Jane's Relationship Analysis

Jane Eyre
Jacy Buckler, Cheyanne Ryan
Helen Burns
 How Jane finds friendship in Helen Burns
● Jane meets Helen outside of the institution as Helen was reading
the book Ressalas.
● Jane asked her about the book, which lead to more questions about
the school and Mr. Brocklehurst, and then other conversation.
● They connected because Jane admired and learned from Helen, and
Helen liked the fact that Jane admired her and was able to teach
someone new while also having a close companion.
 What Jane Learns From Their Friendship
● From Helen, Jane learns the way of patience, and how to be
reserved/controlled.
● Jane also learns to see authority as something that is a guide to
being better, not as the enemy.
 Helen’s Feelings Toward Death
● Helen is okay with dying, because she believes that it is God's
intention and that there is a better place after this life.
● She is confident with facing death because she knows she will face
god after she passes.
- “I am sure there is a future state; I believe god is good; I can resign
my immortal part to him without any misgiving” (Brontë 90).
 Why Do We Like Helen?
● She is a good and reserved person, sticking out over the other girls
at Lowood, with a wholly holy belief and good morals that teach
Jane to be a better person in the long run.
 How Helen’s Character and Beliefs are Shown in her Speech

● Helen explains how she herself thinks and acts when disciplined to
help Jane.
● She is also very religious and references biblical ideas.
 Last Paragraph Meaning (Ch. 9)
● Helen had waited 15 years without a proper burial to pay for her sins,
as the number 15 is seen as a symbol of the redemption and sacrifice
that Jesus made for humanity.
● The headstone that said “Resurgam” was put above her grave after
the 15 years were up to rise to heaven.
Mrs. Reed
 Jane and Mrs. Reed’s Relationship
● They have an unsound relationship. Mrs. Reed never liked Jane
because she saw her as a burden. She never liked her mother.
- “I had a dislike to her mother, always; for she was my husband’s only
sister, and a great favorite with him; he opposed the family's
disowning her when she made her low marriage” (Brontë 268).
● Jane also annoyed Mrs. Reed to no end as a baby because she would
cry so often and Mr. Reed would take care of Jane, seeming to like
her more than his own children.
 Mrs. Reed’s Attempt to Harm Jane
● Mrs. Reed succeeds at first in harming Jane by keeping the letter
Jane’s uncle sent to her hidden because Mrs. Reed didn’t want Jane
to have the money to be lifted to prosperity.
● Jane ultimately does not care for money though, which is why Mrs.
Reed fails.
How Mrs. Reed Helps Jane to Become Strong and Independent

● Mrs. Reed helps Jane to become strong and independent by helping

Jane become the bigger person and forgiving Mrs. Reed.
- This is evident in the quote, “Love me, then, or hate me, as you will,” I
said at last, “ you have my full and free forgiveness; ask now for
God’s, and be at peace” (Brontë 278).
 Why Mrs. Reed’s Reappearance is Important
● This reappearance gives the reader more background on the family,
the family’s history, and foreshadows into Jane’s future to do with
her uncle.
● It also helps to further the fact of Jane maturing as she forgives Mrs.
Reed.
St. John Rivers
How St. John is Attractive and Jane’s Rejection of Marriage
● Jane and St. John's relationship is an attraction as siblings and
acquaintances. They don’t ever become that close until they find out
that they are related.
● He would be attractive to other women because of his outlook on
life and because of his appearance in general is attractive and with
gracian features.
● Jane denies his marriage because she feels no true connection to
him in a living way other than as a brother.
How Jane and St. John’s Relationship Resembles Jane and Helen’s
Relationship
● Jane’s relationship with St. John gives her a different outlook on life
in general and helps her mature, just as Helen did. He also is friendly,
and is devoted to a religious lifestyle, like Helen was.
 How Jane Presents St. John, Why She Ends with an Account of His
Achievements, and How he Deserves this Honor

● She presents him as a religious man who is quiet and reserved but is
also straightforward with his thoughts.
● The novel ends with an account of his achievements because it
allows for the reader to understand as to why she didn’t feel like
marrying him. It gave the reader an eye opening scene as to who he
really was as a person.
● He deserves this honor because of all the accomplishments that he
achieved while working as a missionary and since Jane didn’t marry
him, she thinks it is important to talk about him in a positive light.
Mr. Rochester
 The Stages of Jane and Mr. Rochester's Relationship
● When they first meet, she sees him as just a superior; she has no
true connection towards him. As he slowly gains interest in her they
begin to grow closer, talking more of their personal life. She soon
grows jealous of his “relationship” that he creates with Blanche
Ingram just to arise jealousy from Jane. They both confess their love
for one another and plan to get married, but that gets interrupted
when it’s revealed that Rochester is already married. Jane leaves for
awhile, but then gets a supernatural calling that she should return
to Rochester. They soon marry and have a child together. He prefers
her over Blanche because of her complex personality. She is not the
stereotypical woman for that time period like Blanche is.
 How Jane Influences the Reader’s Response To Rochester
● She perceives him as a mysterious man making the reader have
mixed feelings towards his character at first, but soon begins to
open up to him, which allows for the reader to better understand
him as a character.
 The Mystery Surrounding Rochester's Wife and How it’s
Presented
● The mystery around Rochester's wife is that everyone who has ever
been to Thornfield that have had unusual experiences blames it all
on Grace Poole. No one knows the true source of the experiences
though.
● You see this with the mysterious laughing in the middle of the night,
Mr. Mason being attacked, and Mr. Rochester’s room being lit on fire.
All of those are blamed on Grace Poole even though it is truly his
wife. It is blamed on Grace Poole because Grace is his wife’s
caretaker, so she is always with his wife.
 Jane’s Remarks on her Relationship with Rochester
● Jane finds her relationship with Rochester to be platonic at first.
There wasn’t a true sense of love until the Gypsy appeared in the
story. She, at many points, says she doesn’t find him attractive,
which plays a role into their relationship further down the line.
 Themes of Sight and Blindness, and Sanity and Madness
● An example of sight and blindness would be at the end of the book
when it is revealed that Rochester had lost his sight in the fire. By
Brontë making Rochester blind, it allowed for Jane to finally feel as
though she had a purpose to be with him, and since he is maimed,
Jane almost feels at Mr. Rochester’s level (rank) in society’s
standards.
● An example of sanity and madness would be between Jane and Mr.
Rochester when he proposed. Jane kept her calm for most of it,
unlike Mr. Rochester who went crazy trying to convince her she
should leave and then wanting her to stay with him forever.
 The Natural and Supernatural
● The natural aspects of their relationship could be the areas in which
weather plays a role in how they interact and how they make their
decisions. It can also foreshadow into future events.
● The supernatural aspects of their relationship would be when Jane
believes she can hear Rochester calling her. Also the biblical
references that are made in their discussions could also be
considered supernatural.