes that life at Lowood is harsh. The girls are not given enough food, and made to work at exacting standards. Miss Scatcherd continues to target Helen unfairly for reprimand, and even hits her with a bundle of twigs for an imagined fault. Jane makes friends with Helen, and asks her why she submits to her punishments so meekly. Helen is a selfless, pious girl, and advocates accepting injustice peacefully as part of life, and looking to God for justice. Jane, on the other hand cannot accept injustice, and believes that one should fight for their rights. Jane tells Helen about her miserable experience with the Reeds, but Helen advises forgiving them and moving on. Jane does not agree with passivity, but she respects and admires Helen’s quiet nobility.

Reaction

Yeah, the summary was very short, but that is because the chapter was mainly about Helen’s life viewpoint. While I think Helen is an amazingly brave and noble girl, I think more like Jane. I am all for fighting – for a good cause of course, and think that if you don’t fight for what you want, you won’t get it. Helen could easily be a tiresome saint of a character, but again she is saved by her conversations with Jane. She is at first humorously blunt when answering Jane’s insane amount of questions, and admits her realistic faults. My prediction in the last chapter about Helen is correct – she clearly is one of the ‘good guys.’

Chapter 5

Summary

In the morning, Jane gets ready to go to her new school, Lowood. She is too excited to eat, so Bessie bustles about, getting her ready. Jane tells Bessie that Mrs. Reed visited her at night again to coax her into being grateful to have lived with the Reeds, but Jane ignored her. Bessie and Jane embrace and bid farewell to each other, and Jane sets off in a coach for the fifty-mile journey. The ride is long, and it passes in a blur until Jane falls asleep. She is woken up when they reach the school, and a kind woman questions Jane and then sends her off with Miss Miller, an under-teacher. There is a meal served to the girls, who are dressed very plainly, but Jane is again too excited to eat anything. She then falls into her bed, exhausted, and sleeps.

The girls are woken up by a bell very early in the morning, and Jane notices the poverty and insufficiency of the school for the first time. Breakfast is nauseating – burnt porridge, and despite the girls’ hunger, they cannot eat much. Jane observes that the girls at Lowood look like Quakers, with their painfully plain attire, hair, and belongings. The woman who first talked to Jane, Miss Temple, is the superintendent and turns out to be awesome. She gives the whole school a meal of bread and cheese to make up for the disgusting breakfast. The girls then go out to the garden. Jane decides to talk to a girl named Helen Burns, who explains to Jane that Lowood is a charity school. Mrs. Reed only sent Jane to Lowood because it is so cheap. Helen is punished by a fussy teacher named Miss Scatcherd who seems to hate her for no reason. Jane admires how bravely Helen faces the humiliation of standing in front of the school in disgrace.

Reaction

This chapter transitions between the Reeds and Lowood, so more interesting chapters can be set up. Lowood is certainly better than the wretched Reed household is, because Jane at least gets to meet new people. Bessie was cool though, even though she eats bunnies. Speaking of eating, the food over at Lowood is terrible; their idea of a feast is bread and cheese. I predict that Miss Scatcherd will be pretty much the new Miss Abbot, and Miss Temple and Helen Burns will be the ‘good’ characters in Lowood. Am I right?