chapter five

Jane Eyre leaves for Lowood School, and is introduced to how her new life there will be

Themes

This chapter shows a contrast to Jane’s previous isolation, as she is readily accepted into the folds of Lowood School. The people at Lowood seem to understand much better how Jane needs company, commenting that she is “very young to be left alone”.

Characters

There are loads of new characters introduced in this chapter, but I will only write about the ones speak, and will describe others later on.

• A mysterious lady (later named as Miss Temple) is the first person Jane meets at the school, and is described to sound like an upstanding member of the community
  
  
• Miss Miller, an “under teacher” (what is this?), sounds like a very busy person, with a lot to do. She seems to be the person in charge of controlling the children, and giving the orders.
  
  
• Helen Burns (the girl Jane speaks to at the end of the chapter) sounds a very quiet girl, who is so wrapped up in her book that she doesn’t really answer any of Jane’s questions with her full attention, preferring to read. She seems accepting of whatever happens to her, as Jane describes when she is made to stand in the middle of the classroom, an act which would embarrass most people, but Helen just seems to take it in her stride.
  

Motifs

Still unsure whether or not books qualify as a motif, but they are mentioned again here, although this time it’s Helen who is lost inside her own little book-world. She, I think, has the same reasons as Jane for wanting to escape, as she seems to be picked on an awful lot by some teachers, as Jane was back at her last house.

Places

We are now at Lowood School, a Christian institute for orphaned girls (it never mentions that it is solely for girls, but no guys are mentioned in this section of the book). Again, the only real description of outside the school is the weather, and it seems very wet and dreary outside. Inside it seems more like a prison than a school, with rows of benches and beds, which, although practical, seems a little drab and dull.

Narrative voice

Jane seems very negative again, and also gives a lot of description. This is probably to show the reader how strange it was to be in a completely new place, and how she feels about being there.