<P> The novel begins with the title character, Jane Eyre, aged 10, living with her maternal uncle's family, the Reeds, as a result of her uncle's dying wish . It is several years after her parents died of typhus . Mr. Reed, Jane's uncle, was the only member of the Reed family who was ever kind to Jane . Jane's aunt, Sarah Reed, dislikes her, treats her as a burden, and discourages her children from associating with Jane . Mrs. Reed and her three children are abusive to Jane, physically, emotionally, and spiritually . The nursemaid Bessie proves to be Jane's only ally in the household, even though Bessie sometimes scolds Jane, rather harshly . Excluded from the family activities, Jane leads a very unhappy childhood, with only a doll and books with which to entertain herself . </P> <P> One day, as punishment for defending herself against her cousin John Reed, after the latter knocks her down, Jane is relegated to the red room in which her late uncle had died; there, she faints from panic after she thinks she has seen his ghost . She is subsequently attended to by the kindly apothecary Mr. Lloyd to whom Jane reveals how unhappy she is living at Gateshead Hall . He recommends to Mrs. Reed that Jane should be sent to school, an idea Mrs. Reed happily supports . Mrs. Reed then enlists the aid of the harsh Mr. Brocklehurst, director of Lowood Institution, a charity school for girls . Mrs. Reed cautions Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane has a "tendency for deceit", which he interprets as her being a "liar". Before Jane leaves, however, she confronts Mrs. Reed and declares that she'll never call her "aunt" again, that Mrs. Reed and her daughters, Georgiana and Eliza, are the ones who are deceitful, and that she will tell everyone at Lowood how cruelly Mrs. Reed treated her . </P> <P> At Lowood Institution, a school for poor and orphaned girls, Jane soon finds that life is harsh, but she attempts to fit in and befriends an older girl, Helen Burns, who is able to accept her punishment philosophically . During a school inspection by Mr. Brocklehurst, Jane accidentally breaks her slate, thereby drawing attention to herself . He then stands her on a stool, brands her a liar, and shames her before the entire assembly . Jane is later comforted by Helen . Miss Temple, the caring superintendent, facilitates Jane's self - defence and writes to Mr. Lloyd, whose reply agrees with Jane's . Jane is then publicly cleared of Mr. Brocklehurst's accusations . Helen and Miss Temple are the two main role models that positively guide Jane's development, despite the harsh treatment she has received from many others . </P> <P> The 80 pupils at Lowood are subjected to cold rooms, poor meals, and thin clothing . Many students fall ill when a typhus epidemic strikes, and Jane's friend Helen dies of consumption in her arms . When Mr. Brocklehurst's maltreatment of the students is discovered, several benefactors erect a new building and install a sympathetic management committee to moderate Mr. Brocklehurst's harsh rule . Conditions at the school then improve dramatically . </P>

Character sketch of jane eyre and the hero of the novel