Jane Eyre Annotation

Chapter 1

"she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy, little children"(Charlotte Bronte 9).
"Be seated somewhere; and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent"(Bronte 9)

Jane is a ten-year old girl who lives with a cruel family. Her Aunt Reed, Georgina, John and so on. They are so mean to her, it makes me really sad. The reason they push her aside is because of all of this nonsense about her not being a content child. That is stupid. There is a reason if she is not content maybe because they push her aside so much. Why is John such a jerk? Why does his mom not do anything about it. These really stood out to me because it gives brief sentences to describe this poor orphan girls life.


Chapter 2

"like any other rebel slave, i felt resolved, in my desperation, to go all lengths" (14)

"took a little excitement out of me"(14)

"as incredulous of my sanity"(14)

"I never saw a girl of her age with so much cover"(14)

"very first recollections of existence included hints of the same kind"(15)

All these quotes were after John had hit Jane with a book. She was then thought crazy and sent to be locke in a room all alone. At first she defends herself and is willing to actually speak out because she must know that she has to defend herself. Then they threaten to tie her down to this stool, then she says that takes the excitement out of her. Like if she fights it won't matter either way she will be tied down. Bessie and and Miss Abbot start to talk about her like if she couldn't hear. Saying that she is such a rebelious child, they question her sanity because how could she just turn around and slap her benefactress in the face when she has given her so much. How could she just kick her son's butt and beat him when he is better than her. They say they never saw a girl her age with so much cover. Well maybe they never saw a girl whose feeling of oppression, loneliness, anger and so much more overtook her soul and mind. The saddest part was that her earliest memories have been exactly like these where she is thought the angry, rebel child. That she is this horrible child and scum who depends upon someone.


Chapter 4

"and a passion of resentment fronted now within me "(38)

"I was there alone- winner of the field. It was the hardest battle I had fought, and the first victory i had gained..."'(39)

"Even for me life had its gleams of sunshine" (42)

Finally Jane has a chance to leave this unjust house and of course Mrs.Reed has to make it so if Jane leaves her life will still suck. Mrs. Reed is such a jerk, why is she so hateful and bitter? Must she be mean? I don't understand her evil ways. The best part is though at a yound age Jane now was thinking of what to say to Mrs.Reed that would just wake her up. She told her a lot of truth and how she would about her to others. All of what Jane felt was said and Mrs. Reed was in state of shock, surprised of what Jane had actually said. When she stepped out of the room, Jane stood alone. She had won this battle and stood victorious, good. Then suddenly Bessie started to be nice. She started to treat Jane like the child she was, but why didn't she do this all the time. She would sing to Jane, tell stories and all this when she was leaving already. Atleast Jane got to experience her own gleams of sunshine.


Chapter 5

";and she told me to remember that she had always been my best friend, and speak of her and be grateful to her accordingly"(43)

"The whole converstion ran on the breakfast, which one and all abused roundly. Poor things! It was the sole consolation they had"(48)

"As yet I had spokent to no one, nor did anybody seem to take notice of me; I stood lonely enough: but to that feeling of isolation I was accustomed; it did not opress me much"(51)

Wow! I can't believe Mrs.Reed said that. How could she have been so mean, horrible to Jane. Turned the other way when John had hit her. Lock her in a room when she's merely a child, and children are very afraid to be in dark closed places. Then she wants Jane to lie? Tell everyone I was your best friend, yeah right. Mrs. Reed must have some remorse suddenly, and have some fear to being spoken of. She wants to create this image, but that just won't work. Who does Jane think she is calling the other girls at breakfast time, poor things? I think she still has this image of being poor as sad, pitiful. How could she say something like that when, well her life was not so great. It is sad how Jane is accustomed of being alone. In our society it seems like alot of people always reach out for friends at the first day of school. We are not used to be alone, not very well as Jane is.


Chapter 6

".., I derived from both a strange excitement, and reckless and feverish, I wished the wind to howl more wildly, the gloom to deepen to darkness, and the confusion to rise to clamour"(57)

"...It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to commit a hasty action"(58)

"It is not violence that overcomes hate nor vengeance that most certainly heals injury"(60)

"When devasement ans sin will fall from us with this cumbrous frame of flesh, and only the spark of the spirit will remain,..."(61)

Jane is a deep, dark and different child from a regular one. When all the rest of the young girls were saddened by the gloomy weather, Janes spirits were accompanied. Enveloped in her own world of satisfaction. She wished the gloom to deepen. That is not bad but it differently is differen behavior compared to the rest of the other girls. The last two quotes come from Helen Burns, Jane's first friend. She is very wise and has so much to teach Jane. Jane wants Helen to be liker her. Overcome the oppressor and defend herself. Yet Helen's ways are not that ways. She is calm and has a more peaceful philosophy. Her existence is more than worldly to her and she believes so much in her faith that it is pretty soothing to me. She is so calm and everything she says to Jane has this beautiful run and peaceful flow.

Chapter 7

"The fear of failure in these points harassed me worse than the physical hardships of my lot; though these were no trifles"(62)

"Such is the imperfect nature os man! Such are there on the disc of the clearest planet; and eyes like Miss Scatcherd's can only see those minute defects, and are blind to the full brightness of the orb"(70)

Jane has a bigger fear to fail. She wants to please, to be like and accepted. She is so accustomed to being ostracized and always left out because she supposedly was not a gentlemen's child. That now she could only try and move forward. Try to forget about the Gatehead's ways. At first I did not understand why i wrote down the quote about the orb. I didn't even know what orb meant but now the second time i take a look at it, I see. The peaceful and wise orb is what Miss Scatcherd does not see. She only takes a chance every time she can to punish Helen for her failing at that specific moment. Miss Scatchered just sees the outer faults and this takes away her opportunity to see Helens inner attributes.

Chapter 8

"treated as an equal by those of my own age, and not molested by any; now; here I lay again crushed and trodden on; and could i ever rise more?"(71)

"Miss Temple, having assembled the whole school, announced that inquiry had been made into the charges allefed aginst Jane Eyre and that she was most happy to be able to pronounce her completely cleared from every imputation"(77)

"Well has Solomon said-"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith" I would not now have changed Lowood with all it's privations, for Gateshead and its daily luxuries"(77)

Mr.Brocklehurst is an asshole. Him and Mrs.Reed should get married. For once in her life Jane could say she was valued as a person and not being beat like a animal. Then when Mr.Brocklehurst gets a chance to unleash these words that burn. How could Jane have the courage to rise again? Why if all your efforts will be again spitted on and thrown away to become nothing.Then Miss Temple comes in to the rescue. She discover the truth and realizes that the truth should be said. All allegations made are now renounced. What an awesome day for Jane. Thank you Miss Temple!! Jane now gets it. To be poor does not mean you will live a very unhappy life. In this case it is the opposit from that. She is in a place that tries to provide the best they can for these girls and sometimes that is not much but some is better than none. Although Jane might have been surrounded mby luxuries with Mrs. Reed she did not have what she does now, love.

Chapter 9

"I came to see you Helen: I heard you were very ill, and I could not sleep till i had spoken to you"(84)

"I was asleep, and Helen was- dead"(85)

How sad, yet soothing to know you saw a friend that taught you so much. Someone who nurtured your mind and created you into something better. All the meanwhile Helen is dying she still is so calm. Death will be a peaceful voyage for her, she does not fear.

Chapter 10

"-and that now I was left in my natural element, and beginning to feel the stirring of old emotions'(87)

Jane says this when she talks about Miss Temple leaving. What are her old elements?

Chapter 11

"The equality between her and me was real,...."(103)

Jane says that she and Fairfax are equal because they are both dependents. Jane is accustomed to being one or called out to be one.

Chapter 12

"Who blames me? Many no doubt; and I shall be called discontented"(112)

Jane is discontent. But why is she feeling this way, why isn't she happy?

Chapter 13

"Il m'a demande le nom de ma gouvernante,..."(121-122)

"I think so he is very changeful and abrupt"(130)

I foreshadow a love affair!!! Mr. Rochester is interested in her. He's curious, and want to know about this governess. This governess who will teach and take care of the girl. The second quote is a description of Mr.Rochester, from Jane. Although she has struggled so much to forget and leave behind Mrs.Reed. She has found, and will get to know someone with "changeful" and "abrupt" characteristics.

Chapter 14

"There was simile on his lips, and his eyes sparkled"(133)

It brings pleasure to Mr. Rochester to be near Jane. He is not so gloomy, he is distant from his sad thoughts and is focused on other things now.

Chapter 15

"Some hated thought seemed to have him in its grip, and to hold him so tightly, that he could not advance"(145)

Mr.Rochester has a lot of intense memories. These passionate and unforgivable actions done to him. Making him this hard shell exterior, but not hard enough to block Jane out.

Chapter 16

"I hastened to drive from my mind the hateful notion I had been conceiving respection Grace Poole: it disgusted me"(159)

Jane was quick to make assumptions but they are not correct. It is not right to judge others and blame them because of misconceptions.

Chapter 17

"I was actually permitting myself to experience a sickening sense of disappointment but rallying my wits, and recollecting my principles, I at once called my sensations to order,..."(164)

"; for a sanctum it was now become to me,"-"a very pleasant refuge in time of trouble"(168)

"I looked, and had an acute pleasure in looking,- a precious, yet poignant pleasure; rare gold, with a steely point of agony:..."(176)

Will Jane's feelings for Mr.Rochester become something more than controlable feelings? Does he feel the same way for just leaving Thornfield? Janes time of trouble could only be when she has emotional problems, caused by Mr.Rochester, old memories from her childhood? Jane has a developing love for Mr.Rochester, accelerating quickly.

Chapter 18

"No," I heard her say:" she looks too stupid for any game of the sort"(184)

"she could not charm him"(188)

In spite of all her beauty, grace, and wealth she is a feelingless and incosiderate person. Jane is determined to get Mr.Rochester. The way she speaks and just raves on about Blanche Ingram's faults and defects.

Chapter 19

"The old womans voice had changed: her accent, her gesrue and all were familiar to me as my own face in glass- as the speech of my own tongue"(203)

? Interesting.

Chapter 20

"Again the poor man groaned: he looked as if he dared not move: fear either of death or of something else, appeared almost to paralyse him"(211)

"Yet would to God there was an end of all this!" added Mr.Rochester, as he closed and barred the heavy yard gates"(217)

Mr.Mason was attacked, could he have been by Mr.Rochester? What is Mr.Rochester hiding? There is something wrong. He acts too mysterious, hurried.

Chapter 21

"To you I can talk of my lovely one: for now you have seen her and know her"(221)

"Bring Jane,- fetch Jane Eyre: I want to speak to her."(224)

"Neither of us had dropt a tear"(242)

Exactly what Mr.Rochester's intentions with Jane by telling her such things. Mrs.Reed falls ill and sends for Jane why? Mrs.Reed's daughter and niece had not dropped a tear. I understand Jane but why not Eliza?

Chapter 22

"Thank you, Mr.Rochester, for your great kindness. I am strangely gladt ot get back agaic to you: and wherever you are is my home- my only home"(248)

" never had I loved him so well"(248)

Before all of Jane's feelings, love for Mr.Rochester was unspoken. No Jane don't be a fool with someone who you can't be with.

Chapter 23

"You, Jane. I must have you for my own- entirely own. Will you be mine? Say yes, quickly"(257)

Is this for real? Jane and Mr.Rochester together?

Chapter 24

"Gentlemen in his station are not accustomed to marry their governesses"(267)

O no. Shoul Jane be alarme, on the look out? I think I would be but she is in love.

Chapter 25

"Of the foul German spectre- the Vampyre"(280)

"She seemed the emblem of my past life;..."(288)

Could this be grace Poole, is he a mere scape goat of Mr.Rochester? Could it be her eblem because of the sad childhodd Jane lived but maybe not sad for Adele but lonely, no parents.

Chapter 26

"The marriage cannot go on: I declare the existence of an impedinent"(291)

"away with you congratualtions. Who wants them? -Not I!- they are 15 years too late!"(295)

Mr.Briggs is this unknown someone who holds secrets of Mr.Rochester. Mr.Rochester is married!! to a savage woman. Could this happen to the new Mrs.Rochester?

Chapter 27

"avaricious"(307

"Then smiled at me with simple yet sagacious grace I cannot describe"(316)

"Moreover, I wished to see whether you would seek me if I summoned you-"(316)

"for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love"(324)

Avaricious is a word to describe Mr.Rochester's father, which means to have a unreasonable desire for money or wealth. Mr.Rochester starts to describe when he fell in love. Why must he shun, is this his way of trying to attract. Jane talks about her pain, heartache.

Chapter 28

"A pang of exquisite suffering"(337)

Isn't Jane the one who brings suffering to herself?

Chapter 29

"I soon wihtdrew; for I had talked as much and sat up as long, as my present strength would permit"(391)

A horrible situation to be in, specially in a stranger's house.

Chapter 30

"Thought fitted though; opinion met opinion: we coincided, in short, perfectly"

Jane and the girls, Mary and Diana, are something Jane never had. There almost like sisters to her.

Chapter 31

"Poor Carlo loves me,"said she."He is not stern and distant to his friends; and if he could speak, he would not be silent"(367)

"inexorable as death'(367)

St.John a distant, silent, stern person. Diana says her brother,St.John, is inexorable as death. He is determined, not stopping and won't be easily persuaded.