Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights characters

Appears from the start

A ten-year-old orphan living unhappily with her aunt's family at Gateshead. Intelligent, observant, and intensely conscious of injustice, Jane endures isolation but resists when her cousin abuses her.

Appears from the start

Jane's widowed aunt and reluctant guardian. She favors her own children, treats Jane as an unwelcome dependent, and interprets the girl's anger at mistreatment as proof of bad character.

First appears in chapter 4

The clergyman who directs Lowood Institution, the charity school chosen for Jane. He advocates severe deprivation for the pupils and accepts Mrs Reed's accusation that Jane is deceitful.

First appears in chapter 5

Lowood's compassionate superintendent. Dignified and fair-minded, she offers the pupils humane care within a school marked by cold, hunger, and rigid discipline.

First appears in chapter 6

An older Lowood pupil who becomes Jane's first close friend. Thoughtful, learned, and deeply religious, Helen meets punishment and illness with a patience very different from Jane's rebellious anger.

First appears in chapter 11

The elderly housekeeper at Thornfield Hall, who welcomes Jane when she arrives as governess. Her practical kindness helps Jane settle into the quiet and initially puzzling household.

First appears in chapter 11

A lively French child living at Thornfield as Mr Rochester's ward. Fond of songs, clothes, and attention, she is the pupil Jane has been hired to teach.

First appears in chapter 12

The master of Thornfield, first met when Jane helps him after his horse slips on an icy road. Abrupt, searching, and accustomed to command, he is intrigued by Jane's direct answers and independent judgment.

First appears in chapter 17

A beautiful and socially prominent guest at Thornfield who appears to be Rochester's intended bride. Confident in company and contemptuous of governesses, she makes Jane acutely aware of differences in rank and wealth.

First appears in chapter 26

Rochester's wife, Bertha Antoinetta Mason, whose existence is disclosed when his wedding to Jane is halted. Seriously ill and violent, she has been confined in Thornfield's upper rooms under supervision.

First appears in chapter 29

A reserved clergyman who helps shelter Jane after she collapses near Moor House. Disciplined, intelligent, and emotionally controlled, he is preparing to devote himself to missionary work.

First appears in chapter 29

St John's warm and educated sister. She welcomes the destitute Jane without demanding her history and offers the companionship and sense of home Jane has long lacked.

First appears in chapter 39

The tenant of Thrushcross Grange, who visits his landlord at Wuthering Heights and becomes curious about its hostile inhabitants. His questions prompt Nelly Dean to relate the families' history.

First appears in chapter 39

Lockwood's landlord and master of Wuthering Heights. Guarded, unsociable, and commanding, Heathcliff presides over a household whose strained connections are initially obscure.

First appears in chapter 40

A rough-spoken young resident of Wuthering Heights. Lockwood is uncertain whether Hareton belongs to the family or serves it, though the young man's pride conflicts with his neglected education.

First appears in chapter 40

A beautiful, sharp-tongued young widow living unhappily at Wuthering Heights. She responds to Lockwood's attempts at conversation with open disdain.

First appears in chapter 42

A servant with long experience of the Earnshaw and Linton families. Now keeping house for Lockwood at the Grange, she becomes the main narrator of the history behind Wuthering Heights.

Also known as Cathy Earnshaw

First appears in chapter 42

The spirited daughter of the old master of Wuthering Heights. Wild, affectionate, and strong-willed, she forms an intense childhood attachment to the orphan Heathcliff.

First appears in chapter 42

Catherine's older brother, who has resented Heathcliff since their father brought the orphan home. Once master of Wuthering Heights, he uses his authority to degrade his rival.

First appears in chapter 44

A refined young neighbor at Thrushcross Grange. His gentle manners and protected upbringing introduce Catherine to a social world far removed from Wuthering Heights.

First appears in chapter 44

Edgar's younger sister, brought up with him at Thrushcross Grange. Sheltered and romantic, she later becomes fascinated by Heathcliff despite warnings about him.

First appears in chapter 57

The frail son of Heathcliff and Isabella, brought north after his mother's death. Timid and demanding, he becomes dependent on a father who views him chiefly as a means to acquire property.