“Such is the imperfect nature of man! Such spots are there on the disc of the clearest planet; and eyes like Miss Scatcherd’s can only see these minute defects, and are blind to the full brightness of the orb” –Jane Eyre

Okay, these chapters made me a little bit emotional. They are more on the depressing side of things and I’m not okay.

We have the older girls at the school manipulating the younger girls into giving them their food. So, all the younger girls are basically being starved. Then we have Brocklehurst, the owner of the school.

I hate this man with a passion and so will you if or when you read this book. This man shows up after three weeks of Jane being there and makes her stand on the stool in front of everyone. Then he has the gall to start spreading the lies told to him by Jane’s aunt. He ridicules her and makes a production out of it. He proceeds to punish Jane by making her stay standing on the stool so everyone will see her. (Talk about cruel and unusual punishment!)

Thank God for Helen! She gives Jane the strength to suffer through her punishment.

Jane finally allowed herself to break down after everyone left the room. Helen comes to comfort her and Jane states her fears of what everyone will think of her now. So, Helen told her this:

Miss Temple, the loving superintendent of the school, takes the girls to her room and allows Jane to defend herself from the charges Brocklehurst made against her. She believes Jane and she gave her a hug and kiss. All three of them have tea together. Plus they eat some food. Thank God for that! Lord knows they need it.

(Can I just say how much I love this woman for being so kind and caring to Jane! No adult has ever been so kind to her so far in this book.)

Jane is cleared of all charges laid against her and finally starts feeling accepted by her peers and teachers.

Then spring comes.

Because of their poor living conditions and location, an outbreak of typhus occurs. This causes most of the school to become sick and many died from the disease.

Helen become ill, not with typhus like everyone else, but with consumption. Sadly, Helen is dying because of this. Jane has not been allowed to see Helen while she is sick, so she sneaks out to see her. After an emotional conversation with Helen accepting that she is dying, they fall asleep.

Those were the last moments of Helen’s life.

Miss Temple finds Jane asleep with her head on Helen’s shoulder and arms around her neck. Only problem was that Helen was dead by this point.

Jane states that it took fifteen years before Helen’s grave had a tombstone marking it. The tombstone read resurgam meaning “I will rise again!“

I hate the fact that Jane lost the first person to ever be her friend and the first person to believe what she says she experienced growing up with her aunt.