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What does the Reed family symbolize in Jane Eyre?

What does the Reed family symbolize in Jane Eyre?

Reed represents herself as a guardian of morals, but is self-deluding and cruel. In ”Jane Eyre”, the Reed family exemplify the snobbishness and hypocrisy of the English commercial classes.

What happens to the Reed family in Jane Eyre?

Georgiana Reed is Jane’s cousin and one of Mrs. Reed’s two daughters. The beautiful Georgiana treats Jane cruelly when they are children, but later in their lives she befriends her cousin and confides in her. Reed dies, Georgiana marries a wealthy man.

Why did Jane not get along with the Reed family?

Jane’s aunt, Mrs. Reed, has forbidden her niece to play with her cousins Eliza, Georgiana, and the bullying John. John chides Jane for being a lowly orphan who is only permitted to live with the Reeds because of his mother’s charity.

How is Jane Eyre related to the Reeds?

Mrs Reed is Jane’s aunt and she looks after Jane at Gateshead. Mrs Reed idolises her children, John, Georgiana and Eliza, making them selfish, egotistical and arrogant.

Why was Jane afraid of John Reed?

She thinks of John as a cruel tyrant and a slave driver and, for the first time, fights back against him in a frenzied way until she has to be pulled off. In short, the anger she had stuffed down for years erupts. She can bear his abuse no more.

Does Jane forgive Mrs Reed?

During Mrs. Reed’s deathbed confession, Jane sincerely forgives her and wishes her peace, even though Mrs. Reed still hates her.

How did Jane feel about John Reed?

As punishment, she is banished to the red-room. This opening chapter sets up two of the primary themes in the novel: class conflict and gender difference. As a poor orphan living with relatives, Jane feels alienated from the rest of the Reed family, and they certainly do nothing to make her feel more comfortable.

Why has Mrs. Reed sent for Jane if she still hates her?

Why has Mrs. Reed sent for Jane if she still hates her? Judgement- Jane still feels hatred to her aunt and still thinks she is a bad person but her judgement tells her that she should forgive her aunt (overcomes). Eliza is all thinking, reason.

What did Mrs. Reed say to Jane before she died?

“Love me, then, or hate me, as you will,” I said at last, “you have my full and free forgiveness: ask now for God’s, and be at peace.” Mrs. Reed does not forgive her before her death a few hours later.

Why was Jane Eyre locked in the Red Room?

One day, as punishment for fighting with her bullying cousin John Reed, Jane’s aunt imprisons Jane in the red-room, the room in which Jane’s Uncle Reed died. While locked in, Jane, believing that she sees her uncle’s ghost, screams and faints.

How are the Reeds treated in Jane Eyre?

Because Jane is an orphan, the wealthy Reeds treat her as a dependent—someone who relies on their support. They treat her more like a servant than a family member. Stunned, John goes crying to Mrs. Reed: his mother and Jane ‘s aunt. Mrs. Reed, despite Jane’s protests, accuses Jane of starting the fight.

What are the main themes of Jane Eyre?

In the early chapters dealing with the Reeds, author Charlotte Bronte introduces several themes of Jane Eyre, including moral hypocrisy, class prejudice, and the importance of the supernatural.

Who are the bullying characters in Jane Eyre?

Jane’s aunt, Mrs. Reed, has forbidden her niece to play with her cousins Eliza, Georgiana, and the bullying John. John chides Jane for being a lowly orphan who is only permitted to live with the Reeds because of his mother’s charity. John then hurls a book at the young girl, pushing her to the end of her patience.