Jane's Miserable Life at Gateshead (Chapters 1-4)
Ever wondered what it's like to be completely unwanted by your own family? Jane Eyre knows this feeling all too well. Living with her cruel Aunt Reed and three spoiled cousins (Eliza, Georgiana, and the nasty John) at Gateshead, Jane faces constant bullying and punishment.
When John throws a book at Jane for being a "lowly orphan," she fights back - but guess who gets blamed? Jane gets locked in the red room where her kind Uncle Reed died, which is absolutely terrifying for a 10-year-old. This room becomes Jane's regular punishment, even though her uncle's dying wish was for his wife to treat Jane as her own child.
The situation gets so bad that Mr Lloyd, the family doctor, suggests Jane should go to school. Meanwhile, Jane discovers her tragic backstory: her parents died from typhus when she was a baby, and her mother was disowned by the Reed family for marrying a poor clergyman.
Key Point: Jane's treatment at Gateshead shows how class and family status affected orphans in the 1800s - she's only tolerated because of "charity," not love.
