Plot Summary of Jane Eyre

The Early Years

The novel begins with Jane Eyre, a 10-year-old girl, living with her aunt Mrs Reed at Gateshead Hall.
She is mistreated by her aunt and cousins, especially John Reed who bullies her.
After defending herself against John, Jane is locked in the Red Room which she believes to be haunted, causing her to have a fit and faint.

Lowood School

As a result of the incident in the Red Room, Jane is sent to Lowood School.
The conditions at Lowood are harsh and many girls fall ill, including Jane’s friend Helen Burns, who eventually dies from consumption.
Despite this hardship, Jane excels academically and remains at the school for eight years, the last two of which are as a teacher.

Thornfield Hall

Jane leaves Lowood after securing a job as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she teaches a French girl named Adèle.
At Thornfield, Jane develops a close relationship with the master, Mr. Rochester, despite his harsh and moody nature.
Jane falls in love with Rochester, and he eventually proposes, but their wedding day is interrupted by the revelation that Rochester has a mentally ill wife, Bertha, hidden in the attic.

Moor House and St. John Rivers

Devastated by the truth about Rochester, Jane flees Thornfield and finds herself alone and penniless until the Rivers siblings, Diana, Mary, and St. John, take her in at Moor House.
St. John proposes marriage to Jane, wishing her to accompany him as a missionary’s wife to India, but Jane refuses, as she does not love him.

Return to Thornfield

Jane devastatingly discovers that Thornfield has been burnt down by Bertha, who died in the fire.
She returns to find Rochester, who is now blind and injured.
Jane and Rochester finally marry and live together at Ferndean, where Jane tells us that she is equally, if not more, happy than the majority of people.

The narrative of Jane Eyre is a powerful journey of a woman who despite facing constant adversity, maintains her dignity and remains true to her principles. It can be described as a story of love and independence, as well as challenging Victorian societal norms.