Editor's Choice

What purpose do the passages from Bewick's History of British Birds serve in Jane Eyre?

Quick answer:

In this chapter, Jane recounts her time at Lowood Institution, which she did not like much but where she learned a great deal. She describes it as a prison with bars and locks. Jane befriended Helen Burns, who was the prefect in charge of discipline and who took an interest in Jane and helped her cope with her circumstances. Miss Temple also takes an interest in Jane when she is put on trial for breaking rules.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

The descriptive passages from Bewick's History of British Birds draw Jane into a world different from her own that absorbs her and excites her imagination. As she puts it:

With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy: happy at least in my way.

The descriptions of the cold, melancholy "Northern Ocean," with the sea swirling around the lonely, melancholy islands, mirrors the cold, stormy day that has kept the children indoors, as well as the lonely status of the orphaned Jane Eyre. Jane no doubt feels some identification with the sea fowls she reads about who live on solitary rocks, much like her solitary spot behind the crimson curtain on the library window seat. It is also clear that the terrors of the narrative and its pictures, which feed her belief in phantoms, will contribute to her fit in the Red Room when she thinks she sees the ghost of her dead uncle Reed.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Jane reads Bewick's History of British Birds in Volume One, Chapter One of Jane Eyre. This history describes the habitats of wild "sea-fowl" as cold, isolated places where the tumultuous ocean "whirls" and "boils" around the shore. These images not only feed the young Jane's imagination, but also serve as a symbol for Jane's separateness and isolation in Mrs. Reed's home. While Mrs. Reed's own children are treated with warmth, Jane is coldly treated as an outsider. This bird imagery, however, also brings up the theme of freedom, which is something Jane will later pursue. 

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial