Jane And Mrs Reed Relationship Essay

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, a novel set in Victorian England, is about a young woman’s struggle to gain acceptance. Living in an English society that judged worth by wealth, Jane rebels against the snobbery and prejudice she encounters in her everyday life. Judged by her cousins to be inferior to them because of her lack of independent means, Jane at first suffers their prejudice but then decides to challenge them. Jane's first female relationship is with Mrs Reed, her Aunt by marriage. Their conflicted relationship highlights the inequality in their victorian society, the understanding of their relationship and how Mrs Reed’s obvious disdain affect the formative years of Jane.

Jane and Mrs Reed's relationship focus the audience's attention

In one chapter, punishment for Jane's behaviour is to be sent into “The red room,” Jane's uncle room and the very place he died. The Red Room has connotations of the supernatural which is extremely terrifying for Jane, a 10 year old girl who has just sustained a head injury. She is sent here when she dared to stand up for herself when John Reed harms her for disrespecting him, her “master”. We see Mrs Reed cruelly and unfairly punishing an injured Jane, while her son goes unpunished. We understand that by their conflicts that Jane and Mrs Reed’s relationship is non-loving, unequal and unfair. Their relationship is one of conflict and highlights Jane place, which is stated to be inferior to everyone in Gateshead Hall even to the

Although we, the readers would think that their relationship would have a negative impact on Jane, it however also produces a positive impact. Unintentionally Mrs Reed taught Jane to be a strong, independent women by subjecting her to harsh disciplinary actions. Because of this Jane subconsciously works harder towards becoming independent and therefore becoming a strong mature women. Mrs Reed helps spark a small flame of rebellion in Jane due to the years of harsh treatment and disrespect. In her early years of Lowood School Jane would be caught out for talking back and being disrespectful to other teachers. The discipline that Jane received gave both negative and positive effects in Jane's life. When Mrs Reed’s is dying Jane show maturity and forgives Mrs Reed who caused her years of suffering. To the readers this shows how Jane has grown from when she was living with Mrs Reed and to when she was living with Mr Rochester. Jane becomes a great role model to the audience as she is independent, strong and mature thanks to the unintentional help of Mrs