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Summary and Analysis of Volume I, Chapters 6-10
Volume I, Chapter 6 Summary: Jane is introduced to her regular tasks at Lowood, namely sewing. Miss Scatcherd continually berates and even whips Helen, who never makes any response. Jane learns more about Helen, who espouses a doctrine of endurance, since the Bible "'bids us return good for evil.'" Helen also refuses to call Miss Scatcherd cruel; she believes she has numerous character flaws that Miss Scatcherd is correct to point out. Although Helen is very fond of Miss Temple and finds she learns more from her, her mild-mannered teaching style does not force Helen to be actively good; rather, she is passively good, and she believes "'there is no merit in such goodness.'" Jane disagrees with Helen's philosophy; she feels one should repay goodness with goodness and cruelty with cruelty. She tells Helen about the Reed family, but Helen insists in a long speech that one must forgive one's enemies. AnalysisHelen presents to Jane her Christian philosophy of forgiveness and endurance: one must bear the sins of others, turn the other cheek, and love thy enemy. Jane, of course, is at odds with this idea, believing that standing up for herself frequently means fighting back. We have already witnessed several situations in which she availed herself of these tactics, particularly the fight with John and her lashing out at Mrs. Reed. The former led to her imprisonment in the red-room, while the latter was a short-lived victory that soon turned into remorse. While Helen's Christianity is not useful for Jane, neither is Jane's attitude of self-defense; she must find and develop her own brand of spirituality. Volume I, Chapter 7 Summary: Jane passes a difficult first quarter at Lowood, with both the snowy weather and strict environment contributing to her misery. Mr. Brocklehurst visits Miss Temple's classroom and instructs her not to indulge the girls in the slightest way; their privations will remind them of the Christian ethic. He spots a girl with curly hair and deems it unacceptable for an evangelical environment, as are all the top-knots on the girls' heads. Jane, nervous that Mr. Brocklehurst will convey Mrs. Reed's warnings about her behavior to Miss Temple, accidentally drops her slate. Mr. Brocklehurst chastises her in front of the class and three visiting fashionable ladies (Mr. Brocklehurst's relatives), telling everyone to ignore her the rest of the day, as she is a liar. Jane must stand on a stool in front of the class all day, with her only solace coming as Helen furtively smiles at her. Analysis: Helen's philosophy of Christian forgiveness is tested as Mr. Brocklehurst unjustly punishes Jane. Though Jane does not fight back, she inwardly seethes and thinks, "I was no Helen Burns." Mr. Brocklehurst's Christianity shows more hypocritical flaws. Though he claims that privation leads to purity, his relatives are dressed to the nines. He even wants to cut off one girl's naturally curly hair, demonstrating his lust for absolute power over others. Volume I, Chapter 8 Summary: Jane is filled with self-pity by the time school is dismissed. Helen assures her that not everyone hates herin fact, they sympathize with her maltreatment. Jane feels she needs love from others to survive, but Helen thinks she puts too much stock in love from others; the rewards of spirituality and the glorious afterlife should be our ballast. Miss Temple finds them and takes them to her room, where she asks Jane to tell her side of the story concerning Mrs. Reed. Jane does, and also mentions Mr. Lloyd's visit to her when sick. Miss Temple believes her and says she will write Mr. Lloyd for corroboration; when he does, Jane's name will be cleared. She treats the girls to tea and snacks as Miss Temple and Helen discuss intellectual matters. The bedtime bell breaks the heavenly atmosphere, as Miss Scatcherd reprimands Helen for messiness. The next day Helen must wear the word "Slattern" on a paper crown around her forehead; at the end of the day, Jane tears it off for her and burns it while crying. A week later Miss Temple announces to the school that Jane's name is cleared, and she is reaccepted into the community. The incident prompts Jane to work harder in class, and Lowood, despite its failings, grows on her. Analysis: Jane explicates her need for love from others, while Helen outlines her belief that spirituality is enough. While it is clear that Jane will not accept these notions, Helen is correct in noting that Jane needs to be less reliant on others. Jane will have to find a combination of self-reliance and love from others. As we have seen before, ice is a motif in Jane Eyre for cruel, negative destruction, and here fire fans out as a symbol of goodness and creation. The fire in Miss Temple's room warms the girls, as does Miss Temple's kindness, conversation, and treats. More interestingly, Jane burns Helen's shameful "Slattern" crown in fire; even when destructive, fire is a sort of positive destruction that obliterates evil in the world. Volume I, Chapter 9 Summary: As spring comes, Lowood becomes a more pleasant place. However, more than half the girls, including Helen, who suffers from consumption, have gotten sick from neglectful care, some even fatally. Jane, one of the healthy, enjoys the outdoors, all the more so because Mr. Brocklehurst no longer visits the school. Jane is shocked to learn that Helen is on her deathbed, but she is not allowed to visit her in Miss Temple's room. Still, Jane sneaks in at night. Helen accepts her impending death and place in heaven, and tells Jane not to grieve for her. Jane sleeps with her, and Helen dies during the night. Her grave is unmarked at first, but fifteen years later a marble tablet is placed over it inscribed with the Latin word "Resurgam," or "I will rise again." Analysis: Jane's devotion to Helen is moving, and Helen lives out her Christian beliefs to her dying day. Jane continues to question Helen's unshakable faithshe wonders, though does not speak aloud, if heaven truly does exist. Helen completes her representation as a Christ figure for Jane, dying so Jane can learn more of what it means to be Christian; though Jane is not willing to accept fully everything Helen espouses, the "Resurgam" tablet (placed by Jane, it seems) indicates that she has incorporated her beliefs into her own ideology. Volume I, Chapter 10 Summary: The typhus fever incites an investigation into Lowood's unhealthy environment, and outraged benefactors bring it up to speed and share administrative responsibility with the dishonored Mr. Brocklehurst. Jane excels as a student under the wing of Miss Temple for six years and as a teacher for two. Miss Temple marries and departs from Lowood, leaving Jane empty and searching for a "new servitude,'" a new job serving someone else. She places an advertisement for being a governess in a newspaper and gains employment for a Mrs. Fairfax at a manor named Thornfield near the manufacturing town of Millcote. Before she leaves, she is overjoyed by a visit from Bessie, now married and with two children. Bessie brings news of the Reeds and of a Mr. Eyre who, seven years ago, came to Gateshead looking for Jane before he sailed to the Portugese island of Madeira looking to make his fortune as a wine-merchant. Bessie and Jane part ways the next day. Analysis: This brief transitional chapter jumps eight years through Jane's life, during which she matures greatly from an angry girl bent on self-survival into a mostly independent young woman seeking to serve others. The mention of Mr. Eyre's visit to Gateshead also suggests he will reappear in some form later on, adding suspense to the narrative.
ClassicNote on Jane Eyre
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