Jane Eyre

Author: (British) Bront? / Xu Ping
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Jane Eyre is an orphan born into a poor clergyman's family. Her parents died of typhoid fever within a month. The young Jane was raised by her aunt and uncle. After her uncle, Mr. Reed, passed away, Jane spent 10 years enduring discrimination and abuse. Once, when she resisted her cousin's beating, Jane was locked in the red room. The physical pain and the humiliation and fear in her heart made her fall seriously ill. Her aunt, Mrs. Reed, regarded her as a thorn in her eye and kept her isolated from her own children, leading to more open and resolute opposition between them. Later, Jane was sent to Lowood Orphanage. The orphanage had strict rules and a harsh life, and the headmaster was a cold hypocrite. Jane continued to suffer both mentally and physically in the orphanage. Due to the poor living conditions, children often died of illness in the orphanage. After graduating, Jane stayed at the school to teach for two years. During this time, her close friend Helen died of tuberculosis. Jane grew tired of life in the orphanage and placed an advertisement to find a job as a governess. The housekeeper at Thornfield Manor hired her. The master of the manor, Rochester, often traveled abroad, and the only other resident was a girl named Adèle Varens, who was less than 10 years old and under his protection—she was Jane's student. One evening, Jane went for a walk and met her master, who had just returned from abroad. This was their first meeting. Later, she discovered that her master was a moody and unpredictable man, whose attitude toward her was sometimes kind and sometimes harsh. The entire house was gloomy and empty, and sometimes strange, eerie laughter could be heard. One night, Jane was woken up by this laughter in her dream and found that Rochester's room was on fire. She woke him up and helped him put out the fire. After returning, Rochester often hosted dinner parties. At one such dinner, he paid great attention to a beautiful young lady named Blanche. Jane was called into the drawing room but was coldly treated by Blanche and her daughter. She endured the humiliation and left the room. By then, she had fallen in love with Rochester. In fact, Rochester had also fallen in love with Jane, though he merely wanted to test her feelings for him. When he proposed to Jane, she accepted him. The night before the wedding, Jane saw, in a dream, a repulsive woman in front of the mirror, wearing her wedding dress. The next day, as the wedding was quietly taking place in the church, someone suddenly appeared to testify that Mr. Rochester had been married 15 years ago. His wife was the madwoman who had been locked in the attic. The law prevented their love, plunging both into deep sorrow. On a night of fierce wind and rain, Jane left Rochester. In her search for a new life, Jane lived in the open, begged along the way, and endured countless hardships. Eventually, she was taken in by the Rev. St. John at a cottage by the marsh and began teaching at a local small school. Soon after, Jane learned that her uncle had died and left her an inheritance, and she also discovered that St. John was her cousin. She decided to divide the inheritance equally. St. John was a fervent believer and planned to go to India as a missionary. He asked Jane to marry him and go to India with him. Jane refused him and decided to return to Rochester's side. She returned to Thornfield Manor, only to find it in ruins—the madwoman had set it on fire and died after falling from the roof, and Rochester had been injured and disabled. Jane found him and married him, finally achieving the happiness she had long dreamed of.