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Jane Eyre (/ ɛər / AIR; originally published as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography) is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London.
- Charlotte Brontë
- 1847
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Jane Eyre, novel by Charlotte Brontë, first published in 1847 as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, with Currer Bell (Brontë’s pseudonym) listed as the editor. Widely considered a classic, it gave new truthfulness to the Victorian novel with its realistic portrayal of the inner life of a woman, noting her struggles with her natural desires and social con...
When the novel begins, the title character is a 10-year-old orphan who lives with her uncle’s family; her parents had died of typhus. Other than the nursemaid, the family ostracizes Jane. She is later sent to the austere Lowood Institution, a charity school, where she and the other girls are mistreated; “Lowood,” as the name suggests, is the “low” point in Jane’s young life. In the face of such adversity, however, she gathers strength and confidence.
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In early adulthood, after several years as a student and then teacher at Lowood, Jane musters the courage to leave. She finds work as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets her dashing and Byronic employer, the wealthy and impetuous Edward Rochester. At Thornfield Jane looks after young Adèle, the daughter of a French dancer who was one of Rochester’s mistresses, and is befriended by the kindly housekeeper Mrs. Alice Fairfax. Jane falls in love with Rochester, though he is expected to marry the snobbish and socially prominent Blanche Ingram. Rochester eventually reciprocates Jane’s feelings and proposes marriage. However, on their wedding day, Jane discovers that Rochester cannot legally marry her, because he already has a wife, Bertha Mason, who has gone mad and is locked away on the third floor because of her violent behaviour; her presence explains the strange noises Jane has heard in the mansion. Believing that he was tricked into that marriage, Rochester feels justified in pursuing his relationship with Jane. He pleads with her to join him in France, where they can live as husband and wife despite the legal prohibitions, but Jane refuses on principle and flees Thornfield.
The book was originally published in three volumes as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, with Currer Bell listed as the editor. (The Lowood section of the novel was widely believed to be inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s own life.) Though some complained that it was anti-Catholic, the work was an immediate success. Jane Eyre’s appeal was partly due to the fact that it was written in the first person and often addressed the reader, creating great immediacy. In addition, Jane is an unconventional heroine, an independent and self-reliant woman who overcomes both adversity and societal norms. The novel also notably blended diverse genres. Jane’s choice between sexual need and ethical duty belongs very firmly to the mode of moral realism. However, her close escape from a bigamous marriage and the fiery death of Bertha are part of the Gothic tradition.
Jane Eyre inspired various film, TV, and stage adaptations, including a 1943 movie that starred Orson Welles as Rochester and Joan Fontaine as Jane. Jean Rhys’s novel Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) offers an account of Rochester’s first marriage.
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Clues to the dating. The George Inn. At the beginning of chapter 11 (when Jane is 18), it is noted that the George Inn in Millcote had prints of George III, the Prince of Wales (later George IV), and the death of Wolfe. George III reigned from 1760 to 1820, his son was born in 1762, and General Wolfe died in 1759.
Year*DateAgeNovel Events1789c. Sept (year -10)–Jane is born179320 Oct (year -6)4Rochester marries Bertha Mason1799November (year 1)10Beginning of the novel180015 Jan (year 2)10Brocklehurst visits Jane at GatesheadPublication Date: October 16th, 1847. Publisher: Smith, Elder, and Co. Page: 400 pages. Context: Late Georgian era. Early to middle Victorian England. Setting: Ferndean, Moor House, Lowood, Gateshead Hall, Thornfield Hall. Genre: Romantics. Fiction. Gothic.
First published October 16, 1847. Book details & editions. About the author. Charlotte Brontë. 1,796 books17.3k followers. Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist, the eldest out of the three famous Brontë sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature. See also Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë.
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Mar 8, 2024 · Background of the Novel. In the early 19th century, England was undergoing significant social and economic changes. The Industrial Revolution brought about rapid urbanization and shifts in social structures.
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Aug 24, 2021 · Here’s a seemingly uncontroversial statement: in 1847, a novel called Jane Eyre was published; the author was Charlotte Brontë. One of the most famous things about Jane Eyre is that the male love interest, Mr Rochester, has locked his first wife, Bertha Mason, in the attic of his house.
