Jane Eyre Book Report

In the novel Jane Eyre, we are told the life story of Jane from her days as a little girl up to her marriage and birth of her first child. Jane is an orphan who lives her life with no real mother or place to call home. Because of this she had no foundation for her life and the way that she lived. Because she lived with many different people in many different places she got to experience a wide variety of personalities all of which having their own beliefs. When we first meet Jane she finds religion boring and does not base her life around it. Many of the people she encounters in the novel share their religious beliefs with Jane. Although Jane never fully accepts the beliefs of these people she learns from them and develops her own morality, which she is able to make her own decisions from. It is clear from the experiences of Jane that Charlotte Bronte felt that although people may not entirely accept certain beliefs, the religious influence of other people help others to find their own spiritual understanding and morality.

Jane lives as an orphan at Gateshead for many years before Mrs. Reed insists she must be sent away to Lowood for school. When Mr. Brocklehurst, the man who runs Lowood, visits Jane and Gateshead, she is questioned about the Christian faith. “Psalms are not interesting,” Jane remarked. “That proves you have a wicked heart and you must pray to god to change it. (33)” Before Jane speaks her opinion of the psalms we know that she prays and reads the bible so we know she is somewhat religious. Although Mr. Brocklehurst hears this, he claims she is wicked solely based off of the fact that she does not like the psalms. This experience is important because we know where Jane stands religiously at this point in her life, and she is exposed to a very strict way of practicing the Christian faith that she will have to practice at Lowood. She does not agree with Mr.Brocklehurst’s extreme beliefs but she is exposed to it.

While at Gateshead Jane finds a friend in Helen Burns. From Helen, Jane finds out a lot about the school that she is attending. Ms. Satcherd is a teacher that puts the students the students through some of the harshest treatment that have ever endured. Jane has always hated being treated harshly and has hated the person who has done so to her. She notices that Jane is able to endure this treatment with no anger towards Ms. Satcherd. Jane tells Helen that she must hate those who dislike her and she likes those who like her. After telling this to Helen, Helen tells Jane she must read the Bible to learn how she should treat those people. “Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you. (58)” After hearing this, Jane tries to imagine loving Mrs. Reed, which she is unable to do. But Helen tells Jane she must learn to accept flaws in people and trust them. From this experience Jane still does not accept loving your enemies, but as we learn later