Jane Eyre (AmazonClassics Edition) characters

Appears from the start

An orphan of ten living as an unwanted dependent in her aunt's comfortable home at Gateshead. Thoughtful, observant, and passionate about fairness, Jane has learned to endure isolation but resists when her cousin John bullies her and the household treats her as morally inferior.

Appears from the start

Jane's widowed aunt and guardian, who promised her dying husband that she would care for the orphan. She resents Jane, favors her own children, and interprets the girl's resistance to mistreatment as deceit and ingratitude.

Appears from the start

Mrs Reed's fourteen-year-old son, indulged by his family and accustomed to commanding Jane. He torments her, throws a book at her, and then has her blamed when she defends herself.

Appears from the start

A servant at Gateshead who can be impatient with Jane but also tells her stories, tends her when she is ill, and shows more warmth than the Reed family does. Jane values Bessie's occasional affection even while recognizing her readiness to accept the household's judgments.

First appears in chapter 4

The clergyman who controls Lowood Institution, the charity school proposed for Jane. Severe in dress and manner, he praises deprivation as moral training and accepts Mrs Reed's claim that Jane is deceitful before the girl has any chance to establish herself.

First appears in chapter 5

The superintendent of Lowood, dignified and compassionate within an institution marked by cold, hunger, and strict discipline. She recognizes the pupils' needs, treats them with respect, and makes a strong impression on the newly arrived Jane.

First appears in chapter 6

An older Lowood pupil whom Jane sees being punished without protest. Intelligent, reflective, and deeply religious, Helen responds to hardship with patience rather than rebellion and becomes Jane's first close friend.

First appears in chapter 11

The elderly housekeeper at Thornfield Hall, who welcomes Jane on her arrival as governess. Her friendly, practical manner makes the quiet house feel less forbidding, though Jane initially mistakes her for its owner.

First appears in chapter 11

A lively French child living at Thornfield as Mr Rochester's ward and placed under Jane's instruction. Fond of dresses, songs, and attention, she speaks freely about her former life with her mother and quickly warms to her new governess.

First appears in chapter 11

A servant at Thornfield employed in sewing and other household work. Mrs Fairfax identifies her as the source of a strange, disquieting laugh heard from an upper floor, making her an object of Jane's curiosity.

First appears in chapter 12

The master of Thornfield, first encountered by Jane on a wintry road after his horse slips. Abrupt, physically unimposing, and accustomed to questioning others closely, he returns to the hall with an injury and is revealed as Jane's employer and Adèle's guardian.

First appears in chapter 17

A beautiful, accomplished guest at Thornfield from a socially prominent family. She performs confidently before the house party and appears to be the woman Rochester intends to court, while treating governesses and social inferiors with open disdain.

First appears in chapter 18

A visitor newly arrived from the West Indies who has known Rochester abroad. His unexpected presence disturbs his host, although Mason himself behaves cordially among the Thornfield guests.

First appears in chapter 26

Rochester's living wife, Bertha Antoinetta Mason, whose existence is disclosed when his wedding to Jane is stopped. Mentally ill and prone to violence, she has been confined in the upper part of Thornfield under Grace Poole's supervision, the hidden cause of the house's frightening incidents.

First appears in chapter 29

A reserved young clergyman at Moor House who helps shelter Jane after she collapses near his home. Disciplined, intelligent, and emotionally controlled, he is committed to religious duty and plans a life of missionary work rather than comfort.

First appears in chapter 29

One of St John's sisters at Moor House, warm, educated, and eager to befriend the destitute Jane without pressing her for a history she is not ready to give. Diana's conversation and kindness offer Jane a sense of intellectual companionship and home.