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GCSE English Literature · key term
A person whose parents have died. Jane’s orphanhood leaves her dependent on relatives for shelter and protection.
Used by AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas
Paper 1
A child whose parents have both died. Jane’s orphanhood leaves her dependent on relatives for a home and protection.
Revise: Chapters 1 to 4: GatesheadBecause Jane is an orphan dependent on Mrs Reed for support, her decision to challenge that authority is especially risky. Her outburst therefore asserts her dignity, although her subsequent remorse prevents the reader from treating revenge as a complete solution.
Paper 2
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A person whose parents have died. Jane’s orphanhood leaves her dependent on relatives for shelter and care.
At the beginning of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Jane is a ten-year-old orphan living at Gateshead Hall with Mrs Reed and her children, John, Eliza and Georgiana. Gateshead is wealthy, but comfort and security are not the same thing. Jane has shelter without the affection or equal treatment enjoyed by her cousins.
Paper 1
Component 2
A child whose parents have died. Jane Eyre’s orphanhood leaves her dependent on relatives for shelter and support.
Revise: Chapters 1 to 4: GatesheadJane is an orphan. Her mother was the sister of Mr Reed, who took Jane into his household and, before dying, asked his wife to bring her up as one of their own children. Mrs Reed provides a home, but does not give Jane the affection or equal treatment that this promise implies.
