Jane Eyre Video Summary

Visit us at to read the full video transcript and our study guide for this classic novel, which includes a full list of characters, themes, and much more. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, was published in 1847 during the Victorian era. Set in Northern England, the Bildungsroman, or comingofage novel, tells the story of the spirited and precocious Jane, who overcomes her traumatic childhood and falls in love with the wealthy Mr. Rochester. Originally published under the gender neutral pseudonym Currer Bell, the wildly popular novel eventually earned Brontë acclaim as one of the greatest writers of her time. The book begins with 10yearold Jane describing her abusive childhood at Gateshead Hall, the home of the affluent Reed family. Janes maternal uncle, the late Mr. Reed, adopted her when she was orphaned at a young age, but Mrs. Reed and her son, John, treat Jane like a servant. The only source of kindness in Janes life is Mrs. Reeds m