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Everyone in my family is a big reader. Whether they read all the time or only manage to get through one book in a decade, everyone really loves books, libraries, and bookshelves. So, we had a lot of books in the house that belonged to my parents and not to my sister or me. One of my mother's books was especially eye-catching, although it was so thick that I could not imagine getting through it at only ten years of age. I liked looking through the books on the shelf even when I had no desire to read them, and sometimes I asked Mom what they were about and why she liked to read them. In the same way that she could not quite understand why I loved fantasy stories so much, I could not understand what drew her to historical fiction. We tried now and then over the years to explain, and ended up shrugging our shoulders and getting on with our own genres. Fortunately, she adapted and the whole family read Harry Potter together. As for the book on her shelf that I was curious about, she had a rather interesting answer for what it was.
"Why does this book have gold pages?" I asked, holding it up. The book had a white pleather cover with a profile of a girl on the front with the name Jane Eyre printed below it. The pages were gold-edged so that, when the book was closed, they were solid gold from cover to cover. "Jane Eye-reh?"
"It's pronounced 'Jane Air'," Mom said. "And it has gold pages because it is one of the best books in the world."
For years and years I was convinced that the books that were the most beloved would have the honor of being gilded in gold. I even passed this tidbit of knowledge along to some of my young friends, although I could not really say why the book was good without having read it. Mom said it was a period piece about a strong young woman, but that did not sound very exciting to me. My style of book was always science fiction or high fantasy. Nevertheless, I understood that the best books in the world, the ones that became classics, were usually not located in the sections of the library I visited, especially when I was still hanging out in the children's area.
It was not until high school that I finally read Jane Eyre. Rather than everyone reading one book, my teacher had us break into three groups: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Frankenstein. Interesting as Frankenstein sounded, I chose Jane Eyre as a way to fulfill a goal. To my surprise, I absolutely loved it. The plot is a bit like Beauty and the Beast with all its mystery and unlikely romances. There is also a lot of humor to be found in the pages, which makes the characters feel even more sympathetic.
- Spoilers -
Jane Eyre is the daughter of a woman who chose to leave her wealthier surroundings to marry a poor priest. Unfortunately, both parents died before she could make any memories with them and she was sent to live at Gateshead Hall with her uncle Mr. Reed, who cared for his sister despite her estrangement. On his deathbed, he made his wife Mrs. Reed promise that she would look after Jane as one of the children of the house and she grudgingly accepted, only to tolerate Jane as best she could while doting on her own children: John, Georgina, and Eliza. By the time she is eight, Jane is accustomed to an unhappy life living as the scapegoat, bullied by John, scolded by the servants, and enduring libel from her aunt. The most traumatic incident occurs when she is locked in the "red room," the master bedroom where no one sleeps anymore and where Mr. Reed died. No one listens to her hysterical pleas to be released and Jane faints from fear of imagined ghosts. After this, she lies depressed in bed until the doctor Mr. Lloyd is a called, although not the expensive physician called in to care for Mrs. Reed's little darlings. He is a kindly man and recommends that Jane be sent to school, as life in the house does not seem to suit her. Soon after, Mrs. Reed arranges for a man called Mr. Brocklehurst, proprietor the Lowood girls school, to come have a look at her. He gets along very well with Mrs. Reed, believing that Jane surely is a liar and an evil child, and he assures the mistress of the house that Jane will have the evil beaten from her through strict discipline. Before leaving, Jane has a tender moment with Bessie, the maid who showed her the most kindness despite finding Jane to be very odd. Jane also takes a moment to assure Mrs. Reed that she is a horrible woman and that Jane will never call her aunt again as long as she lives. This speech frightens Mrs. Reed terribly; it is Jane's small victory over her abuser. She happily turns her back on her cousins, aunt, and childhood home.
Jane has high hopes for school, but discovers that Mr. Brocklehurst has decided to make an example of her. He stands her up on a stool and announces to everyone—teachers, staff, pupils of all ages—that is a terribly evil child who lies and should be avoided. The conditions at the school are horrendous; the building is kept cold, the water basins are all shared, and the food is short supply and often burned. Mr. Brocklehurst insists this is good for them, yet his wife and daughters live in comfort with fancy clothes. Jane manages to make a friend named Helen and is comforted by Ms. Temple, the superintendent. Unfortunately, before long the whole school comes down with consumption. Helen dies in Jane's arms and Jane mourns the death of a truly good soul prepared to meet her maker. The silver lining is that this outbreak draws community attention and Mr. Brocklehurst is forced to take a backseat as the conditions are improved. Jane proceeds to spend 10 years at Lowood, two of them as a teacher. She is relatively skilled in English, French, piano, drawing, and a few other subjects.
At this time, Ms. Temple leaves Lowood to get married. Jane no longer has anyone there who means enough to her to keep her there. She imagines the world beyond. So, she puts an advertisement in the paper and waits for anyone to contact her about becoming a governess. After a while, a response comes from a Mrs. Fairfax of Thornfield Hall looking for a governess for a little French girl. Jane proceeds to make her way from Lowood and the region she grew up in to Thornfield Hall, where she learns that the master of the house is a Mr. Edward Rochester who is currently abroad. The child Adele is his ward and is very superficial, but Jane settles into life in the big, empty hall with her and Mrs. Fairfax's company. One day she decides to take a walk, during which she startles a running horse while leaping out of the way. The rider falls and the huge dog barks, and she goes to his aid. The man is not handsome and speaks in a commanding voice, accusing Jane of being a witch or a spirit jumping out at him like something from a folktale. His ankle is hurt, but she gets him back on his horse and he rides off. Upon return to the hall, she discovers that the rider was in fact Mr. Rochester back without warning. He has Jane come sit with him for a time and they discover that his unusual personality and her stubborn nature make for interesting banter and conversation. Neither one is good looking, yet they have active minds. Occasionally he has Jane come speak with him, with or without Adele there.
Up until now Jane has sometimes heard a strange laugh or cry from the top floor, which she has been informed are the cries of Grace Poole, a servant who has bad dreams. Tragedy almost strikes when Jane awakes to hear terrible cackling and goes out into the corridor to see smoke billowing from Mr. Rochester's room. She wakes him up, and together they put out the flames engulfing the bedclothes. He asks her to stay there for a time, and he goes away to the upstairs, coming back down to ask that she say nothing about this incident. The next day, Mr. Rochester is gone, off to a party somewhere, and Mrs. Fairfax is going on about how lucky it is he woke up after falling asleep with a candle lit. Jane attempts to get some information out of Grace Poole, only to feel interrogated herself. She spends her days wondering why Grace Poole will not be thrown out, why Mr. Rochester is so mysterious, and why she is beginning to become very fond of him.
Some months later, Mr. Rochester has Mrs. Fairfax hire extra help from town and clean up the house for guests. He arrives with a dozen rich friends in tow, including Blanche Ingram and family. It is obvious that Blanche is the most beautiful and talented out of everyone, and comes from a respected family on the lookout for a wealthy husband for her. However, Mr. Rochester is not with the group when they arrive, having instead sent ahead an old gypsy woman to tell their fortunes. One by one the women go in, only to come out looking pale or excited. Jane is finally called in, apparently upon the gypsy's insistence. She sits for the palm reading, dodging questions about the master of the house, only to realize after several minutes that it is the man himself dressed in rags! She scolds him and he chuckles over his game, and they go back to their usual arenas. Mr. Rochester spends most of his time with Blanche. It pains Jane to see all this, but she knows her place. Therefore, she is surprised when Mr. Rochester not only has her bring Adele to meet everyone, but has her stay afterward. Jane does needlepoint in the corner while the festivities continue, listening to the Ingram widow's poor opinion of governesses. When she tries to sneak away, Mr. Rochester goes after her and asks her to stay. At the same time, a man arrives at the house by the name of Mason and Mr. Rochester looks as though he has seen a ghost before going to talk with him. That night, the household and guests are woken by a terrible scream. Additionally, Jane hears stomping above her room. Mr. Rochester settles everyone down, telling them it was just a servant having a nightmare. However, he comes to Jane's room a few minutes later to ask for her help, taking her upstairs to where Mr. Mason is laid out and bleeding form the shoulder, both from a knife wound and a bite. Mr. Rochester demands they say nothing to each other while Jane sponges his wounds, then leaves to get the doctor. For hours Jane does so while wondering about the odd sounds coming from behind a heavy door. Mason is taken to the doctor's carriage and taken away, and Mr. Rochester sends Jane to bed.
Not too long after this incident, Jane receives word that her aunt Mrs. Reed is on her deathbed and has been asking about her. Jane informs Mr. Rochester that she will be gone for a time and he insists that she return as soon as she can. At Gateshead, Jane finds that her aunt is in and out of consciousness and sense, but still retains her unloving manner. John is in prison for various things, having squandered the family fortune, while pretty Georgina is on the hunt for a wealthy husband and Eliza is making plans to become a nun. None of them are there for Mrs. Reed, so Jane is there, having decided to forgive her aunt for the terrible things she did. Before Mrs. Reed dies, it comes to light that she received word that Jane was once asked after by an uncle from her father's side, something her aunt vindictively hid from her. After Mrs. Reed dies, Jane helps settle affairs, then returns home, feeling that it no longer matters after several years who was asking after her and why.
Jane tries to come to terms with the fact that Mr. Rochester will probably marry Ms. Ingram. He takes her for a stroll in the garden, as he often does, and discusses the matter with her, asking what she will do if he were to marry. She tells him that she will become a governess elsewhere when Adele goes off to school, as surely a lady like Blanche would prefer to have the house to herself rather than have a child running around. Mr. Rochester pushes her until she finally admits that not to be with him will be terrible, while it will mean so little to him whether she is there or not. He denies this, and asks Jane to marry him, going on about making your own morals. Jane is too happy to really take to heart any of his ramblings, as he always rambles on about something. She is more concerned about the fact that he used Blanche to make her jealous, then spread a rumor that he may not be as rich as everyone thinks, after which the Ingram family became cold towards him. That night a storm blows in and a tree is split by lightning. Is it an omen?
Mr. Rochester immediately sets about planning the wedding, wanting it to happen as quickly as possible. He ignores all surprised and horrified reactions to his marriage to the far younger, far poorer, completely unknown Jane Eyre. Even when Adele asks questions, he comes back with ridiculous answers about how they will live together on the moon, away from all societal nonsense. He treats Jane as something of a doll, trying to put her lavish clothes of bright colors. He continues to think of her as his "little friend." The wedding day comes and Jane finds herself blissfully at the altar, when suddenly a lawyer and Mr. Mason come bursting in to announce that Mr. Rochester is already married! Looking like a man beaten down by life (more than usual), Mr. Rochester takes them all back to the house with Jane still in her wedding gown. In the attic he shows them Bertha, his mentally ill and terribly violent and disturbed wife, sister to Mr. Mason. Jane discovers that she was the one to attack Mr. Mason so viciously, that she is the one who screams and cackles at night. He has tried to do well by her, installing Grace Poole as caretaker while fleeing to Paris and other places rather than stay at home. The wedding is off.
Jane makes a drastic choice thereafter: she will leave Thornfield Hall. She takes her few belongings and what she has received of her first year's salary, and goes to town. She takes a carriage as far as she can, but loses her money and luggage in the process. For some time, Jane wanders the English countryside, begging in the streets of towns, reminding herself to stay away from the man she loves. Eventually she ends up in a small community where the local clergyman named St. John (SIN-jin) Rivers and his sisters Diana and Mary learn more about her and help her get set up as a school teacher. She lives comfortably in their company until St. John proposes marriage to her. He plans to become a missionary in India and Rosamond, the woman he loves, is not a suitable missionary's wife while Jane is. She refuses marriage, but says she will go to India. A revelation comes around this same time, as it turns out that Jane's father was St. John, Diana, and Mary's uncle, making them cousins. Their father left her his fortune, meaning that Jane is now a lady of fairly good social standing.
Jane then thinks she hears her darling Edward calling her name and she becomes determined to return to Thornfield Hall, if for no other reason than to bid that dead romance goodbye. It turns out that the hall has burned down, for Bertha set it ablaze. In his attempt and failure to save his deranged wife from jumping off the roof, Mr. Rochester was caught in the crumbling building, losing one hand and his eyesight. She goes to the smaller house he now lives in, and the two reunite. He apologizes for ever making her feel lesser, for now he is hideous. She assures him that it was never his money or good looks that made her fall in love with him. In the last few pages, Jane relates that Edward eventually recovered enough eyesight to see their son when he was born and that her cousin St. John died in India living the life he felt called to.
Why is Jane Eyre such a good read? In my opinion, the ending is what really makes the whole book. It is the characters' reward for going through so much hardship and heartache. Although Mr. Rochester wanted to do the unthinkable by marrying a second woman, it came from his intense love for Jane as well as his knowledge that he would never be able to have a true relationship with Bertha. He says that he was tricked into the marriage when he was young, while she barely showing signs of sickness. He is much older than Jane, yet she stimulates his mind and he trusts her completely. Unfortunately, for much of the book, these feelings are mixed with his high and mighty perspective as a wealthy man with power over a young woman in his employment. He plays with Jane quite a lot before proposing, making it seem as though he really will marry another woman. His desire is to hear her say that she loves him back, but he gets her to say it through manipulation. And when they are planning the marriage, he does not seem to see the real Jane, getting too caught up in his fantasies about a blissful wealthy life together. Even if you ignore how suspicious many of his words are in regards to making his own morals, this part of the book is not comfortable. It seems like Jane gets pushed around by expectations. The reveal of the mentally ill wife is horrifying, yet there is some relief to be had as Jane frees herself, however awkwardly, from Mr. Rochester's influence by fleeing across the moors. It all felt like it was the wrong time and the wrong intentions. Jane's pain throughout the book is palpable as she avoids looking like she is watching Mr. Rochester and makes difficult decisions for herself at a young age, old soul or not. Her stubbornness keeps her going, keeps her working, keeps her alive, and keeps her from falling into the temptations of an ungodly union outside of wedlock. (We are talking about a different time. The boundaries of society are really felt throughout the story.) When Jane finally learns that she has living family that cares for her and that she has more than enough money to live a good life, there is relief. When she discovers that Mr. Rochester has fallen from his high horse, there is joy. She has been raised up by circumstance, and he has been brought down. She has gained confidence and he has learned humility, and they can now be the couple they were meant to be. It truly feels like a union between people prepared to be equals, rather than one always looking up and the other down, possibly straining their necks until the relationship fell to ruins. And the best part is that everything in the book feels like it served a purpose, like it could not have happened any other way. In that way, it is a very Christian book, or at least a book about fate, and it feels good to see it all pay off in the end.
As for the film adaptations, there are quite a few, so you will have to Google for yourself which one fits your vision of the book.
Picture found on Google Images.
