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_3 October._--The time seemed terrible long whilst we were waiting for
the coming of Godalming and Quincey Morris. The Professor tried to keep
our minds active by using them all the time. I could see his beneficent
purpose, by the side glances which he threw from time to time at Harker.
The poor fellow is overwhelmed... | Dracula's escape shows that he is still formidable and cunning, even during the hours of daylight. Without his powers, he is still able to escape from a room of armed men. But his flight shows also that he is afraid; he boards a ship because he is being hunted and London is no longer safe for him. Jonathan Harker is a ... | analysis |
"_9 May._
"My dearest Lucy,--
"Forgive my long delay in writing, but I have been simply overwhelmed
with work. The life of an assistant schoolmistress is sometimes trying.
I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together
freely and build our castles in the air. I have been working very hard
l... | This chapter opens with a letter from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra, dated May 9. Just as a reminder--May 9 puts us back in time a bit. May 9 is the day after Jonathan Harker cut himself while shaving and discovered that Dracula doesn't reflect in mirrors. Mina writes to Lucy apologizing for not having written sooner, b... | summary |
It was just a quarter before twelve o'clock when we got into the
churchyard over the low wall. The night was dark with occasional gleams
of moonlight between the rents of the heavy clouds that scudded across
the sky. We all kept somehow close together, with Van Helsing slightly
in front as he led the way. When we had... | They get to the tomb and open the coffin. It's empty. Van Helsing tells Arthur and Quincey that they've opened it twice before--the first time it was empty, the second Lucy was there, looking intact . They go back outside and wait. Van Helsing puts a communion wafer in the door of the tomb so that vampire Lucy won't be... | summary |
When we arrived at the Berkeley Hotel, Van Helsing found a telegram
waiting for him:--
"Am coming up by train. Jonathan at Whitby. Important news.--MINA
HARKER."
The Professor was delighted. "Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina," he said,
"pearl among women! She arrive, but I cannot stay. She must go to your
ho... | Mina and Jonathan are on their way to Dr. Seward's house . Van Helsing gives Dr. Seward a copy of Mina and Jonathan's journals to read before the couple arrives. When Mina gets there, she sees Dr. Seward making a diary entry on his phonograph . She gets all excited and asks to hear it say something--perhaps something a... | summary |
_1 October, 5 a. m._--I went with the party to the search with an easy
mind, for I think I never saw Mina so absolutely strong and well. I am
so glad that she consented to hold back and let us men do the work.
Somehow, it was a dread to me that she was in this fearful business at
all; but now that her work is done, an... | Quincey and Van Helsing ask why Seward didn't allow Renfield to go, and Seward says he was afraid Renfield wanted to go help Dracula somehow. They use a skeleton key to get into Carfax. Van Helsing hands out crucifixes and pieces of blessed communion wafers. They go into the chapel to check things out. Dracula hasn't c... | summary |
_3 October._--As I must do something or go mad, I write this diary. It
is now six o'clock, and we are to meet in the study in half an hour and
take something to eat; for Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward are agreed
that if we do not eat we cannot work our best. Our best will be, God
knows, required to-day. I must keep w... | Jonathan is obviously upset about Mina, and writes in his journal to keep from going crazy. After going over what happened to Renfield to make sure that everyone was up to speed , they start discussing Mina's condition. Mina is going to be kept in the loop again. She says that if she feels herself getting vampire-y, sh... | summary |
_5 May._--I must have been asleep, for certainly if I had been fully
awake I must have noticed the approach of such a remarkable place. In
the gloom the courtyard looked of considerable size, and as several dark
ways led from it under great round arches, it perhaps seemed bigger than
it really is. I have not yet been... | Jonathan Harker stands outside Dracula's remarkable castle, wondering what sort of adventure he has gotten himself into. After a long wait, the count appears and welcomes Harker. Clad in black, he is a tall old man, who is clean-shaven aside from a long, white moustache. When the two shake hands, Harker is impressed by... | summary |
_5 May._--I must have been asleep, for certainly if I had been fully
awake I must have noticed the approach of such a remarkable place. In
the gloom the courtyard looked of considerable size, and as several dark
ways led from it under great round arches, it perhaps seemed bigger than
it really is. I have not yet been... | The Author's Note with which Dracula begins reflects a popular conceit in eighteenth-century fiction. Rather than constructing a narrative from the perspective of an omniscient third-person narrator, Stoker presents the story through transcribed journals. In effect, the novel masquerades as a real diary. Were the story... | analysis |
When I found that I was a prisoner a sort of wild feeling came over me.
I rushed up and down the stairs, trying every door and peering out of
every window I could find; but after a little the conviction of my
helplessness overpowered all other feelings. When I look back after a
few hours I think I must have been mad f... | That night, Harker questions his host about the history of Transylvania. Dracula speaks enthusiastically of the country's people and battles, and he boasts of the glories of his family name. Over the course of the next several days, the count, in turn, grills Harker about matters of English life and law. He tells Harke... | summary |
"_9 May._
"My dearest Lucy,--
"Forgive my long delay in writing, but I have been simply overwhelmed
with work. The life of an assistant schoolmistress is sometimes trying.
I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together
freely and build our castles in the air. I have been working very hard
l... | Chapter V consists of several letters and a diary entry. In England, Mina Murray and her friend, Lucy Westenra, exchange letters about their respective romances. Mina is an assistant schoolmistress whose desire to be useful to her future husband has led her to study shorthand and typewriting. She happily reports that h... | summary |
"_9 May._
"My dearest Lucy,--
"Forgive my long delay in writing, but I have been simply overwhelmed
with work. The life of an assistant schoolmistress is sometimes trying.
I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together
freely and build our castles in the air. I have been working very hard
l... | In Gothic literature, the battle between well-defined forces of good and evil frequently dominates plots. In Dracula, that battle is largely waged over the fate of its female protagonists, Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray. Neither Mina nor Lucy is a particularly profound character--instead, both represent the Victorian id... | analysis |
_12 September._--How good they all are to me. I quite love that dear Dr.
Van Helsing. I wonder why he was so anxious about these flowers. He
positively frightened me, he was so fierce. And yet he must have been
right, for I feel comfort from them already. Somehow, I do not dread
being alone to-night, and I can go to s... | In the morning, Van Helsing and Dr. Seward return to the Westenra residence. They are greeted by Lucy's mother, who tells them that during the night she removed all the "horrible, strong-smelling flowers" from Lucy's room and opened the windows to let in fresh air. After Mrs. Westenra leaves the room, Van Helsing nearl... | summary |
_12 September._--How good they all are to me. I quite love that dear Dr.
Van Helsing. I wonder why he was so anxious about these flowers. He
positively frightened me, he was so fierce. And yet he must have been
right, for I feel comfort from them already. Somehow, I do not dread
being alone to-night, and I can go to s... | Seward's inability to diagnose or stem the progression of Lucy's illness demonstrates the effectiveness of Dracula's assault on Victorian social order and also exposes the limits of Western science and reason. Only legend and superstition--not reason and science--are effective in fighting Dracula. Even the many advance... | analysis |
It was just a quarter before twelve o'clock when we got into the
churchyard over the low wall. The night was dark with occasional gleams
of moonlight between the rents of the heavy clouds that scudded across
the sky. We all kept somehow close together, with Van Helsing slightly
in front as he led the way. When we had... | That night, the four men go to Lucy's grave and find it empty. Van Helsing seals the door of the tomb with Communion wafers to prevent the vampire Lucy from reentering. The men then hide in wait. Eventually, a figure appears, dressed entirely in white and carrying a child. It is Lucy--or rather, a monster that looks li... | summary |
It was just a quarter before twelve o'clock when we got into the
churchyard over the low wall. The night was dark with occasional gleams
of moonlight between the rents of the heavy clouds that scudded across
the sky. We all kept somehow close together, with Van Helsing slightly
in front as he led the way. When we had... | In this section, Lucy's transformation reaches its terrible end. Lucy is now a perversion of the two most sacred female virtues in Victorian England: maternalism and sexual purity. In Chapter XVII, Mina voices an expectation of Victorian culture when she writes, "We women have something of the mother in us that makes u... | analysis |
When we arrived at the Berkeley Hotel, Van Helsing found a telegram
waiting for him:--
"Am coming up by train. Jonathan at Whitby. Important news.--MINA
HARKER."
The Professor was delighted. "Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina," he said,
"pearl among women! She arrive, but I cannot stay. She must go to your
ho... | At Van Helsing's urging, Jonathan and Mina Harker come to stay with Seward at the asylum. Mina transcribes Seward's diary with the typewriter and notes its account of Lucy's death. Meanwhile, Seward reads the Harkers' journals, realizing for the first time that Dracula may well be his next-door neighbor and that there ... | summary |
_1 October, 5 a. m._--I went with the party to the search with an easy
mind, for I think I never saw Mina so absolutely strong and well. I am
so glad that she consented to hold back and let us men do the work.
Somehow, it was a dread to me that she was in this fearful business at
all; but now that her work is done, an... | The men make the journey to Carfax, arming themselves with holy objects for protection. There is no sign of Dracula in the chapel, but there is a terrible stench, and the men find twenty-nine of the original fifty boxes of earth. To the men's horror, rats begin to fill the chapel. The men use a whistle to summon dogs t... | summary |
_1 October, 5 a. m._--I went with the party to the search with an easy
mind, for I think I never saw Mina so absolutely strong and well. I am
so glad that she consented to hold back and let us men do the work.
Somehow, it was a dread to me that she was in this fearful business at
all; but now that her work is done, an... | In these chapters, Mina stands ready as the count's next victim. When she writes that "sleep begins to flirt with me," we know that it is Dracula--not sleep--that is seducing her during the night. These suspicions are confirmed in Chapter XXI, when, in one of the novel's strangest and most debated scenes, Van Helsing's... | analysis |
_3 October._--As I must do something or go mad, I write this diary. It
is now six o'clock, and we are to meet in the study in half an hour and
take something to eat; for Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward are agreed
that if we do not eat we cannot work our best. Our best will be, God
knows, required to-day. I must keep w... | In his journal, Harker recounts the end of Renfield's story: before escaping the asylum, the count pays one last visit to the lunatic, breaking his neck and killing him. Harker and his compatriots go to Carfax the next day and place a Communion wafer in each of Dracula's boxes of earth, rendering them unfit for the vam... | summary |
_3 October._--As I must do something or go mad, I write this diary. It
is now six o'clock, and we are to meet in the study in half an hour and
take something to eat; for Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward are agreed
that if we do not eat we cannot work our best. Our best will be, God
knows, required to-day. I must keep w... | When the Communion wafer singes Mina's forehead, the fight against Dracula's evil takes on added meaning. The men decide that their efforts also represent a fight to restore a woman to her unpolluted, virtuous self. From the beginning of the novel, Mina has proven herself resourceful and dedicated, sticking by both Jon... | analysis |
_3 October._--The time seemed terrible long whilst we were waiting for
the coming of Godalming and Quincey Morris. The Professor tried to keep
our minds active by using them all the time. I could see his beneficent
purpose, by the side glances which he threw from time to time at Harker.
The poor fellow is overwhelmed... | The men obtain keys to Dracula's other houses around the city. Holmwood and Morris hurry off to sterilize the twelve boxes that are stored in London, while Harker and Van Helsing leave to do the same to the boxes in Piccadilly. Reaching Piccadilly, the men find only eight boxes--the ninth is missing. Mina sends a messa... | summary |
_3 May. Bistritz._--Left Munich at 8:35 P. M., on 1st May, arriving at
Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an
hour late. Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I
got of it from the train and the little I could walk through the
streets. I feared to go very far from ... | Notes The book, Dracula, starts out with the main persona making entries in his journal giving a more personalized perspective of the happenings. Chapters I - IV, not only give an introduction of Dracula, but also have a kind of a rising action emphasized by terror, which seems to be gathering momentum with each of the... | analysis |
_5 May._--I must have been asleep, for certainly if I had been fully
awake I must have noticed the approach of such a remarkable place. In
the gloom the courtyard looked of considerable size, and as several dark
ways led from it under great round arches, it perhaps seemed bigger than
it really is. I have not yet been... | Jonathan Harker continues his journal. On May 5, Jonathan Harker recalls that his first glance of the castle is very grim. A tall old man with a long white mustache, clad in black greets him in excellent English, but with a strange accent. His touch is as cold as ice. He is Count Dracula. Jonathan is relieved of all hi... | summary |
_5 May._--I must have been asleep, for certainly if I had been fully
awake I must have noticed the approach of such a remarkable place. In
the gloom the courtyard looked of considerable size, and as several dark
ways led from it under great round arches, it perhaps seemed bigger than
it really is. I have not yet been... | Notes This chapter introduces the character of Count Dracula. The Count is a typical urbane gentleman based in Europe. His English is excellent though with a slight accent. His general knowledge is immense and he is an excellent conversationalist. By face value, he is like any other man but the undercurrents of peculia... | analysis |
When I found that I was a prisoner a sort of wild feeling came over me.
I rushed up and down the stairs, trying every door and peering out of
every window I could find; but after a little the conviction of my
helplessness overpowered all other feelings. When I look back after a
few hours I think I must have been mad f... | Jonathan Harkers journal continues. He realizes he is a prisoner and he is panic-struck. He rushes up and down looking for an exit point only to be denied. The Count and Jonathan meet and have a discussion on Transylvania. Jonathan is horrified when he realizes he is a prisoner, but manages to talk to Dracula calmly. D... | summary |
When I found that I was a prisoner a sort of wild feeling came over me.
I rushed up and down the stairs, trying every door and peering out of
every window I could find; but after a little the conviction of my
helplessness overpowered all other feelings. When I look back after a
few hours I think I must have been mad f... | Notes This chapter begins the horror. Jonathan is a prisoner at the mercy of Dracula. This chapter is almost like a semi-climax to the tale of Jonathan. He is enveloped by evil and is faced with foreboding death in the most horrific manner. This chapter, along with the next, tells the story of the evil that would be un... | analysis |
"_9 May._
"My dearest Lucy,--
"Forgive my long delay in writing, but I have been simply overwhelmed
with work. The life of an assistant schoolmistress is sometimes trying.
I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together
freely and build our castles in the air. I have been working very hard
l... | This chapter comprises of a series of letters. The first is from Miss Mina Murray to Miss Lucy Westenra, which dated 9th May. She writes that she was sorry for the delay in writing as an assistant schoolmistress and that she is very busy. She was practicing shorthand. She writes to her in shorthand and vice versa. She ... | summary |
"_9 May._
"My dearest Lucy,--
"Forgive my long delay in writing, but I have been simply overwhelmed
with work. The life of an assistant schoolmistress is sometimes trying.
I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together
freely and build our castles in the air. I have been working very hard
l... | Notes This chapter suddenly breaks the excited action of the last four chapters. This chapter is a series of letters of other characters. Mina, who is Jonathans fiancee mentioned in his journal, writes a letter to Lucy, who appears frivolous and carefree happy girl, almost like a child, cosseted and pampered. She is go... | analysis |
From a Correspondent.
_Whitby_.
One of the greatest and suddenest storms on record has just been
experienced here, with results both strange and unique. The weather had
been somewhat sultry, but not to any degree uncommon in the month of
August. Saturday evening was as fine as was ever known, and the great
body of h... | A paper cutting of a news column is pasted on Minas journal. It reports of a great storm, which struck the seas. A foreign schooner with all sails set docked in the storm almost unscrewed. A strange fog set in which prevented any clear sight. As the fog melted in the light of a searchlight a corpse was sighted in the s... | summary |
From a Correspondent.
_Whitby_.
One of the greatest and suddenest storms on record has just been
experienced here, with results both strange and unique. The weather had
been somewhat sultry, but not to any degree uncommon in the month of
August. Saturday evening was as fine as was ever known, and the great
body of h... | Notes This chapter tells about a strange ship. Again the author has strange ship. Again the author has deliberately digressed from the point what connection does a ship have with Dracula until an obscure statement of a tall thin man comes to the fore. Of course it is Dracula who has preyed on the ship. His abilities, a... | analysis |
_12 September._--How good they all are to me. I quite love that dear Dr.
Van Helsing. I wonder why he was so anxious about these flowers. He
positively frightened me, he was so fierce. And yet he must have been
right, for I feel comfort from them already. Somehow, I do not dread
being alone to-night, and I can go to s... | Lucy records in her journal that she feels she can sleep better. Dr. Seward diary records how Mrs. Westenra tells the professor that Lucy is bitter but because she has opened the windows and removed the garlic. Professor rushes up, Lucy looks bloodless again. He gives her blood. He also tells Mrs. Westenra not to remov... | summary |
_12 September._--How good they all are to me. I quite love that dear Dr.
Van Helsing. I wonder why he was so anxious about these flowers. He
positively frightened me, he was so fierce. And yet he must have been
right, for I feel comfort from them already. Somehow, I do not dread
being alone to-night, and I can go to s... | Notes The wolf appears in two sections in this chapter. The inference is that it is a follower of Dracula, or Dracula himself can change into an animal at his own will. Van Helsing has left Lucy unguarded just for one night but that very night Dracula strikes. Except for the scant protection of the garlics, she is tota... | analysis |
For a while sheer anger mastered me; it was as if he had during her life
struck Lucy on the face. I smote the table hard and rose up as I said to
him:--
"Dr. Van Helsing, are you mad?" He raised his head and looked at me, and
somehow the tenderness of his face calmed me at once. "Would I were!" he
said. "Madness were... | Dr. Seward continues to note in his diary. He is enraged that Lucy could be the woman in black who attacks children. They examine the child who is attacked by the lady in black. He has similar pinpoints on his throat. Dr. Seward and the Professor go to the churchyard where Lucy is buried. Her coffin is empty. The child... | summary |
For a while sheer anger mastered me; it was as if he had during her life
struck Lucy on the face. I smote the table hard and rose up as I said to
him:--
"Dr. Van Helsing, are you mad?" He raised his head and looked at me, and
somehow the tenderness of his face calmed me at once. "Would I were!" he
said. "Madness were... | Notes Lucy has been bitten by a Vampire. Of course, later in the book, one knows it is Dracula but for now he is being termed as just as the vampire. There is a dual life to all this. Lucy is dead yet still Un-dead because in the night she becomes a vampire preying on children. Lucy is still different, as there is no m... | analysis |
It was just a quarter before twelve o'clock when we got into the
churchyard over the low wall. The night was dark with occasional gleams
of moonlight between the rents of the heavy clouds that scudded across
the sky. We all kept somehow close together, with Van Helsing slightly
in front as he led the way. When we had... | At midnight, the land of Dr. Seward, Van Helsing, Arthur and holy hosts on the tomb of Lucy when they see a white figure with a child Quincey Morris proceed the graveyard to open the coffin. The coffin was empty. Van Helsing explains the strange happenings to the others. They put the holy hosts on the tomb of Lucy and ... | summary |
It was just a quarter before twelve o'clock when we got into the
churchyard over the low wall. The night was dark with occasional gleams
of moonlight between the rents of the heavy clouds that scudded across
the sky. We all kept somehow close together, with Van Helsing slightly
in front as he led the way. When we had... | Notes The most crucifixes are all signs of the deep-rooted Christianity prevalent in England at that time. They were said to be so powerful that they would destroy all evil in the world. Lucy has evidently become a thing in the clan of the Un-dead, and the very men who were in love with her hate her. They all help in k... | analysis |
When we arrived at the Berkeley Hotel, Van Helsing found a telegram
waiting for him:--
"Am coming up by train. Jonathan at Whitby. Important news.--MINA
HARKER."
The Professor was delighted. "Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina," he said,
"pearl among women! She arrive, but I cannot stay. She must go to your
ho... | Dr. Seward continues to note in his diary. Mina Harker telegrams that she is coming by train and she has important news. Van Helsing, who is a great admirer of her, is delighted. She arrives and stays in the asylum. Dr. Seward shows her his phonograph, and she is fascinated by it. She tells them that Jonathan has seen ... | summary |
When we arrived at the Berkeley Hotel, Van Helsing found a telegram
waiting for him:--
"Am coming up by train. Jonathan at Whitby. Important news.--MINA
HARKER."
The Professor was delighted. "Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina," he said,
"pearl among women! She arrive, but I cannot stay. She must go to your
ho... | Notes The band is set. All the men arrive and the pursuit has begun. Jonathan knows the next door house is Draculas as he has conducted the sale of purchase of the estate. The others, Dr. Seward and the Professor help and systematically make details of the facts present. Quincey Morris and Arthur also help in uncoverin... | analysis |
_1 October, 5 a. m._--I went with the party to the search with an easy
mind, for I think I never saw Mina so absolutely strong and well. I am
so glad that she consented to hold back and let us men do the work.
Somehow, it was a dread to me that she was in this fearful business at
all; but now that her work is done, an... | Jonathan Harkers diary starts, with a portion of the sacred wafer each; they try and enter Draculas house in Whitby. The whole place is covered with dust and spiders. There is a faint bad odor. They find 29 boxes out of the 50 sent by Dracula. Suddenly, the whole place is filled with rats. Arthur whistles for his dogs ... | summary |
_1 October, 5 a. m._--I went with the party to the search with an easy
mind, for I think I never saw Mina so absolutely strong and well. I am
so glad that she consented to hold back and let us men do the work.
Somehow, it was a dread to me that she was in this fearful business at
all; but now that her work is done, an... | Notes Dracula has claimed another of the woman of the band of Mina Harker. In this chapter, it is not clear if the reader recalls that she suffers from the same symptoms as Lucy. In the meantime, the band has achieved success on one count. They have managed to seal off the house of Dracula with the sacred wafer. | analysis |
_3 October._--As I must do something or go mad, I write this diary. It
is now six o'clock, and we are to meet in the study in half an hour and
take something to eat; for Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward are agreed
that if we do not eat we cannot work our best. Our best will be, God
knows, required to-day. I must keep w... | Jonathan Harker continues to write his journal. He tries to make himself busy, or he feels he will go mad. Van Helsing tries to talk to Mina and console her. He tells her to be strong and resist being an Un-dead. Van Helsing puts the wafer on Minas head. She gives an agonizing yell and the wafer makes a mark on her for... | summary |
_3 October._--As I must do something or go mad, I write this diary. It
is now six o'clock, and we are to meet in the study in half an hour and
take something to eat; for Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward are agreed
that if we do not eat we cannot work our best. Our best will be, God
knows, required to-day. I must keep w... | Notes The Devil signifies everything bad and evil and the holy wafer signified the body of Christ. The author uses these Christian streams of thought continuously in the book, giving it superhuman powers. If Dracula had superhuman powers then the host would stand as a power against it. This chapter continues with the p... | analysis |
_3 October._--The time seemed terrible long whilst we were waiting for
the coming of Godalming and Quincey Morris. The Professor tried to keep
our minds active by using them all the time. I could see his beneficent
purpose, by the side glances which he threw from time to time at Harker.
The poor fellow is overwhelmed... | Dr. Sewards diary continues to record the happenings. On the 3rd October, he tells about the appalling changes in Jonathan. Minas plight has made him haggard and desolate. Quincey Morris and Arthur come in and report that they have destroyed the other boxes. Dracula is at Carfax. He leaps out saying, "All your girls ar... | summary |
_3 October._--The time seemed terrible long whilst we were waiting for
the coming of Godalming and Quincey Morris. The Professor tried to keep
our minds active by using them all the time. I could see his beneficent
purpose, by the side glances which he threw from time to time at Harker.
The poor fellow is overwhelmed... | Notes Again the Dracula comes face to face with the band. They have destroyed his houses, his boxes, but he claims to have the upper hand because he has got their girls. They have to pursue him before Mina becomes an Un-dead, as she is merely mortal for she will die but Dracula will live. | analysis |
_3 May. Bistritz._--Left Munich at 8:35 P. M., on 1st May, arriving at
Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an
hour late. Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I
got of it from the train and the little I could walk through the
streets. I feared to go very far from ... | Jonathan Harker, a newly minted English solicitor , travels to Transylvania in order to consult with an aristocratic client, Count Dracula, regarding the nobleman's recent purchase of an English estate. At various stages along his journey, the people he encounters regard him with a mixture of fear and sympathy somehow ... | summary |
_5 May._--I must have been asleep, for certainly if I had been fully
awake I must have noticed the approach of such a remarkable place. In
the gloom the courtyard looked of considerable size, and as several dark
ways led from it under great round arches, it perhaps seemed bigger than
it really is. I have not yet been... | Count Dracula greets Harker at the massive doors to the castle. Dracula is "a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and claid in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere." Dracula shows Harker to his rooms and converses with his guest as he eats; Dracula excuses... | summary |
_5 May._--I must have been asleep, for certainly if I had been fully
awake I must have noticed the approach of such a remarkable place. In
the gloom the courtyard looked of considerable size, and as several dark
ways led from it under great round arches, it perhaps seemed bigger than
it really is. I have not yet been... | Although Stoker's titular character has already appeared in the previous chapter , it is with this chapter that Dracula truly makes his grand entrance . Stoker's detailed description of the Count agrees with numerous details of vampire lore: great strength, sharp teeth, essentially colorless save for bright red lips, p... | analysis |
When I found that I was a prisoner a sort of wild feeling came over me.
I rushed up and down the stairs, trying every door and peering out of
every window I could find; but after a little the conviction of my
helplessness overpowered all other feelings. When I look back after a
few hours I think I must have been mad f... | Harker continues to feel trapped in Castle Dracula. He spies Dracula making Harker's bed, confirming Harker's suspicion that he and Dracula are the only people in the castle; there are no servants. The next night, Harker has another long, late conversation with Dracula, in which the Count relates something of his famil... | summary |
"_9 May._
"My dearest Lucy,--
"Forgive my long delay in writing, but I have been simply overwhelmed
with work. The life of an assistant schoolmistress is sometimes trying.
I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together
freely and build our castles in the air. I have been working very hard
l... | In May, as the end of another academic term nears, Miss Mina Murray, an assistant schoolmistress and the fiance of Jonathan Harker, writes to her close friend Lucy Westenra, inquiring in her postscript about "rumours... of a tall, handsome, curly-haired man." Lucy writes back to tell Mina about this gentleman, one Mr.... | summary |
"_9 May._
"My dearest Lucy,--
"Forgive my long delay in writing, but I have been simply overwhelmed
with work. The life of an assistant schoolmistress is sometimes trying.
I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together
freely and build our castles in the air. I have been working very hard
l... | Leaving the solitary, isolated Harker for the time being, Stoker shifts in this chapter to two perspectives that highlight friendship: Mina and Lucy, two young women--Mina, slightly older and already engaged; Lucy, younger, more effusive and coquettish and now newly engaged--and Holmwood, Morris and Seward, whose relat... | analysis |
_12 September._--How good they all are to me. I quite love that dear Dr.
Van Helsing. I wonder why he was so anxious about these flowers. He
positively frightened me, he was so fierce. And yet he must have been
right, for I feel comfort from them already. Somehow, I do not dread
being alone to-night, and I can go to s... | Seward and Van Helsing arrive at Lucy's home the morning of September 13 to find, much to Van Helsing's distress, that Lucy's mother, finding the smell of garlic in her daughter's room oppressive, removed the flowers from Lucy's neck while Lucy slept and also opened the bedroom window for fresh air. Finding Lucy again ... | summary |
_12 September._--How good they all are to me. I quite love that dear Dr.
Van Helsing. I wonder why he was so anxious about these flowers. He
positively frightened me, he was so fierce. And yet he must have been
right, for I feel comfort from them already. Somehow, I do not dread
being alone to-night, and I can go to s... | Stoker again displays his ear for dialect as, in this chapter, he presents the Pall Mall Gazette reporter's interview with Thomas Bilder, keeper at the Zoological Gardens. More importantly, however, the zoo episode again demonstrates Count Dracula's connection with and mastery over wild animals. Stoker also again show... | analysis |
For a while sheer anger mastered me; it was as if he had during her life
struck Lucy on the face. I smote the table hard and rose up as I said to
him:--
"Dr. Van Helsing, are you mad?" He raised his head and looked at me, and
somehow the tenderness of his face calmed me at once. "Would I were!" he
said. "Madness were... | Stoker begins to quicken the pace of his novel with this chapter. Van Helsing asks the rhetorical question of Seward, "Oh, my friend, why, think you, did I go so far around, why take so long to tell you so simple a thing?" . Although readers may have been tempted to ask themselves the same question, now we can see how ... | analysis |
It was just a quarter before twelve o'clock when we got into the
churchyard over the low wall. The night was dark with occasional gleams
of moonlight between the rents of the heavy clouds that scudded across
the sky. We all kept somehow close together, with Van Helsing slightly
in front as he led the way. When we had... | Van Helsing and the men stealthily enter the churchyard shortly before midnight. They find Lucy's coffin again empty. Van Helsing relates to Arthur and Quincey what he and Seward found on their previous two visits to Lucy's grave. He also relates that he visited the grave the previous day at sundown; he put garlic over... | summary |
It was just a quarter before twelve o'clock when we got into the
churchyard over the low wall. The night was dark with occasional gleams
of moonlight between the rents of the heavy clouds that scudded across
the sky. We all kept somehow close together, with Van Helsing slightly
in front as he led the way. When we had... | This key chapter brings many of the erotic elements and associations of Stoker's text to the fore. The moment in which Arthur, directed by Van Helsing, hammers the stake through Lucy's heart is presented in such a way as to be a grim parody of the climax of sexual intercourse: "The Thing in the coffin writhed; and a hi... | analysis |
When we arrived at the Berkeley Hotel, Van Helsing found a telegram
waiting for him:--
"Am coming up by train. Jonathan at Whitby. Important news.--MINA
HARKER."
The Professor was delighted. "Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina," he said,
"pearl among women! She arrive, but I cannot stay. She must go to your
ho... | While Jonathan is in Whitby, tracing the progress of the fifty boxes of earth shipped aboard the Demeter, Mina goes to the asylum to meet Seward. She listens to the phonograph rolls of Seward's diary, in order to learn more about Lucy's death, while he reads her and her husband's diaries. Jonathan returns, having learn... | summary |
_1 October, 5 a. m._--I went with the party to the search with an easy
mind, for I think I never saw Mina so absolutely strong and well. I am
so glad that she consented to hold back and let us men do the work.
Somehow, it was a dread to me that she was in this fearful business at
all; but now that her work is done, an... | On the night of September 30-October 1, the men investigate the chapel at Carfax, leaving Mina behind to sleep, all of them being agreed that it is best for Mina not to become involved in the quest to destroy Dracula, nor even to know all the specifics of their task. Van Helsing equips each of the men with a crucifix,... | summary |
_3 October._--As I must do something or go mad, I write this diary. It
is now six o'clock, and we are to meet in the study in half an hour and
take something to eat; for Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward are agreed
that if we do not eat we cannot work our best. Our best will be, God
knows, required to-day. I must keep w... | Seward and Van Helsing report to the others that they found Renfield dead, his body bruised, his neck broken. The attendant outside Renfield's room heard at least one voice--he was unsure if he heard two--before Renfield cried out "God!" repeatedly. Planning their next actions, the men agree to include Mina in their pl... | summary |
_3 October._--As I must do something or go mad, I write this diary. It
is now six o'clock, and we are to meet in the study in half an hour and
take something to eat; for Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward are agreed
that if we do not eat we cannot work our best. Our best will be, God
knows, required to-day. I must keep w... | In this chapter, Van Helsing again sounds the theme of duty that he has sounded before--in this instance, as he attempts to dissuade Mina from her plans of suicide: "You must struggle and strive to live, though death would seem a boon unspeakable. You must fight Death himself... till this great evil be past" . On the s... | analysis |
_3 October._--The time seemed terrible long whilst we were waiting for
the coming of Godalming and Quincey Morris. The Professor tried to keep
our minds active by using them all the time. I could see his beneficent
purpose, by the side glances which he threw from time to time at Harker.
The poor fellow is overwhelmed... | Van Helsing, Seward and Jonathan, still waiting at Dracula's house in Piccadilly, receive a telegram from Mina, informing them that she has sighted the vampire and he is headed in their direction. The next persons to arrive, however, are Arthur and Quincey, who report having found and destroyed six more earth-boxes. No... | summary |
There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been
wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but
since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold
winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so
penetrating, that further out-door exercis... | The novel begins with the ten-year-old Jane Eyre narrating from the home of the well-off Reed family in Gateshead Hall. Mr. Reed, Jane's uncle, took her into his home after both of her parents died of typhus fever, but he soon died himself. Mrs. Reed was particularly resentful of her husband's favoritism toward Jane an... | summary |
There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been
wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but
since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold
winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so
penetrating, that further out-door exercis... | From the very beginning of the book, Bronte uses careful novelistic craftsmanship to position the reader on Jane's side. Not only does the narration occur in Jane's voice, a fact which automatically makes her a more sympathetic character, but Bronte incorporates all of the tragic facts of Jane's childhood in the first ... | analysis |
I resisted all the way: a new thing for me, and a circumstance which
greatly strengthened the bad opinion Bessie and Miss Abbot were disposed
to entertain of me. The fact is, I was a trifle beside myself; or rather
_out_ of myself, as the French would say: I was conscious that a moment's
mutiny had already rendered ... | Jane resists physically and verbally as the servants Bessie and Miss Abbot lead her to the red-room, named for the color of its drapery and furniture. The room also contains a miniature portrait of Mr. Reed, who has been dead nine years; his actual body lies in a vault under the Gateshead church. Before they lock her u... | summary |
I resisted all the way: a new thing for me, and a circumstance which
greatly strengthened the bad opinion Bessie and Miss Abbot were disposed
to entertain of me. The fact is, I was a trifle beside myself; or rather
_out_ of myself, as the French would say: I was conscious that a moment's
mutiny had already rendered ... | The red-room has clear associations with death but is also a symbol of imprisonment. This is only the first time that Jane will be imprisoned in the novel, though her later imprisonments will generally be more metaphorical, particularly in relation to class, gender, and religion. In this case, John is the root cause of... | analysis |
The next thing I remember is, waking up with a feeling as if I had had a
frightful nightmare, and seeing before me a terrible red glare, crossed
with thick black bars. I heard voices, too, speaking with a hollow
sound, and as if muffled by a rush of wind or water: agitation,
uncertainty, and an all-predominating sen... | Jane wakes up, dimly aware of voices and of someone supporting her. She soon realizes that she is in her bed and sees Bessie and Mr. Lloyd, the apothecary. He gives instructions for Jane's care and departs, and Bessie, more concerned than before over Jane's health, sleeps in the neighboring room in case Jane needs anyt... | summary |
The next thing I remember is, waking up with a feeling as if I had had a
frightful nightmare, and seeing before me a terrible red glare, crossed
with thick black bars. I heard voices, too, speaking with a hollow
sound, and as if muffled by a rush of wind or water: agitation,
uncertainty, and an all-predominating sen... | The conflicts of social class that were suggested in Chapter 1 become even more prominent in this chapter. Jane is trapped in the odd situation of being poor within a rich family. Moreover, her mother was once a member of a wealthy family, but her choice of husband resulted in her financial ruin and indirectly led to b... | analysis |
Five o'clock had hardly struck on the morning of the 19th of January,
when Bessie brought a candle into my closet and found me already up and
nearly dressed. I had risen half-an-hour before her entrance, and had
washed my face, and put on my clothes by the light of a half-moon just
setting, whose rays streamed throu... | Four days after meeting Mr. Brocklehurst, Jane leaves Gateshead by the 6am coach for Lowood School. When she arrives at the school, she is taken into a dull, grey room for supper and then put to bed in a room filled with other girls. The next day, Jane is introduced to some of the school's daily routines, which consist... | summary |
Five o'clock had hardly struck on the morning of the 19th of January,
when Bessie brought a candle into my closet and found me already up and
nearly dressed. I had risen half-an-hour before her entrance, and had
washed my face, and put on my clothes by the light of a half-moon just
setting, whose rays streamed throu... | Immediately we see that Lowood's religious education does not necessarily mean that the orphans are treated well. Their food is often inedible and served in small portions, their lodgings are cramped, and some of the teachers are extremely cruel. Although Jane is adjusting to the change in surroundings, she is still ta... | analysis |
The next day commenced as before, getting up and dressing by rushlight;
but this morning we were obliged to dispense with the ceremony of
washing; the water in the pitchers was frozen. A change had taken place
in the weather the preceding evening, and a keen north-east wind,
whistling through the crevices of our bed... | On her second day, Jane learns that life at Lowood School is difficult. The meals are hardly large enough to quell Jane's hunger pangs, and the students are forced to sit through unending sermons. Jane becomes more friendly with Helen and observes as Miss Scatcherd continually berates and even whips Helen, who never ma... | summary |
The next day commenced as before, getting up and dressing by rushlight;
but this morning we were obliged to dispense with the ceremony of
washing; the water in the pitchers was frozen. A change had taken place
in the weather the preceding evening, and a keen north-east wind,
whistling through the crevices of our bed... | Helen presents her Christian philosophy of forgiveness and endurance: one must bear the sins of others, turn the other cheek, and love thy enemy. Jane, of course, is at odds with this idea, believing that standing up for herself often means fighting back. We have already witnessed several situations in which Jane avail... | analysis |
My first quarter at Lowood seemed an age; and not the golden age either;
it comprised an irksome struggle with difficulties in habituating myself
to new rules and unwonted tasks. The fear of failure in these points
harassed me worse than the physical hardships of my lot; though these
were no trifles.
During January... | Jane passes a difficult first quarter at Lowood, with both the snowy weather and strict environment contributing to her misery. After a long absence from the school, Mr. Brocklehurst visits Miss Temple's classroom and instructs her not to indulge the girls in the slightest way; their privations will remind them of the ... | summary |
My first quarter at Lowood seemed an age; and not the golden age either;
it comprised an irksome struggle with difficulties in habituating myself
to new rules and unwonted tasks. The fear of failure in these points
harassed me worse than the physical hardships of my lot; though these
were no trifles.
During January... | Jane attempts to test Helen's philosophy of Christian forgiveness when Mr. Brocklehurst punishes her. For the first time in her life, she does not fight back when she is mistreatment and accepts her humiliating punishment of standing on the stool. Yet, Jane inwardly seethes at the injustice and thinks, "I was no Helen ... | analysis |
Ere the half-hour ended, five o'clock struck; school was dismissed, and
all were gone into the refectory to tea. I now ventured to descend: it
was deep dusk; I retired into a corner and sat down on the floor. The
spell by which I had been so far supported began to dissolve; reaction
took place, and soon, so overwhe... | When school is dismissed, Jane falls to the floor, filled with self-pity and shame that all of the students despise her because of Mr. Brocklehurst's false accusations. Helen assures her that everyone actually sympathize with her maltreatment. Jane tells Helen of her aching need to have love from others to survive, but... | summary |
Ere the half-hour ended, five o'clock struck; school was dismissed, and
all were gone into the refectory to tea. I now ventured to descend: it
was deep dusk; I retired into a corner and sat down on the floor. The
spell by which I had been so far supported began to dissolve; reaction
took place, and soon, so overwhe... | In this chapter, Jane reveals her constant need for love and affirmation from others. No doubt a result of her lonely and loveless time at Gateshead, Jane believes that love is the only thing that can make her happy. Helen counters by describing her belief that spirituality is enough; love in the earthly realm is nothi... | analysis |
But the privations, or rather the hardships, of Lowood lessened. Spring
drew on: she was indeed already come; the frosts of winter had ceased;
its snows were melted, its cutting winds ameliorated. My wretched feet,
flayed and swollen to lameness by the sharp air of January, began to heal
and subside under the gentl... | As spring arrives, Lowood becomes a more pleasant place. However, the warmer temperatures and dampness of the neighboring forest are ideal for breeding disease, and more than half the girls at the school fall ill with typhus. The disease is particularly bad because of the neglectful care that the students receive at th... | summary |
But the privations, or rather the hardships, of Lowood lessened. Spring
drew on: she was indeed already come; the frosts of winter had ceased;
its snows were melted, its cutting winds ameliorated. My wretched feet,
flayed and swollen to lameness by the sharp air of January, began to heal
and subside under the gentl... | Helen maintains her Christian beliefs to the moment of her death, and she fulfills her representation as a Christ figure for Jane, dying so that Jane can learn more of what it means to be a Christian. Although Jane's devotion to Helen is moving, she continues to question Helen's unshakable faith; she wonders, though do... | analysis |
Hitherto I have recorded in detail the events of my insignificant
existence: to the first ten years of my life I have given almost as many
chapters. But this is not to be a regular autobiography. I am only
bound to invoke Memory where I know her responses will possess some
degree of interest; therefore I now pass a... | The epidemic of typhus fever incites an investigation into Lowood's unhealthy conditions and Mr. Brocklehurst's management of the school, and a new group of overseers takes control of the school. With Mr. Brocklehurst's dishonor, the quality of the school improves immensely, and Jane and the other students are able to ... | summary |
Hitherto I have recorded in detail the events of my insignificant
existence: to the first ten years of my life I have given almost as many
chapters. But this is not to be a regular autobiography. I am only
bound to invoke Memory where I know her responses will possess some
degree of interest; therefore I now pass a... | This brief transitional chapter spans eight years of Jane's life, during which she matures from an angry girl bent on self-survival into a self-reliant young woman seeking to serve others. Bronte incorporates appropriate endings for some of the more significant characters at Lowood School: Mr. Brocklehurst is removed f... | analysis |
The promise of a smooth career, which my first calm introduction to
Thornfield Hall seemed to pledge, was not belied on a longer acquaintance
with the place and its inmates. Mrs. Fairfax turned out to be what she
appeared, a placid-tempered, kind-natured woman, of competent education
and average intelligence. My pu... | Life at Thornfield proves to be pleasant, and Jane is pleased with Adele. Although the girl is somewhat spoiled, Jane recognizes that she is an affectionate and able student and hopes that she will be able to separate Adele from some of her French affectation. Still, when Jane walks around the attic of Thornfield, she ... | summary |
The promise of a smooth career, which my first calm introduction to
Thornfield Hall seemed to pledge, was not belied on a longer acquaintance
with the place and its inmates. Mrs. Fairfax turned out to be what she
appeared, a placid-tempered, kind-natured woman, of competent education
and average intelligence. My pu... | Jane's desire for experience apart from stereotypical female experience is explained in a lengthy passage: "It is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that ought to confine themselves to making pudding and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. She goes on, and the ... | analysis |
Mr. Rochester, it seems, by the surgeon's orders, went to bed early that
night; nor did he rise soon next morning. When he did come down, it was
to attend to business: his agent and some of his tenants were arrived,
and waiting to speak with him.
Adele and I had now to vacate the library: it would be in daily
requi... | With Mr. Rochester home, Thornfield becomes a noisier, busier place, much to Jane's liking. He invites Jane and Adele to have tea with him and Mrs. Fairfax. Adele immediately asks if he has a gift for Jane; Jane asserts that the best gift that he can give her is praise of Adele's progress. Mr. Rochester coldly interrog... | summary |
Mr. Rochester, it seems, by the surgeon's orders, went to bed early that
night; nor did he rise soon next morning. When he did come down, it was
to attend to business: his agent and some of his tenants were arrived,
and waiting to speak with him.
Adele and I had now to vacate the library: it would be in daily
requi... | The mystery concerning Mr. Rochester deepens, and this constitutes the major dramatic thrust of the novel. Gothic novels usually have a romantic component that revolves around passionate, unrequited love; as a stereotypical Byronic hero with a dark, brooding nature and secretive past, Mr. Rochester is an ideal candidat... | analysis |
For several subsequent days I saw little of Mr. Rochester. In the
mornings he seemed much engaged with business, and, in the afternoon,
gentlemen from Millcote or the neighbourhood called, and sometimes stayed
to dine with him. When his sprain was well enough to admit of horse
exercise, he rode out a good deal; pro... | During the next few days, Jane sees little of Mr. Rochester as he deals with business and acquaintances. His moods shift rapidly, but Jane cannot figure out their source. One night, during one of his warmer moods, Mr. Rochester gives Adele her long-awaited gift and is more genial while talking with Jane. Jane keeps scr... | summary |
For several subsequent days I saw little of Mr. Rochester. In the
mornings he seemed much engaged with business, and, in the afternoon,
gentlemen from Millcote or the neighbourhood called, and sometimes stayed
to dine with him. When his sprain was well enough to admit of horse
exercise, he rode out a good deal; pro... | Regardless of what Mr. Rochester says about his superiority in regards to experience with Jane, it is clear from his lengthy, involved discussion with her that he views her as his intellectual equal. Though she has a fraction of his worldly experience, Jane acquits herself well with the complicated topics Mr. Rochester... | analysis |
Mr. Rochester did, on a future occasion, explain it. It was one
afternoon, when he chanced to meet me and Adele in the grounds: and while
she played with Pilot and her shuttlecock, he asked me to walk up and
down a long beech avenue within sight of her.
He then said that she was the daughter of a French opera-dance... | One afternoon, while Adele plays elsewhere, Mr. Rochester takes the opportunity to fulfill his promise to Jane and explain his relationship to Adele. He was once passionately devoted to her mother, a French opera-dancer named Celine Varens, and despite her superior beauty, she seemed to return his ardor. He spent a for... | summary |
Mr. Rochester did, on a future occasion, explain it. It was one
afternoon, when he chanced to meet me and Adele in the grounds: and while
she played with Pilot and her shuttlecock, he asked me to walk up and
down a long beech avenue within sight of her.
He then said that she was the daughter of a French opera-dance... | This extended discussion about Celine Varens reveals more of Mr. Rochester's inner character and personality. Significantly, it is this description of Mr. Rochester's flaws that make him seem more attractive to Jane; the jealous anger and desire that he describes mirror Jane's passionate interior and are a welcome cont... | analysis |
There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been
wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but
since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold
winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so
penetrating, that further out-door exercis... | Jane Eyre begins with the adult Jane looking back at her life. She jumps into the story at a moment in her childhood when she's ten years old. On this particular day, Jane and her cousins John, Eliza, and Georgiana aren't going to do something: they're not going to take a walk, because it's too wet. Jane is relieved; s... | summary |
I resisted all the way: a new thing for me, and a circumstance which
greatly strengthened the bad opinion Bessie and Miss Abbot were disposed
to entertain of me. The fact is, I was a trifle beside myself; or rather
_out_ of myself, as the French would say: I was conscious that a moment's
mutiny had already rendered ... | The nursemaid, Bessie, and Mrs. Reed's lady's-maid, Miss Abbot, physically drag Jane to the red room; she's fighting them the whole way, which, she tells us, is unusual for her, but she's half-crazed. Jane objects to John Reed being called her "master," and Miss Abbot tells Jane that she is "less than a servant" becaus... | summary |
The next thing I remember is, waking up with a feeling as if I had had a
frightful nightmare, and seeing before me a terrible red glare, crossed
with thick black bars. I heard voices, too, speaking with a hollow
sound, and as if muffled by a rush of wind or water: agitation,
uncertainty, and an all-predominating sen... | Jane wakes up, confused and disoriented. Someone is holding her gently; she's never been held gently before. She starts to realize where she is--in her own bed. Bessie and a gentleman are there, looking after her. Jane's glad to see the gentleman, because he's not one of the Reeds. She looks at him closely and realizes... | summary |
Five o'clock had hardly struck on the morning of the 19th of January,
when Bessie brought a candle into my closet and found me already up and
nearly dressed. I had risen half-an-hour before her entrance, and had
washed my face, and put on my clothes by the light of a half-moon just
setting, whose rays streamed throu... | Jane leaves Gateshead, refusing to say anything to Mrs. Reed before she goes. Bessie takes Jane to the porter's lodge, and then Jane takes a coach by herself for fifty miles to get to Lowood. The journey takes a long time, and she's afraid of being kidnapped, which is something that happened a lot in Bessie's stories. ... | summary |
The next day commenced as before, getting up and dressing by rushlight;
but this morning we were obliged to dispense with the ceremony of
washing; the water in the pitchers was frozen. A change had taken place
in the weather the preceding evening, and a keen north-east wind,
whistling through the crevices of our bed... | Everyone gets up before dawn again and it's so cold that the water inside is frozen, so they can't wash. At least the porridge is okay this morning. Jane starts having to actually do lessons with everyone else, which include sewing. While she's sewing, Jane watches another group of girls doing English history lessons w... | summary |
My first quarter at Lowood seemed an age; and not the golden age either;
it comprised an irksome struggle with difficulties in habituating myself
to new rules and unwonted tasks. The fear of failure in these points
harassed me worse than the physical hardships of my lot; though these
were no trifles.
During January... | Jane continues to settle in at Lowood, if you can call it settling in. Not only does she have to learn all the new school rules and the course material, she also has to cope with the fact that nobody in the school ever gets enough to eat and they're always cold because their clothes are thin and old. There's an especia... | summary |
Ere the half-hour ended, five o'clock struck; school was dismissed, and
all were gone into the refectory to tea. I now ventured to descend: it
was deep dusk; I retired into a corner and sat down on the floor. The
spell by which I had been so far supported began to dissolve; reaction
took place, and soon, so overwhe... | The school day finally ends, the pupils go out to have their early-evening meal , and Jane lets herself fall off the stool she's been standing on, curl up on the ground, and cry. She thinks all her hopes of being a successful student at Lowood, of having any friends, or having any of the teachers on her side are comple... | summary |
But the privations, or rather the hardships, of Lowood lessened. Spring
drew on: she was indeed already come; the frosts of winter had ceased;
its snows were melted, its cutting winds ameliorated. My wretched feet,
flayed and swollen to lameness by the sharp air of January, began to heal
and subside under the gentl... | Things get a little bit better at Lowood when winter dissolves into spring; not only is it warmer and more comfortable for the girls, but Jane also discovers how beautiful the landscape around the school really is, now that it isn't covered with snow and ice anymore. She even gets to wander around in the woods alone. W... | summary |
Hitherto I have recorded in detail the events of my insignificant
existence: to the first ten years of my life I have given almost as many
chapters. But this is not to be a regular autobiography. I am only
bound to invoke Memory where I know her responses will possess some
degree of interest; therefore I now pass a... | The older Jane narrating the novel breaks in, explaining that she's going to skip eight years ahead in the story. First, she fills us in on a few details of what's happened at Lowood in the meantime: Many girls died of typhus at the school, and the outbreak put the school in the public eye, so Mr. Brocklehurst's cruelt... | summary |
The promise of a smooth career, which my first calm introduction to
Thornfield Hall seemed to pledge, was not belied on a longer acquaintance
with the place and its inmates. Mrs. Fairfax turned out to be what she
appeared, a placid-tempered, kind-natured woman, of competent education
and average intelligence. My pu... | Jane continues to work as Adele's governess; her life with Mrs. Fairfax and her pupil is much more pleasant than anything she's experienced before, but she's still restless for adventure and excitement, or at least some contact with the outside world. Her favorite activity is going up to the roof of Thornfield and look... | summary |
Mr. Rochester, it seems, by the surgeon's orders, went to bed early that
night; nor did he rise soon next morning. When he did come down, it was
to attend to business: his agent and some of his tenants were arrived,
and waiting to speak with him.
Adele and I had now to vacate the library: it would be in daily
requi... | Jane doesn't see Mr. Rochester again that evening--he's in bed with his sprained ankle. She and Adele continue their lessons in a new upstairs room instead of the library, where Mr. Rochester is conducting business. Jane's excited about all the new activity in the household, all the people coming and going to see Mr. R... | summary |
There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been
wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but
since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold
winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so
penetrating, that further out-door exercis... | It is a cold, wet November afternoon when the novel opens at Gateshead, the home of Jane Eyre's relatives, the Reeds. Jane and the Reed children, Eliza, John, and Georgiana sit in the drawing room. Jane's aunt is angry with her, purposely excluding her from the rest of the family, so Jane sits alone in a window seat, r... | summary |
There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been
wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but
since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold
winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so
penetrating, that further out-door exercis... | This opening chapter sets up two of the primary themes in the novel: class conflict and gender difference. As a poor orphan living with relatives, Jane feels alienated from the rest of the Reed family, and they certainly do nothing to make her feel more comfortable. John Reed says to Jane: "You have no business to take... | analysis |
Five o'clock had hardly struck on the morning of the 19th of January,
when Bessie brought a candle into my closet and found me already up and
nearly dressed. I had risen half-an-hour before her entrance, and had
washed my face, and put on my clothes by the light of a half-moon just
setting, whose rays streamed throu... | January 19, the date of Jane's departure from Gateshead has arrived. She rises at five o'clock in the morning, so that she'll be ready for the six o'clock coach. None of the family rises to bid Jane farewell, and she happily journeys far away from the Reeds. The porter's wife is surprised that Mrs. Reed is allowing suc... | summary |
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