Jane Eyre opens with Jane remembering events from her childhood. Jane’s family is isolated and poor; Jane has no friends of her age and limited education. Jane’s sense of isolation, anger, and curiosity leads to rebelliousness against the adults around her: she throws a book at Miss Temple (her teacher), gives Rochester (her foster father) a black eye, and eventually leaves her aunt’s home to become a governess. Jane is never entirely comfortable in her new job as she struggles with questions of who she is, how much respectability she should have, where her loyalties lie, and whether or not Jane wants to be loved by Mr. Rochester.
Jane has grown up with little love or encouragement from others, so Jane looks inward to find the strength necessary for making decisions that affect her happiness. Jane knows herself through reflection on events from her childhood. One event especially stands out – Jane’s attack on Miss Temple at Lowood School. This incident presents Jane as an isolated child who has no power over what happens—as well as being angry about this helplessness—and Jane’s reaction to this powerlessness is violence.
Jane’s perspective on the incident is filtered through her memory, and Jane remembers herself as having been “a mere child in temper” (Chapter 1, par. 5). Jane has mixed feelings about the incident: Jane regrets hurting Miss Temple but also clearly remembers the reasons for her anger. Jane takes responsibility for what she did, but through this act Jane fights back against being completely powerless. The attack on Miss Temple proves that Jane can’t be easily pushed around or dominated by authority figures.
Moreover, at Lowood Jane learns that adults are not infallible—their implied cruelty towards students allows Jane to question their morality and voice criticism of them without fear of reprisal. The other event from Jane’s childhood which Jane mentions is her losing her parents in a shipwreck. Jane remembers this event very vividly, and Jane views the event as an act of God meant to punish Jane’s mother for breaking His laws. Jane is filled with guilt over her own survival while her parents perished at sea.
Jane feels that she should have died instead of them because Jane believes that Jane’s life is full of sin—she has “been a willful sinner” (Chapter 1, par. 6). Jane continues to blame herself for surviving when others don’t—even after it becomes clear that there was no one to blame but fate. The loss of Jane’s family leaves Jane feeling alone—orphaned not only in the physical sense but also in spirit. Jane becomes determined to have a better life after this loss, and Jane works hard at Lowood School—the only place Jane has found belonging.
Jane’s survival instincts lead her to try to make something of herself, but Jane also knows that she is unworthy; Jane views the incident as an act of God meant for punishment. “The child who by turns had been assaulted with stones, slapped in the face, torn by dogs, kicked by horses, worried by badgers, and scared by bulls; who had wandered about hungry and fatigued; who had crouched over bonfires on winter nights; who had run away barefoot in summer; whose clothes were torn or filthy; whose young companions were thieves and beggars…” (Chapter 1, par. 8). Jane is a child of the poor and of an orphanage.
Jane’s physical condition is very important to Jane’s development—she feels both self-conscious about it, as all children do, but she is also constantly aware that her outward appearance is a symbol of her current position in society. Jane learns from everyone who bullies or looks down on Jane that Jane has no power over her circumstances; she learns to doubt herself because others doubt Jane first. The other children at Lowood School are vain and given over to vanity; this means that they will never accept Jane until Jane becomes beautiful—which Jane knows isn’t possible for someone like her.
Jane’s position as a child is important in Jane Eyre because it makes Jane a pitiable character to the reader. Jane spends her childhood being looked down upon by those around her and is constantly being humiliated, even when she does nothing wrong.
In chapter one Jane says “My father’s sister Sarah..had been appointed my guardians- I saw them very seldom 1” (Bronte). This line tells us two things about Jane as a child. Firstly, it shows that Jane had no real parents so she was brought up by family members, not her parents which made Jane an orphan. Next, this emphasises how little Jane saw of her aunt and uncle which means that they were almost strangers to the young Jane who also emphasized Jane’s isolation as a child. Jane is an orphan and she lives with her aunt and uncle who are strangers to Jane; this makes Jane very isolated, alone and vulnerable.
Jane was extremely isolated because even though she lived with family the only people Jane communicated with were her brother John Reed (who tormented Jane) and Mr. Brocklehurst (who judged Jane). Jane interacts with Mrs. Reed when she goes to visit her cousins but it is under the scrutiny of Mr Mason or Martha Reed.
Being an orphan further added to Jane’s vulnerability in society because she had no access to money or power which meant that anyone could take advantage of or abuse Jane, for example when Jane went to Lowood School which will be discussed later. Jane’s position as a child has many effects on Jane. Jane becomes an outsider, always at the periphery of society and its ills because she is not part of it. Jane feels vulnerable, isolated and alone as a result of her position as an orphan in this period. Jane does not have parents so she cannot confide in them which further isolates Jane from those around her. Jane also has no access to money or power which makes Jane reliant on others for everything including work which once again emphasizes Jane’s vulnerability and isolation.
Chapter 1: “Reader I may not prolong the description of my solitary though sad way A being who had no relative but God-“(Bronte)
This line tells us multiple things about Jane as a child. Firstly, Jane’s position makes her very isolated and alone which Bronte emphasizes through Jane’s use of the word ‘solitary’ because it associates Jane with being by herself or isolated. Jane is not part of society so she has no one to confide in so Jane feels extremely lonely even though she is constantly surrounded by others. Jane does not have anyone to look after her either because she is an orphan so this contributes to Jane feeling vulnerable and unprotected often leading Jane to think that there was nothing for her but death.
Chapter 2: “I felt then, if I ever should love master, it must be because he first loved me” (Bronte)
This line tells us multiple things about Jane’s childhood. Jane has spent her child hood being looked down upon by others throughout which has led Jane to feel unloved and not worthy of love. Jane feels unworthy of love because she is an orphan, a woman, poor and of a lower class so Jane thinks that no one will ever love her. Jane also feels abandoned or forsaken by God so Jane thinks that the only way she will ever be loved is if someone else loves her first which makes Jane appear needy and desperate for attention.
Chapter 3: “I had learnt to read but I had read only such books as suited my age” (Bronte)
This line tells us things about Jane’s desires when she was growing up. Bronte uses the word ‘learnt’ here to make Jane appear eager for knowledge. Jane may have learnt much but Jane has not read many books which makes Jane seem uneducated because she was isolated her whole life. Jane did not go to school so Jane is also uneducated in that sense too however Jane does seem educated in the way that she speaks and acts making Jane very intelligent and intellectual even though Jane cannot really be compared with others who were educated because Jane’s education was different to theirs.
