Mrs Reed and Children

• Mrs Reed


  The bitter widow of Jane's uncle, who resents having to look after Jane and allows her children to be cruel to her
• Before leaving for school, Jane speaks frankly to Mrs Reed, saying that she is unkind and has treated her with "miserable cruelty"
• Mrs Reed


  Bitter widow
• Before leaving for school, Jane speaks frankly to Mrs Reed

  Saying that she is unkind and has treated her with "miserable cruelty"
• As a girl, Jane told Mrs Reed that she would never call her "aunt" again


  But when she returns to Gateshead to see the dying Mrs Reed, she describes the "Blame of resentment as being extinguished
• Mrs Reed regrets telling Jane's uncle that Jane was dead

  But only because it's a "torment" to her in her dying moments. She's still bothered by Jane's outburst as a child and won't accept her forgiveness
• Jane feels sympathy for Mrs Reed as she dies with so much hatred


  Calling her a "Poor, suffering woman"
• John

  • Selfish bully who torments Jane at Gateshead and tells her she ought to beg rather than live with them. He wastes the family's money living a wild life with the "women" before killing himself
• Eliza


  • Boring, diligent character who hates Georgiana and broke up her relationship with a lord out of jealousy. She goes off to be a nun which Jane describes as being "walled up alive"
• Georgiana


  • According to Eliza, Georgiana is "vain" and "absurd". She's also selfish, lazy and needy. Georgiana marries a "wealthy, worn-out man" of fashion, suggesting she's marrying for money not love
• Mrs Reed's bitterness is quite remarkable-despite knowing that she's treated Jane badly, she refuses to apologise and doesn't seem to want or accept Jane's forgiveness. Her children aren't much better either