Victorian Era Literature Characteristics

As is quite evident from the title the kind of literature that evolved during the reign of Queen
Victoria is famously known as the Victorian era literature.

The literature of the Victorian age (1837-1901) entered a new period after the romantic
revival. The literature of this era was preceded by romanticism and was followed by
modernism or realism. Hence, it can also be called a fusion of romantic and realist style of
writing. Though the Victorian Age produced two great poets Alfred Lord Tennyson and
Robert Browning, the age is also remarkable for the excellence of its prose.

Alfred Tennyson: The Famous Poet

Characteristics of Victorian novels

Victorian novels tend to be idealized portraits of difficult lives in which hard work,
perseverance, love and luck win out in the end. They were usually inclined towards being of
improving nature with a central moral lesson at heart. While this formula was the basis for
much of earlier Victorian fiction, the situation became more complex as the century
progressed.

Samuel Butler Book

Characteristics of Victorian poetry

Victorian Poetry was also indifferent from the already stated style. Much of the work of the
time is seen as a bridge between the romantic era and the modernist poetry of the next
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century. Alfred Lord Tennyson held the poet laureateship for over forty years. The husband
and wife poetry team of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning conducted their
love affair through verse and produced many tender and passionate poems.

The reclaiming of the past was a major part of Victorian literature and was to be found in both
classical literature and also the medieval literature of England. The Victorians loved the
heroic, chivalrous stories of knights of old and they hoped to regain some of that noble,
courtly behaviour and impress it upon the people both at home and in the wider empire.

In dramatic, farces, musical burlesques, extravaganzas, and comic operas competed with
Shakespeare productions and serious drama by the likes of James Planche’ and Thomas
William Robertson.

The discoveries of science seem to reflect considerable and particular effects upon the
literature of the age. The Victorians had a mission to describe and classify the entire natural
world. Much of this writing was not regarded as literature but one book, in particular, Charles
Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, remains famous. The theory of evolution contained within
the work shook many of the ideas the Victorians had about themselves. Although it took a
long time to be widely accepted, completely changed following thoughts and literature.

Charles Darwin resting against pillar covered with vines.

The old Gothic tales that came out of the late 19th century are the first examples of the genre
of fantastic fiction. These tales often centred on larger-than-life characters such as Sherlock
Holmes, the famous detective of the times, Barry Lee, big time gang leader, Sexton Blake,
Phileas Fogg, and other fictional characters of the era, such as Dracula, Edward Hyde.

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Common themes in Victorian Literature
If one studies possibly, all the great writers of this period, you will mark three general
characteristics, Firstly, literature in the Victorian age tended to come face to face with realism.
This reflected more on practical problems and interests. It becomes a powerful instrument for
human progress. Secondly, the Victorian literature seems to deviate from the strict principle
of “art for art’s sake” and asserts its moral purpose.

Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, Ruskin Bond – all were the teachers of England
with the faith in their moral message to instruct the world. Thirdly, this was more like the age
of pessimism and confusion. The influence of science was strongly felt here. Alfred Lord
Tennyson’s some immature works seem to hold doubtful and despairing stains but his In
Memoriam comes out as a hope after despair. Although characterized as practical and
materialistic, the literature of the Victorian age portrays a completely ideal life. It was an
idealistic age where the great ideals like truth, justice, love, brotherhood were emphasized by
poets, essayists and novelists of the age.

Influence of Victorian Literature

The persistent popular embrace of Victorian literature has had a profound influence on
modern literature and media. Writers such as Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters still sell
robustly on most book resellers’ lists and are frequently adapted into films and television
productions, both directly and in modernized retellings. In addition, many modern novels such
as A Great and Terrible Beauty demonstrate that the intricate cultural mores of the Victorian
era find a home in the modern cultural psyche.

Charles Dickens wrote many popular novels

Famous Victorian novelists and poets

Significant Victorian novelists and poets include: Matthew Arnold, the Bronte sisters,
Christina Rossetti, Joseph Conrad, Robert Browning, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Elizabeth
Barrett Browning, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Benjamin
Disraeli, George Eliot, George Meredith, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Gissing, Richard
Jefferies, Thomas Hardy, A. E. Housman, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram
Stoker, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Philip Meadows Taylor, Alfred Lord Tennyson
biography, William Thackeray, Anthony Trollope, George MacDonald, G.M. Hopkins, Oscar
Wilde, Lewis Carroll.

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Victorian Era Characteristics: art,
literature, technology, religion, social,
political
The Victorian era is named after Queen Victoria who reigned during the period of 1837 to
1901. It was a time of many changes and eventful developments in the field of art, literature,
technology, religion, socially, politically and economically. It has been occasionally referred
to as the second renaissance of England. See Victorian Era Timeline

Characteristics of society

Also, the times were such that we probably term it was very conservative. However, in fact, it
was the commencement of the modern era. It was also the age of a lot of reformation and
transition to imperialistic tendencies and growth of the British colonial empire. There was
repressiveness about the society and mannerisms too.

The societal divisions were gradually altering and changing shapes. The earlier hierarchy
began to crumble and a new social order was beginning to get formed. And in the new social
order, the middle classes held the reins, as they emerged from squalor to scale higher
positions in the strata of society.

The higher sections of the society were no longer exclusive to the aristocracy. Merchants and
businessmen began commanding respect as they often were richer than the former. Commerce
was the new representation of the hierarchy.

The people of England set great store by a person being a gentleman or a lady during the
Victorian age. No longer was ancestry the most important thing. If one was suitably educated
at one of the premier institutions of the country, he was deemed to be a gentleman. The
worker classes were slower to change, though, but the change happened nonetheless, slowly
but surely.

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Still, conditions of poverty and abuse existed side by side the reforms. The men were
eventually given the right to vote at the age of twenty-one. On the other hand, cruelty to
children was rampant in the form of child labor which did not reduce for a very long time.

The bill that stated that no child who was less than nine years of age would work in a textile
factory was the only one of its kind. Other industries allowed for no such restrictions. Teens
were forced into prostitution because of coercion or circumstances.

Science

The other side of the coin was that science progressed tremendously. Darwin is a product of
this age. His works are read and revered till today. 1851 hosted the Great Exhibition
showcasing the new and technological wonders of that age. The field of medicine also
progressed a lot, as did physics. Sigmund Freud was another product of the Victorian era.
Psychology was studied as a separate branch of science.

Marxism, socialism, and feminism marked three important characteristics in this era. It was a
time for revolutions all round, in every sphere of life.

Key Characteristics of the Victorian Era

When looking at Victorian era characteristics, it is important to look at all aspects of Victorian
Britain. That includes society, daily life, scientific progress and both positive and negative
characteristics.

Queen Victoria after whom the period between 1837 to 1901 has been referred to as the
Victorian Era was a landmark period in the history of the Great Britain. Prior to this period
was the Georgian period and succeeded by the Edwardian period. This period brought about
the much-needed prosperity in the Great Britain. Hence, this period is also called as the
Golden period in the British history.

Characteristics of Victorian Britain

Victorian Era characteristics: Britain becomes powerful and rich

The Victorian stands as a landmark for several reasons. First and foremost, it was during the
same period that England became the world’s most powerful and richest countries by
ruling a quarter of the world’s population thereby having the largest empire. Also, the
demand for goods like food, clothes, and housing increased substantially as a consequence of
the increase in population from 16 million to 37 million.

The two major reasons for the same were: fertility rate which was due to the improved
standard of living of the people as a result of which the number of women who could have
children increased while mortality rate lowered as there was no epidemic and also because the
health facilities got better.

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Britain becomes industrialised

Another Victorian era characteristic was the industrialisation of Britain.

A number of factories sprawled up leading to vast improvements in the living as well as

working standards of the people. This also resulted in the emergence of various towns.
Railways were constructed which replaced the traditional horse-drawn carriages as a mode of
transport.

Apart from this, a lot of scientific inventions took place like the telephone, the radio, railways,
sewing machines etc were invented.

Construction: Work began on

the bridge in 1836 under the supervision of Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Victorian Era characteristics: Architecture, art, and culture

Culture, as well as architecture, flourished during this period. The Gothic Revival architecture
was noteworthy resulting in the clash between Gothic and classical ideals. Additionally, in
1851, the Great Exhibition which displayed the best innovations of the 19th century was also
organized which was the first of its kind.

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Photography also emerged during this period, the first photograph being that of Queen
Victoria herself. She became the first monarch to be photographed. Post-mortem photography
was another key feature of the Victorian age.

Crystal palace great exhibition

Music also became immensely popular during this period. Brass bands and The Bandstand
became well known. Music recording during this time was an unusual concept. The usual
picture was the sound of the brass band being played while people walked leisurely through
parklands.

Improved communication and transport was a distinctive feature

An important characteristic of this period was the advancement in the different modes of
communication as well. Goods could now easily be transported by steamships and railways
which resulted in facilitating trade. Steamships further, also contributed to making
international travel popular. Additionally, even cinema, telephone, telegraph, cars, and aircraft
gave a boost to Britains economy.

Railways changed Victorian life

Victorian era characteristics: Scientific progress

Queen Victoria’s regime witnessed the progress of science by leaps and bounds. Ether and
chloroform started being used as anesthetics. These anesthetics were also used in cases of

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dentist treatments where there is a lot of pain involved. Apart from this, even antiseptics were
introduced which were in the form of Carbolic acid (phenol).

Though this era is a landmark one for countless things, yet this era also witnessed the darker
side of such a rapid progress.

Science vs Religion debate in Victorian times

Not so good characteristics of Victorian England

Poverty increased substantially since population increased which made a large number of
skilled and unskilled people keeping their wages to a bare minimum. Also, housing became
difficult thereby resulting in overcrowding and development of slums.

Additionally, this era was also famous for the rising rate of child labor in mines and factories.
From the tender ages of three, children were made to work for 16 hours a day.

Working Conditions in The Victorian Era – Child labour

Lastly, the Great Britain was also struck by The Great Social Evil which was none other than
prostitution. Due to the economic hardships suffered, women started getting into this
business. In London, particularly, it was reported that the age of the girls who entered this
business was ranged from 15 to 22.

Thus, this period can be very aptly described as the most dynamic period in the history of
Great Britain since on one hand, this period reaped the golden fruits of science and
technology but on the other hand, this period also marked the birth of various social evils.
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Victorian Era Society Characteristics
Victorian era characteristics were quite unique in comparison to today’s times. Even their
view of behavior had many things different than today. Things as little as a man sitting down
before women just prior to eating was considered extremely rude.

Victorian society characteristics: manners and etiquettes

In a time today where I frequently sit at the table with a hat on, it was inappropriate for men to
even sit down at a table with gloves on, much less leaving a hat and gloves on for an entire
meal. The ladies did not have a much easier time. If they used an older man’s first name this
was considered inappropriate and a lack of respect. Now, where I even call my superior
bosses by their first name, I can not imagine a time where I always had to use someone’s last
name.

Victorian society characteristics about dressing

The way that society dressed also showed how strict they were. Society enforced unspoken
rules that women were required to wear dresses all the time. While the style changed from
very formal and lengthy garments which would drag the floor to dresses that just went to the
feet, it was still very conservative. It was a time in which arms and legs were referred to as
extremities. This meant that they were to be covered at all times.

Victorian society characteristics: Industrial revolution

Even though society as a whole would be viewed as very conservative, the era was actually a
very progressive era. The Victorian era featured the most popular revolution of all time, the
Industrial Revolution. Machines were being built to handle many jobs. Science was beginning
to take off and many new ideas, including the theory of evolution was sparked during the
Victorian era. Although mannerisms of the people were conservative, their way of thinking
began to become very progressive.

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Education was a key Victorian feature

Another thing that this society began to put value in was education. While early on in the
Victorian era and prior to her reign on the throne, education took a back seat. Half of the
people were unable to read or write. Even the term gentlemen had a different meaning by the
time the Victorian era ended. Early on a gentleman was simply someone who came from a
wealthy family, and was primarily associated with royalty.

However, by the end, the term gentlemen were also associated with the men who had received
good educations. It goes to show you that the society had many important things they held
onto that we still value today. Also read Victorian Era Characteristics: art, literature,
technology, religion, social, political

Historical Background of Victorian Age

In the year 1837, Queen Victoria ascended the throne of Great Britain and Ireland and
succeeded William the IV. She served for a period of 64 years, till her death in 1901 and it is
one of the longest reigns in the history of England. The period was marked by many
important social and historical changes that altered the nation in many ways. The population
nearly doubled, the British Empire expanded exponentially and technological and industrial
progress helped Britain become the most powerful country in the world.

Chief Characteristics of Victorian Period

While the country saw economic progress, poverty and exploitation were also equally a part
of it. The gap between the rich and the poor increased significantly and the drive for material
and commercial success was seen to propagate a kind of a moral decay in the society itself.
The changing landscape of the country was another concern. While the earlier phase of
Romanticism saw a celebration of the country side and the rich landscape of the flora and
fauna, the Victorian era saw a changing of the landscape to one of burgeoning industries and
factories. While the poor were exploited for their labor, the period witnessed the rise of the
bourgeoisie or the middle class due to increasing trade between Britain and its colonies and
the Reform Bill of 1832 strengthen their hold. There was also a shift from the Romantic ideals
of the previous age towards a more realistic acceptance and depiction of society.

One of the most important factors that defined the age was its stress on morality. Strict
societal codes were enforced and certain activities were openly looked down upon. These
codes were even harsher for women. A feminine code of conduct was levied on them which
described every aspect of their being from the proper apparels to how to converse, everything
had rules. The role of women was mostly that of being angels of the house and restricted to
domestic confines. Professionally very few options were available to them as a woman could
either become a governess or a teacher in rich households. Hence they were financially
dependent on their husbands and fathers and it led to a commercialization of the institution of
marriage.

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Victorian Novels
Victorian Era is seen as the link between Romanticism of the 18th century and the realism of
the 20th century. The novel as a genre rose to entertain the rising middle class and to depict
the contemporary life in a changing society. Although the novel had been in development
since the 18th century with the works of Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne,
Samuel Richardson and the others, it was in this period that the novel got mass acceptance
and readership. The growth of cities, a ready domestic market and one in the oversea colonies
and an increase in printing and publishing houses facilitated the growth of the novel as a form.
In the year 1870, an Education Act was passed which made education an easy access to the
masses furthermore increasing literacy rates among the population. Certain jobs required a
certain level of reading ability and simple novels catered to this by becoming a device to
practice reading. Also the time of the daily commute to work for men and the time alone at
home for women could be filled by reading which now became a leisure activity. As a
response to the latter, the demand for fiction, rose substantially.

The novels of the age mostly had a moral strain in them with a belief in the innate goodness of
human nature. The characters were well rounded and the protagonist usually belonged to a
middle class society who struggled to create a niche for himself in the industrial and
mercantile world. The stress was on realism and an attempt to describe the daily struggles of
ordinary men that the middle class reader could associate with. The moral tangents were
perhaps an attempt to rescue the moral degradation prevalent in the society then and supplied
the audience with hope and positivity. These moral angles allowed for inclusion of larger
debates in fiction like the ones surrounding “the woman question”, marriage, progress,
education, the Industrial Revolution. New roles for women were created because of the
resultant economic market and their voice which was earlier not given cadence was now
being spotted and recognized and novels became the means where the domestic confinement
of women was questioned. Novels reflecting the larger questions surrounding women, like
those of their roles and duties. In the latter half of the century, Married Women’s Property
Acts was passed, the women suffrage became an important point of debate, and poverty and
other economic reasons challenged the traditional roles of women. The novel as a form
became the medium where such concerns were raised.

Women Novelists of the Victorian Era

The era saw a proliferation of women writers. The novel as a genre was initially seen as
feminine literature and as the literacy rate among women increased, a new need for women
writers catering to this segment was answered by these writers.

Bronte Sisters

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte were the three famous novelist daughters of Patrick Bronte,
a well-educated man and a writer himself; and Maria Bronte. The family together went
through a series of tragedies where Maria Bronte died very early and none of the three sisters
could reach the age of 40. Charlotte died at the age of just 39, Emily at 30 and Anne at 29. All
three were educated by their father at home and all of them were fond of storytelling since
childhood. Charlotte Bronte is famous for her novel Jane Eyre, published in 1847. The titular
protagonist of the book, Jane Eyre, and her struggles in life and love for Mr. Rochester along
with the process of her mental and spiritual growth are traced. The novel is believed to have a
feminist tone to it and the famous ‘woman in the attic’ character of Bertha Mason raises

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several gender and feminist issues. Emily Bronte, the second of the trio, became famous for
her novel Wuthering Heights, published in the year 1847 and the only book written by her.
Like George Eliot, Emily wrote under the pseudonym of Ellis Bell but after her death
Charlotte published the novel with her sister’s real name. The novel is the love story of
Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. Anne Bronte, the last of the three, wrote two novels:
Agnes Grey (1847) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848). The former was an
autobiographical work and the latter is about a woman named  Helen Graham who
transgresses marital and social boundaries to assert her freedom. It is seen a substantial piece
of feminist writing.

All three sisters hence larger societal questions through mostly women characters and the plot
focusses on their life with themes of love and passion. They hence enjoyed a large female
readership and have achieved status as classics of literature.

Victorian Era Morality Facts: Moral

Behavior, Values, Ideals, Ethics
Ethics and morals relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct. While they are sometimes used
interchangeably, they are different: ethics refer to rules provided by an external source, e.g.,
codes of conduct in workplaces or principles in religions. Morals refer to an individual’s own
principles regarding right and wrong. Source:  diffen.com

The Victorian era is often thought of as a time when society and its rules were rigid and strict.
The term prudish is used very much in reference to this point in time. So if one has to define
Victorian morality, it is based upon a group of principles or standard of moral conduct
including practising sexual restraint, zero acceptance of criminal activity and a stern
demeanour.

Facts about Victorian attitudes and values: an

introduction
Victorian era is thus named after the monarch ruling over England during this period and this
particular term was employed for the first time when the Great Exhibition of 1851 took place
in London. This was the platform where all that Victorian morality and inventions and
discoveries were showcased to the world at large.

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What are examples of Victorian morality?
The term Victorian morality is often used to describe the values of the period, which included

 sexual proprietary
 hard work
 honesty
 thrift
 sense of duty and responsibility towards the less well off

Religion, morality, elitist thinking, industrialization all played an important role in the
formation of what we today know as the Victorian era morality. It changed England totally by
altering the very thread of social interaction, mores and traditions.

Victorian morality in America

In line with the values, Royal Navy patrolled the Atlantic ocean checking on ships for any
illegal trade of slaves. If found, slaves were freed. Freed slaves were sent to Sierra Leone.
Trivia: Sierra Leone’s capital was named as “Freetown”.

Victorian era morality & values in literature

As mentioned earlier, movements for justice, freedom, and other strong moral values were
pitted against greed, exploitation, and cynicism. The writings of Charles Dickens, in
particular, observed and raised awareness about these conditions. It is also said that Karl Marx
and Friedrich Engels’ analysis of capitalism is in and as a reaction to Victorian Britain.

These patriarchal social values and roles for men & women are summed up by Alfred Lord
Tennyson’s (1809–1892) in his poem, The Princess (1847):

Man for the field and woman for the hearth;

for the sword, and for the needle she;
Man with the head, and women with the heart;
Man to command, and woman to obey;
All else is confusion.

Contradictions in the Victorian Values

Today, the historians view this period in history as a contradiction in terms. On one hand,
there was utmost abeyance to the dictates of society, exemplified behaviour and formality. On
the other hand, child labor and prostitution were highly prevalent at the same time.

Thus, a façade of sobriety, sternness and piety was adopted while turning a blind eye to the
many evils that were rampant in Victorian England. Religion, which was constant and
unshakeable, was beginning to be questioned. The people did not hesitate to ask why.

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The advent of industrialization, modernization and the mushrooming of factories,
developments in science and the discovery of various continents left a lingering doubt in the
minds of people. Commercialism took precedence over everything else.

Hence, the virtues prescribed by religion were named as values, i.e. a morality based conduct
and behaviour. Values, not prescribed by the church, were changeable and alterable according
to practice and people’s wishes.

Ideals were upheld as morals and values. The agnostic way of thinking emerged due to the
tremendous and rapid transformation of the country’s economy, development and political
situation. The Oxford movement, anti-liberal movement, utilitarianism and Marxism came
into power unlike anything before.

Thus, the belief that value means utility basis of thought came into being.
Nietzsche propounded the theory of nihilism meaning the ultimate emptying of
culture and meaninglessness.

The most thought were given to what was respectable. From the aristocracy to the working
class, respectability was the topmost thing on everyone’s minds. Being clean, truthful, and
polite and observing the rules of conversation was very important. Philanthropy was also an
example of Victorian morality.

Victorian ethics is another interesting subject to look at.

Anyone not adhering to the morals during the Victorian era was shunned and criticized.
Women, especially, were the unwitting victims of this trend for the longest time.

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 Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre /ɛər/ (originally published as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography) is a novel by English
writer Charlotte Brontë, published under the pen name "Currer Bell", on 16 October 1847, by
Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first American edition was published the following year
by Harper & Brothers of New York.[1] Arguably a Bildungsroman,[citation needed] Jane Eyre
follows the experiences of its eponymous heroine, including her growth to adulthood and her
love for Mr. Rochester, the brooding master of Thornfield Hall. The novel revolutionised
prose fiction in that the focus on Jane's moral and spiritual development is told through an
intimate, first-person narrative, where actions and events are coloured by a psychological
intensity. Charlotte Brontë has been called the "first historian of the private consciousness"
and the literary ancestor of writers like Proust and Joyce.[2] The book contains elements of
social criticism, with a strong sense of Christian morality at its core and is considered by
many to be ahead of its time because of Jane's individualistic character and how the novel
approaches the topics of class, sexuality, religion and feminism.[3][4]

Jane Eyre is divided into 38 chapters. It was originally published in three

volumes in the 19th century, comprising chapters 1 to 15, 16 to 27, and 28 to 38.

Introduction

The novel is a first-person narrative from the perspective of the title character. The novel's
setting is somewhere in the north of England, late in the reign of George III (1760–1820).[a] It
goes through five distinct stages: Jane's childhood at Gateshead Hall, where she is
emotionally and physically abused by her aunt and cousins; her education at Lowood School,
where she gains friends and role models but suffers privations and oppression; her time as
governess at Thornfield Hall, where she falls in love with her mysterious employer, Edward
Rochester; her time with the Rivers family, during which her earnest but cold clergyman
cousin, St. John Rivers, proposes to her; and ultimately her reunion with, and marriage to, her
beloved Rochester. Throughout these sections, the novel provides perspectives on a number
of important social issues and ideas, many of which are critical of the status quo.

Jane's childhood

Young Jane argues with her guardian Mrs. Reed of Gateshead, illustration by F. H. Townsend

15
Jane Eyre, aged 10, lives with her maternal uncle's family, the Reeds, as a result of her uncle's
dying wish. It is several years after her parents died of typhus. Mr. Reed, Jane's uncle, was the
only member of the Reed family who was ever kind to Jane. Jane's aunt, Sarah Reed, dislikes
her, abuses her, and treats her as a burden, and discourages her children from associating with
Jane. The nursemaid, Bessie, proves to be Jane's only ally in the household, even though
Bessie occasionally scolds Jane harshly. Excluded from the family activities, Jane leads a
unhappy childhood, with only a doll and books with which to entertain herself.

One day, as punishment for defending herself against her cousin John Reed, Jane is relegated
to the red room in which her late uncle had died; there, she faints from panic after she thinks
she has seen his ghost. The red room is significant because it lays the grounds for the
"ambiguous relationship between parents and children" which we see play out in all of Jane's
future relationships with male figures throughout the novel.[5] She is subsequently attended to
by the kindly apothecary Mr. Lloyd to whom Jane reveals how unhappy she is living at
Gateshead Hall. He recommends to Mrs. Reed that Jane should be sent to school, an idea Mrs.
Reed happily supports. Mrs. Reed then enlists the aid of the harsh Mr. Brocklehurst who is the
director of Lowood Institution, a charity school for girls, to enroll Jane. Mrs. Reed cautions
Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane has a "tendency for deceit", which he interprets as her being a
"liar". Before Jane leaves, however, she confronts Mrs. Reed and declares that she'll never
call her "aunt" again. Jane also tells Mrs. Reed and her daughters, Georgiana and Eliza, that
they are the ones who are deceitful, and that she will tell everyone at Lowood how cruelly the
Reeds treated her.[6]

Lowood

At Lowood Institution, a school for poor and orphaned girls, Jane soon finds that life is harsh;
she attempts to fit in and befriends an older girl, Helen Burns. During a school inspection by
Mr. Brocklehurst, Jane accidentally breaks her slate, thereby drawing attention to herself. He
then stands her on a stool, brands her a liar, and shames her before the entire assembly. Miss
Temple, the caring superintendent, facilitates Jane's self-defence. Helen and Miss Temple are
Jane's two main role models that positively guide her development, despite the harsh
treatment she has received from many others.

The 80 pupils at Lowood are subjected to cold rooms, poor meals, and thin clothing. Many
students fall ill when a typhus epidemic strikes; Helen dies of consumption in Jane's arms.
When Mr. Brocklehurst's maltreatment of the students is discovered, several benefactors erect
a new building and install a sympathetic management committee to moderate Mr.
Brocklehurst's harsh rule. Conditions at the school then improve dramatically.

The name Lowood symbolises the "low" point in Jane's life where she was maltreated.[citation
needed]

Thornfield Hall

After six years as a student and two as a teacher at Lowood, Jane decides to leave. Her friend
and confidante, Miss Temple, also leaves after getting married. She advertises her services as
a governess. A housekeeper at Thornfield Hall, Alice Fairfax, replies to Jane's advertisement.
Jane takes the position, teaching Adèle Varens, a young French girl.

One night, while Jane is walking to a nearby town, a horseman passes her. The horse slips on
ice and throws the rider. Despite the rider's surliness, Jane helps him get back onto his horse.

16
Later, back at Thornfield, she learns that this man is Edward Rochester, master of the house.
Adèle was left in his care when her mother abandoned her. It is not immediately clear whether
Adèle is Rochester's daughter or not.

At Jane's first meeting with Mr. Rochester, he teases her, accusing her of bewitching his horse
to make him fall. Jane is able to stand up to his initially arrogant manner, despite his strange
behavior. Mr. Rochester and Jane soon come to enjoy each other's company, and spend many
evenings together.

Odd things start to happen at the house, such as a strange laugh, a mysterious fire in Mr.
Rochester's room (from which Jane saves Rochester by rousing him and throwing water on
him and the fire), and an attack on a house guest named Mr. Mason.

After Jane saved Mr. Rochester from the fire, he thanked her tenderly and emotionally, and
that night Jane felt strange emotions of her own, towards him. Next day, however, he left
unexpectedly for a distant party gathering, and several days later returned with the whole
party, including the beautiful and talented Blanche Ingram. Jane sees that Blanche and Mr.
Rochester favour each other, and starts to feel jealous, particularly because she also sees that
Blanche is snobbish and heartless, and unworthy of "her" Mr. Rochester.

Jane then receives word that Mrs. Reed is calling for her, because she has suffered a stroke
after John Reed has died. Jane returns to Gateshead and remains there for a month, attending
to her dying aunt. Mrs. Reed confesses to Jane that she wronged her, giving Jane a letter from
Jane's paternal uncle, Mr. John Eyre, in which he asks for her to live with him and be his heir.
Mrs. Reed admits to telling Mr. Eyre that Jane had died of fever at Lowood. Soon afterward,
Mrs. Reed dies, and Jane helps her cousins after the funeral before returning to Thornfield.

St. John Rivers admits Jane to Moor House, illustration by F. H. Townsend

Back at Thornfield, Jane broods over Mr. Rochester's rumoured impending marriage to
Blanche Ingram. However, one midsummer evening, Rochester baits Jane by saying how
much he will miss her after getting married and how she will soon forget him. The normally
self-controlled Jane reveals her feelings for him. Rochester then is sure that Jane is sincerely
in love with him, and he proposes marriage. Jane is at first skeptical of his sincerity, before
accepting his proposal. She then writes to her Uncle John, telling him of her happy news.

As she prepares for her wedding, Jane's forebodings arise when a strange woman sneaks into
her room one night and rips her wedding veil in two. As with the previous mysterious events,
Mr. Rochester attributes the incident to Grace Poole, one of his servants. During the wedding
ceremony, Mr. Mason and a lawyer declare that Mr. Rochester cannot marry because he is
already married to Mr. Mason's sister, Bertha. Mr. Rochester admits this is true but explains
that his father tricked him into the marriage for her money. Once they were united, he

17
discovered that she was rapidly descending into congenital madness, and so he eventually
locked her away in Thornfield, hiring Grace Poole as a nurse to look after her. When Grace
gets drunk, Rochester's wife escapes and causes the strange happenings at Thornfield.

It turns out that Jane's uncle, Mr. John Eyre, is a friend of Mr. Mason's and was visited by him
soon after Mr. Eyre received Jane's letter about her impending marriage. After the marriage
ceremony is broken off, Mr. Rochester asks Jane to go with him to the south of France, and
live with him as husband and wife, even though they cannot be married. Refusing to go
against her principles, and despite her love for him, Jane leaves Thornfield in the middle of
the night.[7]

Other employment

Jane travels as far from Thornfield as she can using the little money she had previously saved.
She accidentally leaves her bundle of possessions on the coach and is forced to sleep on the
moor. She unsuccessfully attempts to trade her handkerchief and gloves for food. Exhausted
and starving, she eventually makes her way to the home of Diana and Mary Rivers, but is
turned away by the housekeeper. She collapses on the doorstep, preparing for her death. St.
John Rivers, Diana and Mary's brother and a clergyman, rescues her. After she regains her
health, St. John finds Jane a teaching position at a nearby village school. Jane becomes good
friends with the sisters, but St. John remains aloof.

The sisters leave for governess jobs, and St. John becomes somewhat closer to Jane. St. John
learns Jane's true identity and astounds her by telling her that her uncle, John Eyre, has died
and left her his entire fortune of 20,000 pounds (equivalent to just under $1.7 million in
2018[8]). When Jane questions him further, St. John reveals that John Eyre is also his and his
sisters' uncle. They had once hoped for a share of the inheritance but were left virtually
nothing. Jane, overjoyed by finding that she has living and friendly family members, insists
on sharing the money equally with her cousins, and Diana and Mary come back to live at
Moor House.

Proposals

Thinking that the pious Jane will make a suitable missionary's wife, St. John asks her to marry
him and to go with him to India, not out of love, but out of duty. Jane initially accepts going
to India but rejects the marriage proposal, suggesting they travel as brother and sister. As soon
as Jane's resolve against marriage to St. John begins to weaken, she mystically hears Mr.
Rochester's voice calling her name. Jane then returns to Thornfield to find only blackened
ruins. She learns that Mr. Rochester's wife set the house on fire and committed suicide by
jumping from the roof. In his rescue attempts, Mr. Rochester lost a hand and his eyesight.
Jane reunites with him, but he fears that she will be repulsed by his condition. "Am I hideous,
Jane?", he asks. "Very, sir; you always were, you know", she replies. When Jane assures him
of her love and tells him that she will never leave him, Mr. Rochester proposes again, and
they are married. He eventually recovers sight enough to see their newborn son.

18
Major characters
In order of first line of dialogue:

Chapter 1

 Jane Eyre: The novel's narrator and protagonist, she eventually becomes the second
wife of Edward Rochester. Orphaned as a baby, Jane struggles through her nearly
loveless childhood and becomes governess at Thornfield Hall. Though facially plain,
Jane is passionate and strongly principled, and values freedom and independence. She
also has a strong conscience and is a determined Christian. She is ten at the beginning
of the novel, and nineteen or twenty at the end of the main narrative. As the final
chapter of the novel states that she has been married to Edward Rochester for ten
years, she is approximately thirty at its completion.
 Mrs. Sarah Reed: (née Gibson) Jane's maternal aunt by marriage, who reluctantly
adopted Jane in accordance with her late husband's wishes. According to Mrs. Reed,
he pitied Jane and often cared for her more than for his own children. Mrs. Reed's
resentment leads her to abuse and neglect the girl. She lies to Mr. Brocklehurst about
Jane's tendency to lie, preparing him to be severe with Jane when she arrives at
Brocklehurst's Lowood School.
 John Reed: Jane's fourteen-year-old cousin who bullies her incessantly, sometimes in
his mother's presence. John eventually ruins himself as an adult by drinking and
gambling, and is rumoured to have committed suicide.
 Eliza Reed: Jane's thirteen-year-old first cousin. Jealous of her more attractive
younger sister and a slave to rigid routine, she self-righteously devotes herself to
religion. She leaves for a nunnery near Lisle after her mother's death, determined to
estrange herself from her sister.
 Georgiana Reed: Jane's eleven-year-old first cousin. Although beautiful and
indulged, she is insolent and spiteful. Her elder sister Eliza foils Georgiana's marriage
to the wealthy Lord Edwin Vere, when the couple is about to elope. Georgiana
eventually marries a, "wealthy worn-out man of fashion."
 Bessie Lee: The nursemaid at Gateshead. She often treats Jane kindly, telling her
stories and singing her songs, but she has a quick temper. Later, she marries Robert
Leaven and gives him three children.

Chapter 3

 Mr. Lloyd: A compassionate apothecary who recommends that Jane be sent to school.
Later, he writes a letter to Miss Temple confirming Jane's account of her childhood
and thereby clears Jane of Mrs. Reed's charge of lying.

Chapter 4

 Mr. Brocklehurst: The clergyman, director, and treasurer of Lowood School, whose
maltreatment of the students is eventually exposed. A religious traditionalist, he
advocates for his charges the most harsh, plain, and disciplined possible lifestyle, but
not, hypocritically, for himself and his own family. His second daughter Augusta
exclaimed, "Oh, dear papa, how quiet and plain all the girls at Lowood look... they
looked at my dress and mama's, as if they had never seen a silk gown before."

19
20
Chapter 5

 Miss Maria Temple: The kind superintendent of Lowood School, who treats the
students with respect and compassion. She helps clear Jane of Mr. Brocklehurst's false
accusation of deceit and cares for Helen in her last days. Eventually, she marries
Reverend Naysmith.
 Miss Scatcherd: A sour and strict teacher at Lowood. She constantly punishes Helen
Burns for her untidiness but fails to see Helen's substantial good points.
 Helen Burns: Jane's best friend at Lowood School. She refuses to hate those who
abuse her, trusts in God, and prays for peace one day in heaven. She teaches Jane to
trust Christianity and dies of consumption in Jane's arms. Elizabeth Gaskell, in her
biography of the Brontë sisters, wrote that Helen Burns was 'an exact transcript' of
Maria Brontë, who died of consumption at age 11.[9]

Chapter 11

 Mrs. Alice Fairfax: The elderly, kind widow and the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall;
distantly related to the Rochesters
 Adèle Varens: [a.dɛl va.ʁɛ̃] An excitable French child to whom Jane is governess at
Thornfield. Adèle's mother was a dancer named Céline. She was Mr. Rochester's
mistress and claimed that Adèle was Mr. Rochester's daughter, though he refuses to
believe it due to Céline's unfaithfulness and Adèle's apparent lack of resemblance to
him. Adèle seems to believe that her mother is dead (she tells Jane in chapter 11, "I
lived long ago with mamma, but she is gone to the Holy Virgin"). Mr Rochester later
tells Jane that Céline actually abandoned Adèle and "ran away to Italy with a musician
or singer" (ch. 15). Adèle and Jane develop a strong liking for one another, and
although Mr. Rochester places Adèle in a strict school after Jane flees Thornfield, Jane
visits Adèle after her return and finds a better, less severe school for her. When Adèle
is old enough to leave school, Jane describes her as "a pleasing and obliging
companion – docile, good-tempered and well-principled", and considers her kindness
to Adèle well repaid.
 Grace Poole: "...a woman of between thirty and forty; a set, square-made figure, red-
haired, and with a hard, plain face..." Mr. Rochester pays her a very high salary to
keep his mad wife, Bertha, hidden and quiet. Grace is often used as an explanation for
odd happenings at the house. She has a weakness for drinking that occasionally allows
Bertha to escape.

Chapter 12

 Edward Fairfax Rochester: The master of Thornfield Hall. A Byronic hero, he has a
face "dark, strong, and stern." He was tricked into making an unfortunate marriage to
Bertha Mason years before the novel begins.
 Leah: The housemaid at Thornfield Hall, wife of John the manservant.

Chapter 17

 Blanche Ingram: Young socialite whom Mr. Rochester is planning to marry. Though
possessed of great beauty and talent, she treats social inferiors, Jane in particular, with
undisguised contempt. Mr. Rochester exposes her and her mother's mercenary
motivations when he puts out a rumour that he is far less wealthy than they imagine.
21
Chapter 18

 Richard Mason: An Englishman whose arrival at Thornfield Hall from the West
Indies unsettles Mr. Rochester. He is the brother of Rochester's first wife, the insane
woman in the attic, and still cares for his sister's well-being. He took part in tricking
Mr. Rochester into marrying Bertha, and has returned to England to expose, during the
wedding ceremony itself, the bigamous nature of the marriage of Jane and Mr.
Rochester.

Chapter 21

 Robert Leaven: The coachman at Gateshead, who brings Jane the news of the death
of the dissolute John Reed, an event which has brought on Mrs. Reed's stroke. He
informs her of Mrs. Reed's wish to see Jane before she dies.

Chapter 26

 Bertha Antoinetta Mason: The violent and insane first wife of Edward Rochester.
Mr. Rochester has kept Bertha locked in the attic at Thornfield for years under the eye
of Grace Poole, whose drinking sometimes allows Bertha to escape. After Richard
Mason puts an end to Jane and Mr. Rochester's wedding, Rochester finally introduces
Jane to Bertha: "In the deep shade, at the farther end of the room, a figure ran
backwards and forwards. What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at
first sight, tell ... it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal: but it was
covered with clothing, and a quantity of dark, grizzled hair, wild as a mane, hid its
head and face." Eventually, Bertha sets fire to Thornfield Hall and throws herself to
her death from the roof. Bertha is viewed at Jane's "double": Jane is pious and just,
while Bertha is savagely and animalistic.[10]

Chapter 28

 Diana and Mary Rivers: Sisters in a remote house who take Jane in when she is
hungry and friendless, having left Thornfield Hall without making any arrangements
for herself. Financially poor but intellectually curious, the sisters are deeply engrossed
in reading the evening Jane appears at their door. Eventually, they are revealed to be
Jane's cousins. They want Jane to marry their stern clergyman brother so that he will
stay in England rather than journey to India as a missionary.
 Hannah: The kindly housekeeper at the Rivers home; "...comparable with the
Brontes' well-loved servant, Tabitha Aykroyd."
 St. John (SIN-jin) Eyre Rivers: A handsome, though severe and serious, clergyman
who befriends Jane and turns out to be her cousin. St. John is thoroughly practical and
suppresses all of his human passions and emotions, particularly his love for the
beautiful and cheerful heiress Rosamond Oliver, in favour of good works. He wants
Jane to marry him and serve as his assistant on his missionary journey to India.

Chapter 32

 Rosamond Oliver: A beautiful, kindly, wealthy, but rather simple young woman, and
the patron of the village school where Jane teaches. Rosamond is in love with St. John,
but he refuses to declare his love for her because she wouldn't be suitable as a

22
 missionary's wife. She eventually becomes engaged to the respected and wealthy Mr.
Granby.
 Mr. Oliver: Rosamond Oliver's wealthy father, who owns a foundry and needle
factory in the district. "... a tall, massive-featured, middle-aged, and gray-headed man,
at whose side his lovely daughter looked like a bright flower near a hoary turret." He
is a kind and charitable man, and is fond of St. John.
 Context


 The Salutation pub in Hulme, Manchester, where Brontë began to write Jane Eyre; the
pub was a lodge in the 1840s.[11][12]
 The early sequences, in which Jane is sent to Lowood, a harsh boarding school, are
derived from the author's own experiences. Helen Burns's death from tuberculosis
(referred to as consumption) recalls the deaths of Charlotte Brontë's sisters, Elizabeth
and Maria, who died of the disease in childhood as a result of the conditions at their
school, the Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge, near Tunstall, Lancashire. Mr.
Brocklehurst is based on Rev. William Carus Wilson (1791–1859), the Evangelical
minister who ran the school. Additionally, John Reed's decline into alcoholism and
dissolution recalls the life of Charlotte's brother Branwell, who became an opium and
alcohol addict in the years preceding his death. Finally, like Jane, Charlotte became a
governess. These facts were revealed to the public in The Life of Charlotte Brontë
(1857) by Charlotte's friend and fellow novelist Elizabeth Gaskell.[13]
 The Gothic manor of Thornfield Hall was probably inspired by North Lees Hall, near
Hathersage in the Peak District. This was visited by Charlotte Brontë and her friend
Ellen Nussey in the summer of 1845, and is described by the latter in a letter dated 22
July 1845. It was the residence of the Eyre family, and its first owner, Agnes Ashurst,
was reputedly confined as a lunatic in a padded second floor room.[13] It has been
suggested that the Wycoller Hall in Lancashire, close to Haworth, provided the setting
for Ferndean Manor to which Mr. Rochester retreats after the fire at Thornfield: there
are similarities between the owner of Ferndean, Mr. Rochester's father, and Henry
Cunliffe who inherited Wycoller in the 1770s and lived there until his death in 1818;
one of Cunliffe's relatives was named Elizabeth Eyre (née Cunliffe).[14] The sequence
in which Mr. Rochester's wife sets fire to the bed curtains was prepared in an August
1830 homemade publication of Brontë's The Young Men's Magazine, Number 2.[15]
Charlotte Brontë began composing Jane Eyre in Manchester, and she likely
envisioned Manchester Cathedral churchyard as the burial place for Jane's parents and
the birthplace of Jane herself.[16]

23