The Brontë Sisters Collection characters

Appears from the start

A ten-year-old orphan living unhappily with her aunt's family at Gateshead. Intelligent 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 and treats Jane as an unwelcome dependent whose resistance proves bad character.

First appears in chapter 4

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

First appears in chapter 5

Lowood's compassionate superintendent, who offers humane care within a school marked by hunger, cold, and rigid discipline.

First appears in chapter 6

An older Lowood pupil who becomes Jane's first close friend. Thoughtful and deeply religious, Helen meets punishment and illness with patience.

First appears in chapter 11

The housekeeper at Thornfield Hall, whose practical kindness welcomes Jane into the quiet and initially puzzling household.

First appears in chapter 11

A lively French child living at Thornfield as Mr Rochester's ward and placed under Jane's instruction.

First appears in chapter 12

The master of Thornfield, first met when Jane helps him after his horse slips. Abrupt and searching, he is intrigued by her independent judgment.

First appears in chapter 26

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

First appears in chapter 29

A reserved clergyman who helps shelter Jane after she collapses near Moor House. Disciplined and emotionally controlled, he plans a life of missionary work.

First appears in chapter 39

The tenant of Thrushcross Grange, whose visits to his landlord's hostile household prompt Nelly Dean to relate its history.

First appears in chapter 39

Lockwood's guarded and unsociable landlord, master of Wuthering Heights and the commanding presence in its strained household.

First appears in chapter 40

A rough-spoken young resident of Wuthering Heights whose pride conflicts with his neglected education and uncertain status.

First appears in chapter 40

A beautiful, sharp-tongued young widow living unhappily at Wuthering Heights and openly disdainful of Lockwood's conversation.

First appears in chapter 42

A longtime servant of the Earnshaw and Linton families who becomes the principal 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 and affectionate, who forms an intense childhood bond with Heathcliff.

First appears in chapter 42

Catherine's older brother, who resents Heathcliff and uses his authority as master of Wuthering Heights to degrade him.

First appears in chapter 44

A refined neighbor whose gentle manners and protected home introduce Catherine to a social world far removed from Wuthering Heights.

First appears in chapter 44

Edgar's sheltered younger sister, who later becomes fascinated by Heathcliff despite Catherine's warnings about him.

First appears in chapter 57

The frail son of Heathcliff and Isabella. Timid and demanding, he is vulnerable to a father who views him as a means to acquire property.

First appears in chapter 73

A young farmer at Linden-Car who recounts his attachment to the mysterious tenant of Wildfell Hall. Sociable and proud, Gilbert is also impulsive when jealous.

First appears in chapter 73

The reserved young widow who rents Wildfell Hall with her small son and a servant. She supports herself through painting and fiercely protects her privacy and child.

First appears in chapter 73

Helen Graham's young son, whom she guards closely from alcohol and other influences she considers harmful.

First appears in chapter 73

Helen's faithful servant and only adult companion at Wildfell Hall. Her loyalty suggests a shared history the neighbors do not know.

First appears in chapter 75

A quiet neighboring gentleman whose private understanding with Helen Graham fuels Gilbert's jealousy and local speculation.

First appears in chapter 88

A charming and confident gentleman whom Helen meets while staying with her aunt and uncle. His attention attracts her despite warnings about his principles.

First appears in chapter 90

A fashionable woman in Helen's social circle who enjoys admiration and brings rivalry into the company surrounding Huntingdon.

Also known as Lord Lowborough

First appears in chapter 90

A serious nobleman among Huntingdon's companions who is trying to master destructive habits and hopes honorable attachment will support reform.

First appears in chapter 90

Helen's gentle friend, whose compliant nature leaves her vulnerable to the stronger personalities arranging marriages around her.

First appears in chapter 99

Milicent's brother and a polished visitor during Helen's married life. He presents himself as a sympathetic alternative to Huntingdon's cruelty.