READING JOURNAL - Jane Eyre - Chapters 5 ...10

Summary:
Jane travels alone to Lowood. The following day, Jane is introduced to her classmates and learns the daily routine, which keeps the girls occupied from before dawn until dinner. The manager of the school, Miss Temple, is very kind, while Miss Scatcherd, is unpleasant, she is very nasty to Helen. Helen becomes ‘best friends’ with Jane. Jane quickly learns that life at the school is harsh. The girls are underfed, overworked, and forced to sit still. Helen explains that she is a fully fledged Christian , so she accepts being treated bad, forgives and loves her enemies. Jane disagrees with injustice, but Helen believes that she deserves to be punished for her faults. Mr Brocklehurst humiliates Jane by telling the whole school that she is a liar. Jane explains to Miss Temple that she doesn’t lie and she tells her about life at Gateshead. Miss Temple believes her and so publicly declares Jane innocent. In spring, a lot of the girls get ill with typhus, Helen becomes ill with tuberculosis, and later dieing in her sleep in Jane’s arms. New people come to run the school, conditions improve for the girls. Jane later becomes a teacher at Lowood, she then advertises to become a governess, she accepts a job at Thornfield Manor. Before she leaves Lowood, Bessie comes to see her and she tells her what has happened at Gateshead since Jane left – John Eyre, Jane’s uncle came to look for her.

Symbols/Motifs/Themes:
Love -
Jane searches, for love, but also for value. “to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest” (Chapter 8, Jane to Helen ).
Religion -
Helen is very religious, however, Jane has her own ideas about religion and faith. Helen believes that she derserves to be punished and hit by her teacher - as a punishment for her faults. Jane thinks this is wrong but she admires helen for her strength of character.
Substitute Mothers -
Miss Temple, is very close to Jane. She seems to look out for Jane, and encourages her intellectual development. In chapter 10, Jane writes “she had stood by me in the stead of mother, governess, and latterly, companion” about Miss Temple.

Characters:
Helen Burns - Helen = Jane’s best friend at Lowood. She has a belief that she deserves to be treated bad at Lowood because of her ‘faults’ – Jane cannot understand this. Helen dies in Jane’s arms.

Miss Scatcherd - Is the nasty, cruel, bullying teacher at Lowood, she particularly picks on Helen.

Miss Temple - She is the kind, friendly teacher at Lowood, who treats Helen and Jane with respect. She seems to be one of Jane’s first positive female role models and a mother like companion. Miss Temple publicly declares that Jane is not a liar and clears Jane of Mr Brocklehursts hurtful public accusation.

Response/developments:
I feel the novel has progressed greatly, and is starting to go somewhere. At first i didn't particularly enjoy, the book, but as i am progressing with the reading it is becoming more interesting and i feel i am getting into the book more. The character of Jane Eyre has also progressed well, from an unhappy child to a hardworking student to leaving Lowood for a job as a governess at Thornfield. Jane has already been through a lot, i would say Bronte evokes a reaction in me through the way in which the book is written ie Jane narrating, i believe that this helps the readers to relate to her and the events and the accounts in her life.