Straight after this powerful sentence Jane is hunted down by Master John Reed. John calls for Jane in a rude and offensive manner- “”Boh! Madam Mope.” At first John cannot find her, until Eliza calls out “She is in the window seat to be sure Jack”. Jane not wanting to make thing worse for her so asks Master John “What do you want?” Master John makes Jane feel inferior, by speaking to him like he would one of his servants- “Say, What do you want Master Reed”. He then asked her to come and stand in front of him, but he sits in away to intimidate her. This is when you defiantly know he is going do something nasty and vindictive to Jane. Jane then goes on to describe Master Reed. She describes him with such distain, which makes you wonder what Master Reed has done in the past to Jane and how he has treated her- “He gorged himself habitually at the table, which made him bilious, and gave him a dim bleared eye and flabby cheeks” and . This makes you feel sympathy for Jane about the way Master John had treated her.
Jane then explains how cruel and cold he his to Jane- “John had not much affection for his mother and sisters and an antipathy to me. He bullied and punished me…Every nerve I had feared him, and very morsel if flesh in my bones shrank when he came near me.” This shows how scared and how abysmally John treated Jane. This also uses emotive language to make the reader feel sorry for Jane. There was even moments when Jane was “bewildered by the terror he inspired”. You really feel for Jane at this point as you now know by Jane’s description of John he is going to punish her.
Jane then tells the reader that john gets away with this behaviour towards Jane as the servants don’t want to offend him- “the servants did not like to offend their young master by taking part against him”. You also learn Miss Reed knows bout john actions towards Jane and chooses not to acknowledge them or doesn’t see them- “Mrs Reed was blind and deaf in this subject: she never saw him strike or abuse me, though he did both now and again in her presence”. This makes it even worse as Jane has no-one to talk about her home life and troubles as Mrs Reed and he family bully her and the servants don’t wan to upset their boss by taking Jane’s side. It gives it more of a sense of unjust that the whole of the Reed house knows how Jane is treated but they just let it carry on. This would have been hard for Jane as she has no close friends or family to give her love and support.
Jane then walked over to stand in front of Master John, as he has commanded her to- “Habitually obedient to john, I came up to his chair. The word “habitually” once again shows how often John must bully Jane, I also believe Master John then demanded to know what Jane was doing behind the curtains and Jane simply said she was reading a book. Master John made Jane stand in front of him for three dragged out minutes whilst he stuck out his tongue at her. The use of the words “three minutes” makes the reader understand Jane is not exaggerating the truth and also the way the book is written in an adult form and you understand Jane hates liars and being dishonest so you feel Jane is tell the exact truth through out the book. This makes the reader like Jane therefore helping the reader to empathise and sympathise with Jane. The whole time Jane was thinking about when Master John was going to strike her. After John’s three minutes silence he asks Jane to fetch the book she was reading for him.
After John found out Jane was reading one of his mothers volumes he made a small speech on how she was inferior to him, how she was at the bottom of the social hierarchy and Jane had no right to take his Mama’s books - “you have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says: you have no money: your father left you non: you ought to beg, and not live with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do” At the period the book was written being an orphan and having no money to your name was almost viewed as being a sin by the upper classes. It was not seen as socially expectable for different social classes to mix. Therefore Jane was very lucky to have a benefactress. This however does not change the fact it was an extremely hurtful, spiteful and vindictive thing to say, you can almost hear the hate bubbling in his voice. This also shows that Mrs Reed has said nasty things to John about Jane. This makes the reader think perhaps Mrs Reed as poisoned people against Jane. This makes you wonder what Master John is going to do to her, but then he says - “Go and stand by the door, out the way of the mirror and the window.” This once again makes the reader feel sympathy towards Jane, as you know by this point Master Reed is going to throw the book Jane was reading at her. This clearly shows that he is going to throw something at her as he doesn’t want anyone to see, or to break anything. Jane is not aware of this and only being a child does what she is told - “not first aware of his intention”. This makes it more of a shock to Jane when Master John raises the volume of the book she was reading to strike at her. Jane instinctively lets of a “cry of alarm”, but it was too late. The book’s force knocked Jane down, bashing and cutting her head on the door as she fell.
Jane then tells the reader “my terror had passed its climax; other feeling succeeded.” This shows how scared Jane was but also how angry at Master John Reed she must have been, for any small child of Jane’s age would have started to cry. However Jane started to shout at John in a fit of rage - “Wicked and cruel boy! You are like a murderer - you are like a slave driver - you are like the Roman emperors.” This is the first outburst of Jane’s passion, but the reader is not too shocked by this. Jane shows her intelligence in the next line she tells the reader, almost as though she is telling them a secret and she is confiding in them - “I had read Goldsmith’s history of Rome, and had formed my own opinion of Nero, Caligula, etc. Also I had drawn parallels in silence, which I never thought I would declare aloud.” This makes the reader view Jane as a friend because of the way she is talking about the climax of the fight going on between her and Master John, but stops in the middle to tell the reader something of interest. After this sentence Jane continues to tell the reader about the argument between her and John. John reacts to What Jane has just called him by calling for assistance- “What! What! Did she say that to me? Did you hear her, Eliza and Georgina? Won’t I tell mama? But first”.
Then Master John charges at Jane, head first, grasping her hair and shouting at her “Rat! Rat!” To be called a rat in the Victorian days was quite an insult, as to be called any form animal was insulting for animals were considered a lower form of life then humans and it is a huge drop in the hierarchy and the station God have given them on this Earth. Jane then uses litoeous language- “I felt a drop or two of blood running from my head trickle down my neck”. This shows Jane is not melodramatic. Bronte also uses shorter sentences to show how angry Jane is and to build the fight up into a climax. Eliza and Georgiana were near by and had run for help and Abbot and Bessie arrived on the scene. Master John and Jane were split up. Once again the servants immediately take the side of Master John- “Dear! Dear! What a furry to fly at Master John like that!” This shows Jane has been condemned for johns action even though Jane has not had a chance to explain her side if the story. This is extremely un-just and makes you feel sorry for Jane, knowing everything she does is wrong. The two servants didn’t really have scold Jane for what they thought of as her actions and they didn’t punish her, until Mrs Reed arrived in the drawing room and with out listening to Jane’s or her little “Darling’s” explanation of what had happened, she ordered Jane was to be locked in the “Red Room”. This really made the reader feels true sympathy with Jane, knowing that Master John strikes out at Jane twice a day and every time probably ends with the same injustice. John treats Jane as if she is a tyrant.
Bessie and Abbot then take Jane into the “Red Room”. Just the name of room hints there may be slightly something sinister and frightening in there. Jane is being physically manhandled by the servants, as they drag her into the “Red Room”. Jane lets the reader know how she is feeling by using a metaphor of Jane being a slave and John and Mrs Reed being a tyrant- “ like a rebel slave, I felt resolved, in my actions to got o all lengths.” This once again shows Jane’s intelligence which gets the reader to have more empathy and sympathy if they think Jane is more on the same wave-length as them. Jane once again is being manhandled by the Bessie and the lady’s-maid, as they grab her arms and threaten to tie her to a chair- “hold her arms” and “you must be tied down”. This is extremely harsh way to treat a child and in this present day Jane would have been taken into care.
The lady’s-maid looks down her nose at Jane and says- “What shocking conduct Miss Eyre to strike a young gentle men, your benefactress’s son! You’re Master.” This would have been a shocking thing for Jane to hear, as John does act in a superior way to Jane and Jane owes john nothing as you later find out in the book Jane is John’s first cousin. After Jane natural parents died Jane was sent to live with her biological uncle, Mr Reed. Sadly Jane uncle died on his death bed his last dying wish was that Mrs Reed would look after Jane as if she was one of her own children. This is an extreme injustice to Mr Reed and Jane as the death wish of any person was taken very seriously, as it was believed if the death wish was not fulfilled then the dying person’s sole could not rest and their sprit would come back to haunt to haunt the person who did not for fill their death wish. This reflects on Mrs Reed’s character and makes the reader hate her even more, as you feel if Mrs Reed cared for her dying husband wouldn’t she of fulfilled his death wish. The personalities of Mrs Reed and Jane Eyre are the complete opposite, which makes a nice contrast and I feel this is what make the first opening chapters so interesting. Jane replied to the Abbot- “Master! How is he my Master? Am I a servant?” Then Abbot cattily replies “No; you are less then a servant for you do nothing for your keep. There sit down and think over your wickedness.” She was mean about Jane doing nothing for her keep! But how can Jane do anything for her keep? Abbot was trying to belittle Jane by taking away her dignity. The use of the words “think over your wickedness” is a terrible thing to say to a child, as the word wickedness brings to mind images of hell fire and damnation. This would have really scared Jane as she was only young.
Jane is also the only likeable character and the only character the reader can relate to within the first couple chapters. I believe this makes the reader like and feel sorry for Jane even more.
The servants then tried to get Jane to sit down on a stool in the “Red Room” but Jane’s first instinct was to spring back up again, so Bessie then threatens to tie Jane to the chair with a pair of garters. Jane then sweetly cried- ““I will not stir.” In guarantee whereof, I attach myself to my seat with my hands.” This brings you down to Jane’s level. Bessie tries to nice to Jane by saying to Abbot that they did have to go to such measures to tie Jane to a chair, but Abbot once again meanly replies- “I’ve told Missis often my opinion of the child, and Misses agreed with me. She’s an underhand little thing; iv never seen a girl with so much cover.” This is irony as it is not Jane who is deceitful but it is Mrs Reed, who is poisoning everyone against her. Also it is a vindictive and hurtful thing so say nasty degrading things to people faces, let alone a child. This makes you wonder what Mrs Reed has said to Abbot about Jane, to make her hate her so much. Bessie then tried to be nice to Jane by saying you should be nice to Mrs reed if you like her or not as she is your benefactress and if she turns you away you will be forced to live in the poor house- “You ought to be aware, Miss, that you are under obligation to Mrs reed; if you were to turn you off, then you would have to go to the poor house. “ This show that Bessie doesn’t think Jane is as bad as Mrs Reed makes out, for she is offering Jane advice and changed the subject form Abbots rant about Jane. Bessie then tells Jane to suppress her passion and then Mrs Reed may not shun her- “you should and be useful and pleasant, then, perhaps you would have a home here; but if you’re passionate and rude, Misses will not send you away I am sure.” Once again Abbot is extremely nasty to Jane- “God will punish her dead in the mist of one of her tantrums, and then where will she go? Come, Bessie, we will leave her: I wouldn’t have the heart for anything. Say your prayers Miss Eyre, when you are by yourself; for if you don’t repent, something bad might be permitted to come down the chimney and fetch you away.” The words something will “fetch you away” would have planted the idea that something bad may come for her, also the word “all alone” emphasize to the reader that Jane has no-one and is going to be left in the room where something is going to fetch her away when she is all alone. Abbot, Mrs Reed and Master John Reed are constantly trying to put Jayne Eyre down. This automatically makes the reader feel sorry for Jane and almost protective over her.
Then the two servants leave the room. Jane goes on to describe what the room looks like in great detail, so the reader can visualise it and see the room through Jane’s eyes. Then Jane goes on to describe the room was cold, this may have been a slight hint Jane was going to see a ghost as its rumoured before a sprit enters room the temperature drops. You then learned of how solitary the room was and how only the housemaid entered the “Red Room”. And in the last paragraph you learn of the secret of the “Red Room”. It’s like a mini cliff-hanger- “the spell that kept it so lonely in spite of its grandeur.”
You then get told the secret of the “Red Room” –“Mr Reed had died nine year; it was in this camber he breathed his last”. This sounds quite eyrie. After a little while Jane started to get scared- “I dared move…All looked colder and darker”. Jane instead of preying for her sole thought over the unjust actions of the days events. The next paragraph uses short sharp sentences showing the passion rising form within Jane- “I dared commit no fault; I strove every duty; and I was termed naughty and tiresome sullen and sneaking, form morning to noon, and form noon to night. This once again show a sense of unjust towards Jane, which makes the reader feel sorry for Jane, as this whole paragraph highlights all the unjust action towards Jane in the book. Then Jane tells the reader how Georgiana got away with everything as she was beautiful and beauty in the Victorian period was extremely important as if you were attractive it got you further than if you was un attractive.
Jane then passions then seems to fade and she starts to get depressed. Jane even got upset and angry she even momentarily considers suicide- “what thought had I been conceiving of starving myself to death. Suicide is the only the only sin in Christianity that it is certain you will never be forgiven for and churches wouldn’t even let you be buried in a grave yard. This is a shocking thing for Jane to think, especially at the time it was written. Its shows Jane is at a low point which makes the reader feel so sorry for Jane and almost want to adopt her.
Then Jane tells you about her uncle, Mr Reed- “he had taken me when a parentless infant to his house; and that in the last moments he had required promise of Mrs Reed that she rear and maintain me as one of her own children. Mrs Reed probably thought she had kept this promise”. Mrs Reed’s treatment towards Jane has given her a low opinion of herself as she calls herself an alien- “strange child she could not love, and to see an uncongenial alien.” Then Jane’s train of thought schemed idea to Mr Reeds sprit coming to avenge Mrs Reed for not fulfilling his death wish, she knew that if Mr Reed did come he would have not been there to hurt her. Jane is now extremely scared and was almost hiding behind her hair. Then she muffles her crying in fear that she my wake Mr Reed sole if she does not. “I lifted my head and tried to look boldly around the around the dark room; at this moment a light gleamed on the wall…I thought the swift darting beam was a herald of some coming vision”. In this paragraph just before Jane sees the beam of light Bronte once again uses short and sharp sentences to build up tension and fear. Jane talks of this experience as an ordeal- “endurance broke down”, which gives the reader the impression Jane has been scared for a long time and is trying to be brave, but she could not take it any more. Jane runs to the door and was desperately retelling the handle. Bessie and Abbot came running to the rescue of Jane. When Jane declares what she has seen Abbot simply snaps back- “she has screamed out on purpose… I know her naughty tricks.” This once again shows the attitude if most of people in the reed house the reader has met so far.
Then Mrs Reed once again enters the “Red Room” to see why Jane has been let out. She tells Jane to “let go of Bessie’s hand child; you will not succeed in getting out by those means, I assure you.” Then Miss Reed turns to Bessie and asks why Jane has been let out the “Red Room” with out her permission. Mrs Reed can see Jane is hysterical and crying but Mrs Reed sent Jane back into the “Red Room”. Jane was so scared and in such a state of hysteria that soon after she forced to go back in the “Red Room” she passed out. The fact she passed out highlights how scared she was, which Mrs Reed must have seen and still seen her back into the “Red Room”. This makes the reader feel awful for Jane and almost feel slightly guilty abut what has happened to her.