Jane Eyre Full Summary

The plot of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte follows the story of Jane, an orphan who endures a cruel upbringing by her wealthy aunt, Mrs. Reed. After an altercation with her cousin, Jane is sent to Lowood School where she befriends a girl named Helen Burns and suffers through the harsh conditions until an epidemic strikes, killing her friend and causing the departure of the cruel headmaster.

After teaching at the school for two years, Jane becomes a governess for a French girl at Thornfield, where she falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester. However, on their wedding day, Jane discovers that Rochester has a wife, Bertha, whom he keeps locked away due to her madness. Jane leaves Thornfield and is taken in by the Rivers siblings, who are later revealed to be her cousins. St. John, one of her cousins, proposes to Jane, urging her to accompany him to India as his wife, but Jane refuses.

After hearing Rochester’s voice calling her name in the distance, Jane returns to find Thornfield burned down and Rochester blinded. The two eventually reunite, and the novel ends with them being married for ten years and enjoying a happy life together. The novel centers around Jane’s journey to find a sense of belonging and home, which she eventually finds in Rochester.