In the first few opening chapters Jane Eyre is seen as a mentally and physically abused child, during her years at Gateshead Hall. John Reed displays violence towards Jane in the first chapter. He punishes and bullies Jane; it is not known why the Reed family resent her so much. Her situation is seen as desperate within the first few paragraphs. Her cousins and Aunt make her life impossible and unbearable, she is not seen as a member of the family. Jane is simply seen as ‘’less than a servant’’ as she does ‘’nothing for her keep’’.
In the first few opening paragraphs of chapter one it is possible to see that Jane Eyre doesn’t get on with either member of the Reed family. The first example of this is when the whole family get back from there walk and all of the Reed children are ‘’clustered round there mamma’’ except Jane. Jane was ‘’dispensed from joining the group’’. This gives us the impression that Jane is lonely and not seen as a member of the family and treated cruelly.
As the chapter moved on Jane is expressed as an intelligent and creative individual. As she likes to read, and has a very vivid imagination. She starts to read ‘Bewick’s ‘’History of British Birds’’. Jane believes that ‘’each picture told a story’’. This shows Jane’s vivid imagination. She is able to escape into this book, and be ‘’happy: happy at least in my way’’. This quotation is implying that Jane is never happy in the normal bubbly way many of us experience, because of how much abuse and cruelty is inflicted upon her. But for just the short time she is reading this novel, she is able to escape from her feared surroundings.
In chapter one we also see the first time Jane is attacked. This is the first time we see Jane as a venerable character, John Reed ‘’flung’’ the book Jane was reading towards her, hitting her and making her bleed. As she, wasn’t supposed to be reading it, as they are not hers. John