Some recollections of Jane Eyre

Chapter 1

Gateshead Hall

Jane Eyre, a 10-year-old orphan, has been living with her Aunt Reed at Gateshead Hall. Both the aunt and her family are very hostile towards Jane; in particular, John Reed, the 14-year-old son, treats her very badly. One day the Reed children find Jane reading and John Reed throws a book at her. When she fights back, she is taken away by Mrs Reed and some servants.

Chapter 2

The Red-room

Jane is taken to the red-room, a little-used dark bedroom decorated in shades of red. It is the room where Mr Reed died and Jane finds it frightening. When it grows dark, she panics and tries to be let out of the room but she is forced back in. She collapses in a fit.

Chapter 3 (III)

Recovery

Concerned at her collapse, Jane is taken from the red-room to her own bed where she is checked over by an apothecary, Mr Lloyd. While the Reeds are out, he and Bessie, the kindest servant, console Jane. During their conversation, Mr Lloyd suggests that Jane might go away to school.

Chapter 4 (IV)

A visit from Mr Brocklehurst

Jane's retaliation against John Reed and her subsequent collapse cause the Reeds to keep their distance from her. Some months later, there is a visit from Mr Brocklehurst, the stern and religious proprietor of Lowood School. He interviews Jane and agrees to admit her to his school. After he leaves, Jane is left alone with Mrs Reed and she reveals her true feelings to the latter, upsetting her aunt.

Chapter 5

Lowood School

After a long and tiresome journey, Jane arrives at Lowood. The next day, she is introduced to the school's routine and its teachers, who vary in kindess and consideration. She makes her first friend among the pupils, Helen Burns, who possesses an unusual intellect and character, even when being harshly punished by one of the teachers.
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Chapter 11

Thornfield Hall

Jane travels to Thornfield Hall where she meets Mrs Fairfax, a friendly elderly lady whom she assumes is the owner of the house. The next day, it is revealed that Mrs Fairfax is the housekeeper and the owner is Mr Rochester who is away from home. She is introduced to Adèle, the young girl that she is to be governess to and daughter of a French dancer. Jane begins her life as a governess and starts to learn about the inhabitants of Thornfield.

Chapter 12

An encounter at dusk

Over the next few months, Jane settles into her new life, getting to know Adèle and the servants. One day in January, after posting a letter in the nearest village, she encounters a man on horseback in a lane. The result is that the horse falls and the man sustains a minor injury. She helps him to his horse and he rides off but, on returning to Thornfield, Jane learns that he was Mr Rochester, the owner of the house.
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Chapter 23

Midsummer confessions

One evening, Jane and Mr Rochester meet in the grounds. They talk together and Rochester finally admits that he loves Jane and proposes. She agrees to marry him.

Chapter 24

The bride-to-be

The household prepares for the marriage with Jane and Rochester travelling into Millcote to buy her things for the wedding.

Chapter 25

A visitation in the night

In the days before the wedding, while Mr Rochester is away, Jane is woken in the night by a strange woman who puts the former's veil on her head before tearing it in two. On his return, Rochester tries to reassure Jane but with little success.

Chapter 26

Mrs Edward Rochester

On the day of the wedding, Jane and Mr Rochester are in the middle of the ceremony when they are interrupted by a solicitor who reveals that Rochester is already married. The service is cancelled and he takes everyone to the room in Thornfield where his wife is looked after by Grace Poole. The woman has been mad for most of their married life and Jane realises that her hopes for the future are lost.

Chapter 27

Answers and choices

After spending some time alone in her room, Jane emerges to meet Mr Rochester who tells her more of his past and the marriage. Although they both still love each other, Jane decides that she cannot stay any longer and, early in the morning, she flees Thornfield.
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Moor House

Chapter 28

Alone again

After travelling by coach for two days, Jane finds herself in a remote part of the country. She sleeps on the moors overnight and then enters the nearest village to look for food and employment with little success. The next day is equally disappointing and, towards evening, starving and weary, Jane crawls towards an isolated house. She knocks on the door but the servant there refuses to let her in. However, the man of the house returns at that moment and invites her inside.

Chapter 29

The Rivers of Moor House

Jane gradually recovers and learns that the building, Moor House, is occupied by three siblings, St John, Diana and Mary Rivers. They are kind to Jane but St John, though handsome, seems rather cold and remote. She tells them much but keeps her history with Thornfield and Mr Rochester secret.

Chapter 34

Propositions on the moors

Near to Christmas, Jane shuts up the school and Diana and Mary return from their jobs. During the next week, Jane learns that Rosamond Oliver has decided to marry another man while St John remains rather distant with Jane.
In the spring, St John takes a walk alone with Jane where he asks her to be his wife and travel with him to India. Jane is happy to go with him but not as his wife which would simply be a marriage of convenience. St John can not agree to this and his attitude to her becomes even colder.

Chapter 35

A day of decisions

A few days later, Jane and St John are talking. He is still under the impression that Jane will marry him and journey to India, and again she has to refuse him. Later on, he asks her again to marry him and, as Jane is wavering, she appears to hear Mr Rochester's voice calling to her.
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Ferndean Manor

Chapter 36

The fate of Thornfield

The next day, Jane decides that she has to go to Thornfield to find out what has happened to Mr Rochester. She travels there but finds that Thornfield is a blackened ruin, destroyed for some time by fire. She enquires at an inn what had happened and is told that his wife had set fire to the house. She had died falling from the roof but, in an attempt to rescue people, Rochester had lost his sight and one hand. He now resides in his smaller home at Ferndean.

Chapter 37

Reconciliation

Jane hires a carriage to take her immediately to Ferndean. She finds that Mr Rochester lives there with just two servants and has retreated into himself. She greets Rochester who is delighted by her return and worries that she might leave him again. But Jane decides that she wants to marry him.

Chapter 38

Conclusion

The final chapter is written ten years in the future. Jane and Rochester are happily married with a child, and his sight is beginning to return. Diana and Mary are married but regularly visit Ferndean. St John is in India, following his vocation, but Jane suspects that he will not live much longer. Yet he is content with his life.
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