Characters

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre, the title character, is the person through whose eyes we see the narrative unfold in the novel. We follow Jane’s journey from being an orphan to a capable young woman who must make important decisions along the way. The novel is a coming-of-age or Bildungsroman story about Jane who has to negotiate expectations, freedom, and class boundaries. Jane’s passion and fierce independence slowly turn inward as she understands the role of a responsible woman in the world around her. Her decisions at later stages in her development reflect her self-awareness and humility. She finally settles into the role of a caregiver for Rochester.

Edward Fairfax Rochester

A typical romantic hero, Rochester is the wealthy owner of Thornfield Hall and Jane Eyre’s employer. A man with secrets and a dark past, he falls in love with Jane and wants to marry her without divulging the truth about having a wife already. In a seemingly divine punishment, Rochester loses his eyes in a fire and comes to accept humility. He is then taken care of by Jane.

St. John Rivers

St. John, a parson, is Jane’s cousin. He proposes marriage to her before his planned trip to English colonies in order to spread Christianity to faraway lands. In contrast to Rochester, who is bereft of religiosity, St. Johns is a man of faith and channels his search for purpose by spreading the words of his Lord through missionary work. He is zealous about the things that interest him.

Bertha Mason

Bertha Mason, a Creole woman from Jamaica, is Rochester’s first wife. When Jane encounters her, she is devoid of her original personality and has descended into madness. She is the embodiment of the Victorian fear and dislike of mixed ethnicities. Locked away on the third floor of Thornfield Hall, she is portrayed as the mad woman of the attic who ruins the love story between Jane and Rochester. However, it is clear that Rochester married Bertha out of financial reasons, not out of love. Blighted by her own madness and loveless marriage, she attempts to burn down Thornfield Hall.

Adele Varens

Adele Varens is Rochester’s adopted ward. After her mother, Celine Varens, abandons Adele and claims that Rochester is her father, Adele is brought to Thornfield Hall from France. Jane is hired to tutor Adele in English ways of life and etiquette. This conversion is portrayed in the form of a self-assured and sensual Adele being converted into a docile, young woman under the tutelage of Jane.

Celine Varens

Celine Varens was Rochester’s mistress and Adele’s biological mother. She accepts monetary favors from Rochester, who continues to support even after he overhears a conversation in which Celie states that she detests him. She represents the “untamable” and loose woman of French origin. Jane’s character is in stark contrast to Celine’s femininity.

Blanche Ingram

Blanche aspires to be Rochester’s wife and symbolizes the old ways of aristocratic behavior. She is disrespectful of Jane’s profession as a governess. She has her sight set on Rochester’s wealth and is highly materialistic.

Grace Poole

Grace Poole is the caretaker of Bertha. Grace’s lapses in caretaking are induced by her alcoholism, which also leads to occasional violence in Thornfield Hall, mostly initiated by Bertha. Jane is suspicious that Grace is behind the unlikely occurrences in the house before Bertha’s presence is revealed to her.

Mrs. Reed

Mrs. Reed is Jane’s distant aunt who is worried about Jane’s superior qualities and how that might spoil her daughters’ chances of social mobility. She is the matron of Gateshead Hall and represents the anxiety of a mother whose mind is always occupied by the thoughts of the best matrimonial match for her daughters.

John, Georgiana, and Eliza Reed

John Reed, Georgiana Reed, and Eliza Reed are the three children of Mrs. Reed. They are depicted as spoiled, pampered characters. Georgiana is beautiful and vain, whereas Eliza is deeply jealous of Georgiana. The latter complaints of Eliza being the reason for one of her alliances being broken off. John is a purposeless man who takes his own life when his mother is unable to pay away anymore of his debts.

Maria Temple

The headmistress at Lowood school, Miss Temple stands for intellectual refinement and emotional sensibility. Jane has close bonds with Miss Temple and gains from being around such a caring feminine presence.

Helen Burns

Helen is a religious child and Jane’s best companion at Lowood school. She is an anchor for Jane and a serious practitioner of Christianity.

Mr. Lloyd

Mr. Lloyd is an apothecary and the reason behind Jane being sent to Lowood school. He is a kind and discerning man who, in his letter to the school, clarifies that Mrs. Reed’s accusations against Jane are false.

Mrs. Fairfax

Jane mistakes Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper at Thornfield, to be the owner of the mansion initially. She is kind and welcomes Jane to Thornfield and ensures that she settles in. She is also the first one to cover up sounds from the third floor caused by Bertha and to blame them on Grace Poole instead.

Bessie

Bessie is one of the housekeepers at the Gateshead Hall. She is kind toward Jane after the red room incident