Jane Eyre [Blackstone Edition] characters

Appears from the start

An orphaned ten-year-old dependent on her late uncle's family at Gateshead. Small, observant, and fiercely conscious of injustice, she is excluded by the Reed household and punished when she resists her cousin John's bullying.

Appears from the start

Jane's widowed aunt, who promised her dying husband that she would care for his orphaned niece. She resents Jane's presence, favors her own children, and treats the girl's independence as deceit and ingratitude.

Appears from the start

Mrs Reed's fourteen-year-old son, indulged despite his cruelty and idleness. He uses his position in the household to torment Jane and expects her to submit because she is poor and dependent.

Appears from the start

A servant at Gateshead who sometimes offers Jane affection, stories, and practical care, though she also participates in the household's discipline. Her imperfect kindness makes her one of the few people in Jane's childhood home who sees the child sympathetically.

First appears in chapter 4

The clergyman who controls Lowood Institution, the charity school proposed for Jane. Severe and self-satisfied, he preaches humility and deprivation for the pupils and accepts Mrs Reed's claim that Jane is naturally deceitful.

First appears in chapter 5

A senior teacher at Lowood whose composed manner and genuine concern command the pupils' respect. She receives Jane kindly on arrival and offers a humane counterweight to the school's harsh discipline.

First appears in chapter 6

An older Lowood pupil who befriends Jane. Intelligent, patient, and deeply religious, she endures public punishment without bitterness and challenges Jane's belief that every injury must be answered with resistance.

First appears in chapter 11

The housekeeper at Thornfield Hall, who welcomes Jane to her new post with warmth and courtesy. Jane initially assumes she owns the house, but Mrs Fairfax explains that she manages it for the frequently absent Mr Rochester.

First appears in chapter 11

Jane's lively young pupil at Thornfield, raised in France and now the ward of Mr Rochester. Fond of songs, dancing, presents, and fine clothes, she chatters to her new governess in a mixture of French and English.

First appears in chapter 12

The master of Thornfield Hall, encountered by Jane on a winter road before she knows who he is. Abrupt, restless, and commanding rather than conventionally handsome, he questions Jane closely and seems more interested in candor than deference.

First appears in chapter 17

A fashionable, accomplished beauty visiting Thornfield with an aristocratic party. Rochester appears to court her, and her rank, confidence, and contempt for governesses make Jane painfully aware of her own uncertain place in the household.

First appears in chapter 18

An Englishman from the West Indies who arrives unexpectedly at Thornfield and claims old acquaintance with Rochester. His presence deeply unsettles his host, though Mason himself behaves with mildness and trust.

First appears in chapter 26

Rochester's wife, revealed at Thornfield after Mason stops Jane's wedding. Severely mentally ill and confined in an upper room under Grace Poole's care, she is the source of the strange laughter, violence, and fire that have haunted the house.

Also known as St John Rivers

First appears in chapter 29

A reserved young clergyman who, with his sisters, saves Jane after she collapses near Moor House. Pale, disciplined, and difficult to read, he devotes himself to duty and helps the unknown traveler find shelter and useful work.

First appears in chapter 29

St. John's warm and cultivated sister, living at Moor House between positions as a governess. She welcomes the destitute Jane without demanding her history and quickly treats her as a companion rather than a dependent.

First appears in chapter 29

The younger Rivers sister, gentle and intellectually curious. Like Diana, she earns her living away from home and shares what little the family has with Jane when the stranger is brought into Moor House.