Jane Eyre Chapters 1-10 Summaries

Chapter 1: The novel begins on a ‘drear November day’ at the Reed’s family home, Gateshead. The orphan Jane Eyre is sitting alone reading Bewick’s ‘History of British Birds’. Jane’s aunty, Mr’s Reed has forbidden Jane to play with Eliza, Georginna and John. John bullies Jane as he see’s her as a lowly orphan and not a relative of his. John hurls a book at Jane, causing her to lose her temper and fights with John. Mr’s Reed blames Jane for the whole incident and sends her to the ‘red room’, the room in which her Uncle Reed died.

Chapter 2: Miss Abbott and Bessie take Jane to the red room, with Jane resisting them. Once she is locked in the room, Jane catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror, shocked by her appearance she begins to reflect on the events that have brought her here. She remembers her Uncle Reed, who was kind to her, bringing her to Gateshead to live with him and his family once her parents had died. She also remembers Uncle Reed’s dying wish, that his wife, Mrs Reed raise Jane as her own. Jane then is under the impression that her Uncle Reed’s ghost is present, come to take his revenge on his wife for breaking her promise. Jane becomes truly terrified and cries out to Mrs Reed to let her out, but she insists that she is just trying to escape punishment. Jane then faints out of fear.

Chapter 3: When Jane wakes, she finds herself in the care of Mr. Lloyd, the servants apothecary. Jane remains in bed the day after this and Bessie sings her song. Mr. Lloyd talks with Jane about her life, suggesting to Mrs Reed that she be sent away to school to be educated. Jane becomes excited about the idea of leaving Gateshead. Jane then learns more of her history when she overhears a conversation between the two servants, Miss Abbott and Bessie. Jane discovers that Jane’s mother was a member of the Reed family although, they disagreeable with Jane’s mothers choice in a husband. When they married Jane’s grandfather wrote his daughter out of his will. This was as Jane’s father was a clergyman.

Chapter 4: Roughly two months have passed since the red room incident and Jane is getting crueller treatment from Mrs Reed and her children, whilst she is waiting for the arrangements to be made about going to school. Jane is then told that she will be able to attend Lowood, school for girl’s, and she is introduced to Mr Brocklehurst, who runs the school who asks Jane abrasively questions on religion, reacting when Jane declares that she is not interested by the psalms. Mrs Reed warns Mr Brocklehurst that Jane is a liar, information that he intends to use against Jane. Jane is hurt by these accusations and seems to concede defeat not being able to stand up for herself. After this, Bessie the servant tells Jane that she prefers her to the Reed children.

Chapter 5: After four days, Jane travels by coach alone at 6 A.M to Lowood. When she arrives, it is a dark and rainy day and Jane is led through the equally dark and grim building that will be Jane’s new home. The next day, Jane meets her classmates and begins to learn the daily routine, that keeps the pupils occupied between dawn and dinner. Jane is introduced to the superintendent of Lowood, Miss Temple, who is very kind whilst Miss Scatcherd, one of Jane’s teachers is the opposite. Jane soon becomes friends with Helen Burns, Jane learns from her that Lowood is a charity school for female orphans meaning that the Reed’s did not pay for her schooling.

Chapter 6: The second day of Jane’s new life at Lowood does not get off to a great start, the girls are unable to wash as the water in their pitchers is frozen, Jane soon learns that life at Lowood will be hard. The girls are underfed and overworked, even on a Sunday, she could not rest sitting through endless sermons. Although after this, Jane takes comfort in her new found friend Helen Burns, who impresses Jane with her endurance to the cruellest treatment from Miss Scatherd, Helen tells Jane that she practices a doctrine of Christian endurance. Jane disagrees with this as it is unjust but Helen does not listen to Jane’s arguments.

Chapter 7: For the first month at Lowood, Mr Brocklehurst spends his time away from the school, but when he does return Jane becomes nervous remembering his promise to Mrs Reed, about her habit of lying. When Jane accidentally drops her slate in front of Mr Brocklehurst, he becomes angry at Jane ordering her to stand on a stool whilst he informs the school of her wicked ways, forbidding the rest of the students to ignore her for the rest of the day. Helen Burns provides her friend with support, by smiling at her each time she passes,making her day endurable.

Chapter 8: At five o’clock the students leave with Jane collapsing to the floor. She is ashamed and is certain that her reputation at Lowood is no more although Helen assures her that the girls pitied Jane, rather than the aim of her punishment. Jane takes comfort in Miss Temple, telling her that she is not a liar and tells her her story of her life at Gateshead. Miss Temple believes Jane and writes to Mr. Lloyd to confirm Jane’s account of events. Miss Temple offers Jane and Helen tea and cake, growing closer to Jane. When Mr. Lloyd’s letter returns confirming Jane’s account, Miss Temple publicily declares to the school that Jane is innocent. Relieved by this, Jane emerges herself in her studies, excelling at French and drawing.

Chapter 9: Spring at Lowood briefly seems like happier place, but the damp forest dell where the school is, is a breeding ground for typhus. Half of the Lowood girls become ill with the disease and many die, but Jane stays healthy, spending most of her time playing outside with Mary Wilson, a new friend. Helen becomes ill and Jane learns that she will die. One night, Jane sneaks into Helens room, Helen comforts Jane telling her that she feels no pain and is happy to leave this world and travel to the next. Jane and Helen spend the night together, in which Helen dies. At first, Helens grave is unmarked but fifteen years later, a grave is placed and marked with Resurgam, Latin for “I will rise again”.

Chapter 10: After Mr Brocklehurst’s treatment of the Lowood girls is found to be one of the course of the outbreak of typhus, a new group of people are brought in to run the school. The conditions improve greatly for the pupils. For the next six years Jane excels at her studies, and spends the next two as a teacher. Although, after Miss Temple gets married and leaves, Jane decides that it is time for a change and advertises for a job as a governess and accepts an offer from Thornfeild manor. Before she leaves however, Jane gets a visit from Bessie, the servant from Gateshead, who tells her all of what happened at Gateshead since her departure. Georgina attempting to run away with a Lord, but Eliza ruined the plan by telling Mrs Reed. John, we learn has fallen into a life of betting and debts. Bessie also tells Jane that her fathers brother, John Eyre turned up at Gateshead in search for Jane although he did not have time to travel to Lowood and left to travel to Madeira.

DMU Timestamp: November 03, 2016 14:13