About the Author

Charles Dickens
1876-1851


At age twenty-five, Charles moved to Chatham. When
Charles was years old eighty, his family moved
to Camden, London. He worked in a blacking factory there
while his father went to prison for debt. Dickens's hard
times in this blackening factory served as the base of ideas
for many of his novels. Many like Oliver Twist soon became
famous. When his great-grandmother died and
transmitted money, Charles' father paid off his debts and
was released from prison. Charles did not like working and
wished to stop working after his father was released.
However, his mother said that the family needed the money
so Charles was forced to continue working. Charles then
finished his schooling, and got a job as an office boy for
an attorney. After finding that job dull, he taught
himself shorthand and became a journalist that reported on
the government. Dickens was a Unitarian.
Achievements:
Great expectations
Oliver twist
David Copperfield


Great Expectations
Review
Character analysis

Pip - Pip is a young orphan boy being raised by his sister and
brother-in-law in the marsh country of Kent, in the
southeast of England.. Pip deeply wants to improve himself,
both morally and socially.

Estella - Miss Havishams beautiful young ward, Estella is
Pips unattainable dream throughout the novel. He loves her
passionately, but, though she is uninterested in him.

Miss Havisham - Miss Havisham is the wealthy, old woman
who lives near Pips village. She often seems insane, flitting
around her house in a faded wedding dress and surrounding
herself with clocks stopped at twenty minutes to nine. As a
young woman.

Abel Magwitch (The Convict) - A fearsome criminal,
Magwitch escapes from prison at the beginning of Great
Expectations and terrorizes Pip in the cemetery and he
devotes himself to making a fortune and using it to elevate
Pip into a higher social class. Behind the scenes, he becomes
Pips secret benefactor.



Joe Gargery - Pips brother-in-law, the village blacksmith,
Joe stays with his abusive wifeknown as Mrs. Joesolely
out of love for Pip. Joes quiet goodness makes him one of
the few completely sympathetic characters.

Jaggers - The powerful lawyer hired by Magwitch to
supervise Pips elevation to the upper class. As one of the
most important criminal lawyers in London.

Herbert Pocket - Pip first meets Herbert Pocket in the
garden of Satis House, when, as a pale young gentleman,
Herbert challenges him to a fight. Years later, they meet
again in London, and Herbert becomes Pips best friend.

Wemmick - wemmick is Jaggerss clerk and Pips friend.

Biddy - A simple, kindhearted country girl, Biddy first
befriends Pip when they attend school together. After Mrs.
Joe is attacked and becomes paralyzed, Biddy moves into
Pips home to care for her.

Dolge Orlick - The day laborer in Joes forge, Orlick is a
slouching, oafish embodiment of evil. He is malicious and
hurting people simply because he enjoys it. He is responsible
for the attack on Mrs. Joe, and he later almost succeeds in
his attempt to murder Pip.

Mrs. Joe - Pips sister and Joes wife, known only as Mrs.
Joe throughout the novel. Mrs. Joe is a stern and
overbearing figure to both Pip and Joe. She keeps a


spotless household and frequently menaces her husband and
her brother.

Uncle Pumblechook - Pips most arrogant uncle. Pumblechook
is responsible for arranging Pips first meeting with Miss
Havisham.

Compeyson - A criminal and the former partner of
Magwitch, Compeyson is an educated, gentlemanly outlaw
who contrasts sharply with the coarse and uneducated
Magwitch. Compeyson is responsible for Magwitchs capture
at the end of the novel. He is also the man who jilted Miss
Havisham on her wedding day.

Bentley Drummle - An unpleasant young man who attends
tutoring sessions with Pip at the Pockets house, Drummle is
a minor member of the nobility. Drummle eventually marries
Estella; she is miserable in their marriage and reunites with
Pip after Drummle dies some eleven years later.








Oliver Twist
Review
Character analysis
Oliver Twist-Oliver is a young, good-hearted, and kind--but
often mistreated--orphan who is raised in a workhouse, and
finds himself indentured to an undertaker, living with
thieves, and eventually taken in by the kind Mr. Brownlow
and Mrs. Maylie. His generosity of spirit is total, and even
when faced with serious maltreatment, he never loses his
sense of morality or kindness.
Fagin-A very old man, with a villainous-looking and repulsive
face, Fagin is the leader of a gang of boy thieves, and a very
greedy and vicious man. It is Fagin who tries to turn Oliver
into a thief, and who betrays Nancy to Sikes, leading to her
death.
Mr. Brownlow-Mr. Brownlow is a very respectable-looking
elderly gentleman, who has had his heart broken many
times, including losing his fiance on the day of their
wedding. He takes a liking to Oliver even after suspecting
him of stealing his handkerchief, and takes him in, doing
everything he can to help him.
Nancy-Nancy is a young woman and prostitute raised into
that profession by Fagin. Nancy eventually betrays Fagin


and Sikes to save Oliver, but she will not leave them, and
pays her life for this decision.
Bill Sikes-A stoutly-built man in his thirties, Bill is a vicious
housebreaker and thief who often works with Fagin, and is
involved with Nancy. He often mistreats, and eventually kills
her.
Rose Maylie-Rose is Mrs. Maylies niece, a beautiful
seventeen-year-old woman, who is both intelligent and
perfectly kind. She is an orphan who is taken in by Mrs.
Maylie, and ends up marrying Harry Maylie.
Edward Leeford-Edward is Olivers half-brother, who goes
by the alias Monks for most of the novel. He offers to pay
Fagin to corrupt Oliver, so that he may have Olivers
inheritance. He is in his late twenties, but haggard in
appearance, with extremely deep set eyes, and suffers
from fits.
Mrs. Maylie-Mrs. Maylie is an older lady, who despite her
age is very dignified and stately. She is the owner of the
mansion that Sikes and Crackit attempt to rob, the mother
of Harry Maylie and the adopted aunt of Rose Maylie. In
her kindness, she takes Oliver in.
Jack Dawkins-Jack Dawkins is better known as the artful
Dodger, he is common looking enough but with the airs and
manners of a man, although he is about Olivers age. He is


Fagins best pickpocket, and it is he who finds Oliver and
leads him to London and to Fagins place.
Charley Bates-Charley Bates is a sprightly young friend of
the Dodgers and another of Fagins boys. He is very
excitable, and laughs often. Other than Oliver, he is the
only of Fagins boys to end up making an honest living.
Mrs. Corney-Mrs. Corney, later Mrs. Bumble, is the matron
of the workhouse at which Oliver was born. She has been a
widow for twenty-five years, and ends up marrying,
dominating and humiliating Mr. Bumble.
Mr. Losberne-Mr. Losberne is the doctor who tends to
Oliver after the shooting, an eccentric, kind, hearty and fat
gentleman, who often acts without forethought, but is
universally liked. He agrees to help the ladies try to protect
Oliver.
Mrs. Bedwin-Mrs. Bedwin is Mr. Brownlows housekeeper.
She is a kind and motherly old lady who takes care of Oliver
in his illness, and never doubts his honesty even when he
disappears with Mr. Brownlows books and money.
Mr. Grimwig-Mr. Grimwig is an old friend of Mr.
Brownlows,-who is a little rough in manners, but a worthy
man. He is a stout old gentleman who talks something like a
parrot and has a strong taste for contradiction, and
threatening to eat his own head.


Noah Claypole-Noah is a charity-boy with a fierce look who
works for the undertaker and enjoys bullying Oliver. He
later, with Charlotte, steals from the Sowerberrys and runs
away to London, where he joins Fagins gang.
Harry Maylie-Harry is Mrs. Maylies son. He is about 25,
has a frank and handsome face and an easy demeanor, and is
deeply in love with Rose. Although first ambitious, he
chooses to be come a country cleric so that he will be on
Roses level, and she will agree to marry him.
Mr. Giles-Mr. Giles is a rather fat man who works as butler
and steward to Mrs. Maylie. He shoots Oliver during the
robbery, which he is at first very proud of, then very guilty
about.
Toby Crackit-Bill Sikess partner in crime, Toby is known
for his flashiness and ability to seduce servants into helping
him and Sikes break in.
Mr. Sowerberry-Mr. Sowerberry is the parochial
undertaker, a tall and gaunt man, who takes Oliver on as an
indentured servant. He rather likes Oliver, but cannot stand
up to his wifes hatred of the orphan.
Mrs. Sowerberry-Mrs. Sowerberry is the undertakers
wife, a short, thin woman with a vixenish countenance, who
has a strong dislike for Oliver, and treats him accordingly.


Mr. Brittles-Mr. Brittles is a short and heavy man who has
worked for Mrs. Maylie since he was a child as a lad of all-
work. Everyone in the household still considers him a boy,
although he is in his thirties.
Charlotte-The Sowerberrys servant, Charlotte will do
anything for Noah Claypole, including stealing twenty pounds
from the Sowerberrys and running away to London.
Tom Chitling-Another of Fagins boys, Chitling is eighteen,
but not as accomplished a thief as the Dodger, and has just
come from spending six weeks in jail.
Mr. Blathers-Mr. Blathers is an officer from Bow Street, a
stout man of about fifty, who comes to Mrs. Maylies after
the robbery.
Mr. Duff-Mr. Duff is an officer from Bow Street, a red-
headed, bony man with a sinister expression, who comes to
Mrs. Maylies after the robbery.
Dick-Dick is a young companion of Olivers at the workhouse,
who blesses Oliver as he runs away from the undertakers.
Dick dies before Oliver can come back to save him.
Betsy-Betsy is a young woman prostitute who visits at
Fagan's. She is a little messy and not quite pretty, but free
and easy and hearty. She goes crazy when she sees Nancy's
dead body.


Mrs. Mann-Mrs. Mann runs the orphanage where Oliver
grows up. She keeps for herself most of the money allotted
by the parish for the care of the orphans, and neglects
them rather steadily.
Mr. Fang-Mr. Fang is the magistrate to whom Oliver is
taken when accused of stealing the handkerchief. He is a
lean, long-backed, stiff-necked, middle-sized balding man,
with a stern and flushed face.






















Summary
A six-year-old boy named Pip lives on the English marshes
with his sister (Mrs. Joe Gargery) and his sister's husband
(Mr. Joe Gargery). His sister is about as bossy and mean as
older sisters arebut his brother-in-law Joe is pretty much
the best thing that's happened to Pip.

One Christmas Eve, Pip meets a scary, escaped convict in a
churchyard. Pip steals food from Mrs. Joe so that the
convict won't starve (and also so that the convict won't rip
his guts out). Soon after, in apparently unrelated events, Pip
gets asked to play at Miss Havisham's, the creepy lady who
lives down the street. And we mean creepy: her mansion is
covered in moss; she still wears the wedding dress she was
wearing when she was jilted at the altar decades ago; and
the whole place is crawling with bugs. It's like Beauty and
the Beast, only without the singing tableware.

The only good thing about the mansion is Estella, Miss
Havisham's adopted daughter. Estella is cold and snobby,
but man is she pretty. Pip keeps getting invited back to play
with her, and he develops quite the little affection for her,
even though there's no way that orphan Pip can ever have a
chance with Estella, the adopted child of the richest lady in
town.



When Pip is old enough to be put to workyou know, early
teens or sohe starts an apprenticeship at his brother-in-
law's smithy, thanks to Miss Havisham's financial support.
You'd think he'd be thrilled (fire, swinging heavy things
around), but he hates it: all he wants is to become a
gentleman and marry Estella.

Then, surprise! He comes into fortune by means of a
mysterious and undisclosed benefactor, says goodbye to his
family, and heads to London to become a gentleman. And it's
pretty sweet at first. Mr. Jaggers, Pip's caretaker, is one
of the biggest and the worst lawyers in town. Pip also gets a
new BFF named Herbert Pocket, the son of Miss Havisham's
cousin.

Herbert shows Pip around town, and they have a busy city
life: dinner parties in castles with moats, encounters with
strange housekeepers, trips to the theater, etc. Two teeny
problems: he spends way too much money, and whenever he
goes home he's ashamed of Joe. Meanwhile, Estella, who's
been off touring the world, comes back to London and is
even more gorgeous than ever.

On his 21st birthday, Jaggers gives Pip a huge 500-pound
annual allowance, which he uses to help Herbert get a job.
Aw, good friend! This goes on for a couple of yearsPip is a
man about town; Estella keeps rejecting himuntil, on his


23rd birthday, a stranger shows up. The stranger is Pip's
benefactor. The stranger is the convict that Pip helped
when he was only six years old!
Abel Magwitch/Provis has been the most perilous criminal.
The courts exiled him to New South Wales under strict
orders never, ever to return to England, so not only is Pip
super bummed to find out that his benefactor isn't Miss
Havisham after all, as he's assumed, but a criminalhe's
also harboring a convict. Obviously, Pip decides that he's
got to get Magwitch out of the country, but not before Pip
rescues Miss Havisham from a fire that burnt down her
house and eventually kills her.

Pip devises a plan to get Magwitch out of the country, but
he's uneasyand with good reason: just as they get ready
to make their great escape, Estella goes and marries Pip's
nemesis and Pip is almost thrown into a limekiln by a
hometown bully who claims to know about Magwitch. And
then the two are ratted out by Magwitch's nemesis
Compeyson, who is, coincidentally, Miss Havisham's ex-lover.
Magwitch is thrown in jail and dies, but not before Pip tells
him the shocking truth: Estella is his daughter.

After these traumatic events, Pip gets really sick, and Joe
comes to the rescue. As soon as Pip recovers, however, Joe
leaves him in the middle of the night, having paid off all of
Pip's debts. Obviously, Pip follows him home, intending to


ask for Joe's forgiveness and to propose marriage to his
childhood friend, Biddy. Upon arriving home, however, he
finds that Joe and Biddy have just married, which is a
little weird, if you ask us. He says he's sorry he's been such
a butthead, and then he moves to Cairo.

For eleven years, Pip works at Herbert's shipping company
in Cairo, sending money back to Joe and Biddy. He finally
returns to England, and then Estella and Pip stays together
forever.















About the Author
Charlotte Bronte
1816-1855
Born on April 21, 1816, in Thornton, Yorkshire, England,
Charlotte Bront worked as a teacher and governess before
collaborating on a book of poetry with her two sisters, Emily
and Anne, who were writers as well. In 1847, Bront
published the semi-autobiographical novel Jane Eyre, which
was a hit and would become a literary classic. She died on
March 31, 1855, in Haworth, Yorkshire, England. August
1824 Patrick Bront sent Charlotte, Emily, Maria and
Elizabeth to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan
Bridge in Lancashire. Charlotte maintained that the school's
poor conditions permanently affected her health and
physical development, and hastened the deaths of Maria
(born 1814) and Elizabeth (born 1815), who both died
of tuberculosis in June 1825. After the deaths of her older
sisters her father removed Charlotte and Emily from the
school.
[1]
Charlotte used the school as the basis for Lowood
School in Jane Eyre.
Achievements:
Shirley
Villete
Jane Eyre


Review
Jane Eyre

Character analysis

Jane Eyre - The protagonist and narrator of the novel,
Jane is an intelligent, honest, plain-featured young girl
forced to contend with oppression, inequality, and hardship.
Although she meets with a series of individuals who
threaten her autonomy, Jane repeatedly succeeds at
asserting herself and maintains her principles of justice,
human dignity, and morality.

Edward Rochester - Janes employer and the master of
Thorn field, Rochester is a wealthy, passionate man with a
dark secret that provides much of the novels suspense.
Rochester is unconventional, ready to set aside polite
manners, propriety, and consideration of social class in
order to interact with Jane frankly and directly.

St. John Rivers - Along with his sisters, Mary and Diana,
St. John serves as Janes benefactor after she runs away
from Thorn field, giving her food and shelter. Because he is
entirely alienated from his feelings and devoted solely to an


austere ambition, St. John serves as a foil to Edward
Rochester.

Mrs. Reed - Mrs. Reed is Janes cruel aunt, who raises her
at Gates head Hall until Jane is sent away to school at age
ten. Later in her life, Jane attempts reconciliation with her
aunt, but the old woman continues to resent her because
her husband had always loved Jane more than his own
children.

Mr. Lloyd - Mr. Lloyd is the Reeds apothecary, who
suggests that Jane be sent away to school. Always kind to
Jane, Mr. Lloyd writes a letter to Miss Temple confirming
Janes story about her childhood and clearing Jane of Mrs.
Reeds charge that she is a liar.
Georgiana Reed - Georgiana Reed is Janes cousin and one
of Mrs. Reeds two daughters. The beautiful Georgiana
treats Jane cruelly when they are children, but later in
their lives she befriends her cousin and confides in her.
Eliza Reed - Eliza Reed is Janes cousin and one of Mrs.
Reeds two daughters . Not as beautiful as her sister, Eliza
devotes herself somewhat self-righteously to the church
and eventually goes to a convent in France where she
becomes the Mother Superior.
John Reed - John Reed is Janes cousin, Mrs. Reeds son,
and brother to Eliza and Georgiana. John treats Jane with
appalling cruelty during their childhood and later falls into a


life of drinking and gambling. John commits suicide midway
through the novel when his mother ceases to pay his debts
for him.
Helen Burns - Helen Burns is Janes close friend at the
Lowood School. She endures her miserable life there with a
passive dignity that Jane cannot understand. Helen dies of
consumption in Janes arms.

Maria Temple - Maria Temple is a kind teacher at Lowood,
who treats Jane and Helen with respect and compassion.
Along with Bessie Lee, she serves as one of Janes first
positive female role models. Miss Temple helps clear Jane
of Mrs. Reeds accusations against her.
Bertha Mason - Rochesters clandestine wife, Bertha Mason
is a formerly beautiful and wealthy Creole woman who has
become insane, violent, and bestial. Bertha eventually burns
down Thorn field, plunging to her death in the flames.
Grace Poole - Grace Poole is Bertha Masons keeper at
Thorn field, whose drunken carelessness frequently allows
Bertha to escape. When Jane first arrives at Thorn field,
Mrs. Fairfax attributes to Grace all evidence of Berthas
misdeeds
Richard Mason - Richard Mason is Berthas brother. During
a visit to Thorn field, he is injured by his mad sister. After
learning of Rochesters intent to marry Jane, Mason arrives
with the solicitor Briggs in order to thwart the wedding and
reveal the truth of Rochesters prior marriage.


Mr. Briggs - John Eyres attorney, Mr. Briggs helps Richard
Mason prevent Janes wedding to Rochester when he learns
of the existence of Bertha Mason, Rochesters wife.
Blanche Ingram - Blanche Ingram is a beautiful socialite
who despises Jane and hopes to marry Rochester for his
money.
Diana Rivers - Diana Rivers is Janes cousin, and the sister
of St. John and Mary. Diana is a kind and intelligent person.
She serves as a model for Jane of an intellectually gifted
and independent woman.
Mary Rivers - Mary Rivers is Janes cousin, the sister of St.
John and Diana. Mary is a kind and intelligent young woman
who is forced to work as a governess after her father loses
his fortune. Like her sister, she serves as a model for Jane
of an independent woman.

John Eyre - John Eyre is Janes uncle, who leaves her his
vast fortune of 20,000 pounds.










Summary

Jane Eyre is the story of a young, orphaned girl (shockingly,
shes named Jane Eyre) who lives with her aunt and cousins,
the Reeds, at Gates head Hall. Like all 19th century
orphans, her situation pretty much sucks. Mrs. Reed hates
Jane and allows her son John to torment the girl. Even the
servants are constantly reminding Jane that shes poor and
worthless. At the tender age of ten, Jane rises up against
this treatment and tells them all exactly what she thinks of
them. (We wish we couldve been there to hear it!) Shes
punished by being locked in "the red-room," the bedroom
where her uncle died, and she has a hysterical fit when she
thinks his ghost is appearing. After this, nobody knows what
to do with her, so they send her away to a religious boarding
school for orphans Lowood Institute.

At Lowood, which is run by the hypocritical ogre Mr.
Brocklehurst, the students never have enough to eat or
warm clothes. However, Jane finds a pious friend, Helen
Burns, and a sympathetic teacher, Miss Temple. Under their
influence, she becomes an excellent student, learning all the
little bits and pieces of culture that made up a ladys
education in Victorian England: French, piano-playing,
singing, and drawing. Unfortunately, an epidemic of typhus
breaks out at the school, and Helen diesbut of
consumption, not typhus. (We always knew shed be a
martyr.) Jane remains at Lowood as a student until shes
sixteen, and then as a teacher until shes eighteen. When


Miss Temple leaves the school to get married, Jane gets a
case of wanderlust and arranges to leave the school and
become a governess.

The governess job that Jane accepts is to tutor a little
French girl, Adle Varens, at a country house called Thorn
field. Jane goes there thinking that shell be working for a
woman named Mrs. Fairfax, but Mrs. Fairfax is just the
housekeeper; the owner of the house is a mysterious Mr.
Rochester, and he's Adle's guardian, although were not
sure whether shes his daughter. (Yep, this is getting
exciting!) Jane likes Thorn field, although not the third
floor, where a strange servant named Grace Poole works
alone and Jane can hear eerie laughter coming from a locked
room.

One evening when Janes out for a walk, she meets a
mysterious man when his horse slips and he falls and, of
course, this is Mr. Rochester. Jane and Rochester are
immediately interested in each other. She likes the fact
that hes craggy, dark, and rough-looking instead of smooth
and classically handsome. She also likes his abrupt, almost
rude manners, which she thinks are easier to handle than
polite flattery. He likes her unusual strength and spirit and
seems to find her almost unworldly; hes always comparing
her to a fairy or an elf or a sprite.

Rochester quickly learns that he can rely on Jane in a crisis
one evening, Jane finds Rochester asleep in his bed with
all the curtains and bedclothes on fire, and she puts out the


flames and rescues him. Jane and Rochester have
fascinating conversations in the evenings and everything
seems to be going really welluntil Rochester invites a
bunch of his rich friends to stay at Thorn field, including
the beautiful Blanche Ingram. Rochester lets Blanche flirt
with him constantly in front of Jane to make her jealous
and encourages rumors that hes engaged to Blanche. Don't
worry, though it's really only Jane he wants.

During the weeks-long house party, a man named Richard
Mason shows up, and Rochester seems afraid of him. At
night, Mason sneaks up to the third floor and somehow gets
stabbed and bitten . Rochester asks Jane to tend Richard
Mason's wounds secretly while he fetches the doctor. The
next morning before the guests find out what happened,
Rochester sneaks Mason out of the house.

Before Jane can discover more about the mysterious
situation, she gets a message that her Aunt Reed is very
sick and is asking for her. Jane, forgiving Mrs. Reed for
mistreating her when she was a child, goes back to take
care of her dying aunt. When Jane returns to Thornfield,
Blanche and her friends are gone, and Jane realizes how
attached she is to Mr. Rochester. Although he lets her
think for a little longer that hes going to marry Blanche,
eventually Rochester stops teasing Jane and proposes to
her. She blissfully accepts.



Everything seems to be going great, until we notice that
theres still a third of the book left. That means something
bad is about to happen.


After explaining all this, Rochester claims that hes not
really married because his relationship with Bertha isnt a
real marriage. The main problem is that he cant divorce her
(because it was pretty tough to get a divorce at all in the
Victorian period, and Berthas behavior isnt grounds for a
divorce, since shes mentally ill and therefore not
responsible for her actions). He wants Jane to go and live
with him in France, where they can pretend to be a married
couple and act like husband and wife. Jane refuses to be his
next mistress and runs away before shes tempted to agree.

Jane travels in a random direction away from Thornfield.
Having no money, she almost starves to death before being
taken in by the Rivers family, who live at Moor House near a
town called Morton. The Rivers siblings Diana, Mary, and
St. John are about Janes age and well-educated, but
somewhat poor. They take whole-heartedly to Jane, who has
taken the pseudonym "Jane Elliott" so that Mr. Rochester
cant find her. Jane wants to earn her keep, so St. John
arranges for her to become the teacher in a village girls
school. When Janes uncle Mr. Eyre dies and leaves his
fortune to his niece, it turns out that the Rivers siblings are
actually Janes cousins, and she shares her inheritance with
the other three. (Now shes Jane Heir, ha ha.)



St. John, who is a super-intense clergyman, wants to be
more than Janes cousin (back when that wasn't considered
gross). He admires Janes work ethic and asks her to marry
him (how un-romantic), learn Hindustani, and go with him to
India on a long-term missionary trip. Jane is tempted
because she thinks shed be good at it and that it would be
an interesting life. Still, she refuses because she knows she
doesnt love St. John. To top it off, St. John actually loves a
different a girl named Rosamond Oliver, but he wont let
himself admit it because he thinks she would make a bad
wife for a missionary.

Jane offers to go to India with him, but just as his cousin
and co-worker, not as his wife. St. John won't give up and
keeps pressuring Jane to marry him. Just as shes about to
give in, she supernaturally hears Mr. Rochesters voice
calling her name from somewhere far away.

The next morning, Jane leaves Moor House and goes back to
Thornfield to find out whats going on with Mr. Rochester.
She finds out that Mr. Rochester searched for her
everywhere, and, when he couldnt find her, sent everyone
else away from the house and shut himself up alone. After
this, Bertha set the house on fire one night and burned it to
the ground. Rochester rescued all the servants and tried to
save Bertha, too, but she committed suicide and he was
injured. Now Rochester has lost an eye and a hand and is
blind in the remaining eye.



Jane goes to Mr. Rochester and offers to take care of him
as his nurse or housekeeper. What she really hopes is that
he'll ask her to marry him and he does. They have a quiet
wedding, and after two years of marriage Rochester
gradually gets his sight back. St. John Rivers, meanwhile,
goes to India alone and works himself to death there over
the course of several years.

























About the Author
Jane Austen
1775-1816
Born on December 16, 1775, Jane Austen was the seventh
of eight children born to George and Cassandra Austen. The
family lived in Stevenson, a small Hampshire town in south-
central England, where her father was a minister. The
Austens were a loving, spirited family that read novels
together from the local circulating library and put on home
theatricals. It was for the family circle that Austen first
wrote high-spirited satires some of which later became
novels after numerous and careful rewritings.
Achievements:
Emma
Mansfield Park
Pride and Prejudice











Review
Emma
Character analysis
Emma Woodhouse - The protagonist of the novel. In the
well-known first sentence of the novel, the narrator
describes Emma as handsome, clever, and rich, with a
comfortable home and happy disposition. In some ways, the
twenty-year-old Emma is mature for her age. Because her
mother is dead and her older sister married, she is already
the head of her fathers household. She cares for her
father and oversees the social goings-on in the village of
Highbury. Emmas misplaced confidence in her abilities as a
matchmaker and her prudish fear of love constitute the
central focus of the novel, which traces Emmas mistakes
and growing self-understanding.
Mr. George Knightley - Emmas brother-in-law and the
Woodhouses trusted friend and advisor. Knightley is a
respected landowner in his late thirties. He lives at Donwell
Abbey and leases property to the Martins, a family of
wealthy farmers whom he likes and counsels. Knightley is
the only character who is openly critical of Emma, pointing
out her flaws and foibles with frankness, out of genuine
concern and care for her. In this respect, he acts as a
stand-in for Austens and the readers judgments of Emma.
Mr. Woodhouse - Emmas father and the patriarch of
Hartfield, the Woodhouse estate. Though Mr. Woodhouse is


nervous, frail, and prone to hypochondria, he is also known
for his friendliness and his attachment to his daughter. He
is very resistant to change, to the point that he is unhappy
to see his daughters or Emmas governess marry. In this
sense, he impedes Emmas growth and acceptance of her
adult destiny. He is often foolish and clearly not Emmas
intellectual equal, but she comforts and entertains him with
insight and affection.
Harriet Smith - A pretty but unremarkable seventeen-
year-old woman of uncertain parentage, who lives at the
local boarding school. Harriet becomes Emmas protg and
the object of her matchmaking schemes.
Frank Churchill - Mr. Westons son and Mrs. Westons
stepson. Frank Churchill lives at Enscombe with his aunt and
uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Churchill. He is considered a potential
suitor for Emma, but she learns that though Frank is
attractive, charming, and clever, he is also irresponsible,
deceitful, rash, and ultimately unsuited to her.

Jane Fairfax - Miss Batess niece, whose arrival in
Highbury irritates Emma. Jane rivals Emma in
accomplishment and beauty; she possesses a kind heart and
a reserved temperament. Because Jane lacks Emmas
fortune, she must consider employment as a governess, but
her marriage to Frank Churchill saves her from that fate.

Mrs. Weston - Formerly Miss Taylor, Emmas beloved
governess and companion. Known for her kind temperament


and her devotion to Emma, Mrs. Weston lives at Randalls
with her husband, Frank Churchills father.
Mr. Weston - The widower and proprietor of Randalls, who
has just married Miss Taylor when the novel begins. Mr.
Weston has a son, Frank, from his first marriage to Miss
Churchill (Frank was raised by Miss Churchills sister and
brother-in-law). Mr. Weston is warm, sociable, and
perpetually optimistic.
Mr. Elton - The village vicar, a handsome and agreeable
man considered a welcome addition to any social gathering.
When he reveals his indifference to Harriet and his desire
to marry Emma, only to take a bride at Bath shortly
thereafter, he comes to seem proud, conceited, and
superficial.
Mr. Robert Martin - A twenty-four-year-old farmer. Mr.
Martin is industrious and good-hearted, though he lacks the
refinements of a gentleman. He lives at Abbey-Mill Farm, a
property owned by Knightley, with his mother and sisters.
Miss Bates - Friend of Mr. Woodhouse and aunt of Jane
Fairfax, Miss Bates is a middle-aged spinster without
beauty or cleverness but with universal goodwill and a gentle
temperament. Emmas impatient treatment of her reveals
the less attractive parts of Emmas character.
Isabella Knightley - Emmas older sister, who lives in
London with her husband, Mr. John Knightley, and their five
children. Isabella is pretty, amiable, and completely devoted
to her family, but slow and diffident compared to Emma.


Her domesticity provides a contrast to the independent
celibacy Emma imagines for herself.
Mr. John Knightley - Emmas brother-in-law, and Mr.
George Knightleys brother. As a lawyer, John Knightley is
clear-minded but somewhat sharp in temper, and Emma and
her father are sometimes displeased with his severity.
Mrs. Elton - Formerly Augusta Hawkins, Mrs. Elton hails
from Bristol and meets Mr. Elton in Bath. She is somewhat
attractive and accomplished; she has some fortune and a
well-married sister, but her vanity, superficiality, and vulgar
over familiarity offset her admirable qualities.
Mrs. Churchill - Mr. Westons ailing former sister-in-law
and Frank Churchills aunt and guardian. She is known to be
capricious, ill-tempered, and extremely possessive of Frank.
Frank is able to marry Jane Fairfax, as he desires, only
after Mrs. Churchills death.
Colonel Campbell - A friend of Jane Fairfaxs father who
lives in London and who takes charge of orphaned Jane when
she is eight years old. Colonel Campbell feels great
affection for Jane but is unable to provide her with an
inheritance.
Mrs. Dixon - The Campbells daughter and Janes friend.
Mrs. Dixon lacks beauty and lives with her husband in
Ireland.
Mr. Dixon - Husband to the Campbells daughter. Emma
suspects that Mr. Dixon had a romance with Jane Fairfax
before his marriage.


Mrs. Goddard - Mistress of the local boarding school. Mrs.
Goddard introduces Harriet Smith to the Woodhouses.
Mrs. Bates - Mother to Miss Bates and friend of Mr.
Woodhouse. An elderly woman, Mrs. Bates is quiet, amiable,
and somewhat deaf.
Mr. Perry - An apothecary and associate of Emmas father.
Mr. Perry is highly esteemed by Mr. Woodhouse for his
medical advice even though he is not a proper physician, and
Mr. Woodhouse argues with his daughter Isabella over
Perrys recommendations.
Elizabeth Martin - Mr. Martins kind sister, with whom
Harriet was good friends before meeting Emma and turning
down Mr. Martins marriage proposal. Harriets feelings of
guilt and her desire to rekindle her relationship with
Elizabeth pose a dilemma for Emma, who finds the Martins
pleasant, worthy people, but worries that Harriet may be
tempted to accept Mr. Martins offer if she again grows
close with the family.
Mr. and Mrs. Cole - Tradespeople and longtime residents
of Highbury whose good fortune of the past several years
has led them to adopt a luxurious lifestyle that is only a
notch below that of the Woodhouses. Offended by their
attempt to transcend their only moderately genteel social
status, Emma has long been preparing to turn down any
dinner invitation from the Coles in order to teach them
their folly in thinking they can interact socially with the
likes of her family. Like the Martins, the Coles are the
means through which Emma demonstrates her class-
consciousness.


Summary

Emma Woodhouse has the world at her fingertips. Shes
young, pretty, and smart; she also happens to be the
reigning queen of her villages social scene. Emma lives in
Highbury, a small town about sixteen miles outside
of London, with her aging father. Mr. Woodhouse loves
Emma, but hes utterly unable to offer her any guidance
which is perhaps why Emma doesnt seem to have any sense
of her own limitations. Life seems pretty sweet if a bit
boring and so Emma decides to spice things up by taking on
a protg, Harriet Smith. Even though Emmas determined
never to marry herself, she immediately decides to find
Harriet a husband.

Determined to make Harriet into a gentlewoman, Emma sets
out to refine Harriets tastes especially in men. She
convinces Harriet to dump Robert Martin, the young farmer
who likes her, and set her sights on the towns clergyman,
Mr. Elton. Unfortunately, Mr. Elton turns out to be in love
with Emma or at least with Emmas money. After the Mr.
Elton debacle, Emma thinks that shes learned her lessons in
matchmaking. Luckily for us (if not for Harriet), she hasnt.

When the dashing Frank Churchill comes to town, Emma
tries very hard to fall in love with him herself. She cant
seem to fall head over heels for him, but she does manage
to make a good deal of mischief by flirting with him in front
of Jane Fairfax, a young woman who recently returned to


Highbury to live with her aunts. Meanwhile, Emma decides
that Frank might just be the perfect new man for Harriet.

Emmas exploits are watched and commented upon by her
good friend, Mr. Knightley. Although Emma frequently
ignores his advice, she cherishes his good opinion. When Mr.
Knightley accuses her of belittling her poor neighbors,
Emma begins to reflect upon her mistakes and even starts
to change her ways.

Unfortunately, Harriet confesses that she loves Mr.
Knightley, not Frank. All of a sudden, Emmas plans crumble.
She realizes that she loves Mr. Knightley too. Convinced
that Mr. Knightley might be interested in Harriet, despite
the fact that he practically lives with the Woodhouse,
Emma crushes Mr. Knightleys attempts to propose to her.
Eventually all romantic muddles are cleared: Emma marries
Mr. Knightly, and Harriet marries her farmer, Robert
Martin.

Emmas story is surrounded by side-narratives of life in
Highbury, including the romance of Frank and Jane Fairfax,
the marriage of Emmas former governess, Mrs. Weston,
and the escapades of the social climbers, Mr. and Mrs.
Elton.