chapter eight

Jane completes her punishment (standing on the stool) and Helen comes to cheer her up, in her own tranquil way. Miss Temple then invited the pair to her room, where they eat seed cakes and toast, and tells Jane she is cleared off all charges of lying.

Themes

For the first time, there is no theme of isolation in the chapter (yay!). Instead the main theme is love, or Jane’s interpretation and experiences of it. As a child, Jane was not loved, so at Lowood she suddenly finds herself surrounded by it. This makes it all the more painful when Jane feels this will all be taken away because of Mr. Brocklehurst's accusations. She also notices peoples love of other people too, and compares it to hers. For example, she states that Miss temple held Helen longer than her, and cried for Helen, and sighed for Helen.

Narrative voice

Jane seems very upset (understandably) at the start of the chapter, using many emotive words to demonstrate this. As she calms down, due to Helens presence, she sounds less panicked, and takes more time to notice and describe things. She also gave the first indications that Helen is seriously ill.

Phrases I liked

I liked Jane’s description of her first drawing of a cottage, whose wall "outrivaled in slope those of the leaning tower of Pisa"

Response

This Chapter is yet another example of how much of an influence Helen is having on Jane, as Jane seems to have trouble coping without Helen beside her, and is also the first time when it is hinted at that Helens illness is something to be worried about.