Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre opens at dreary Gateshead Hall, where the orphaned main character is forced to live with her wealthy aunt. Here, young Jane appears reserved and unusual, a girl who says she can be "happy at least in my own way" (9), implying that her form of happiness is different from the traditional one and that the reader does not understand Again. As the novel progresses, Jane migrates to a series of places that help her develop her true character. The settings of Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor House and finally Ferndean Manor shape Jane and eventually give rise to her true independence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Bronte opens the novel at Gateshead Hall, where Jane's aunt, Mrs. Reed, temporarily imprisons Jane in the manor's "Red Room." The description of this room is more detailed than that of any other room in Gateshead: “This room was cold, for there was rarely a fire; she was silent, because she was far from the nursery and the kitchens; solemn, because we knew that we entered there so rarely” (14). The play reflects Jane's personality at this point in the novel: isolated and morose. Jane's estrangement from her family members, her humorless existence, and her cold attitude toward Mrs. Reed when she finally confronts her are qualities that reflect her environment. When Jane migrates to Lowood, she leaves her childhood behind. At first she remains isolated in Lowood, but the description of the place and her reaction are not so gloomy: “…The building stretched far…with many windows and lights on in some; we took a wide, wet, stony path and were admitted in front of a door; then the servant led me through a passage into a room with a fire, where she left me alone” (42). Although left alone in a strange place, Jane accepts solitude without fear – a sign of maturity. Conditions in Lowood are poor and daily life is tightly structured, and Jane is able to conform to her surroundings because she does not yet have a clear identity. We've only seen glimmers of her tough, independent character at this point, like when she confronts Mrs. Reed. At Lowood, Jane meets her first true friend, Helen Burns. While Jane is always impulsive and angry, Helen is patient and tolerant, with strong moral and religious convictions. For example, Jane comments fiercely on the way a certain teacher punished Helen: “And if I were in your place, I would not like him: I should resist him; if she hit me with this rod, I would tear it out of her hands; I should break it under his nose” (55). Helen calmly responds to Jane's outburst: "It is far better to patiently endure a crisis that no one but you feels, than to commit a hasty action whose harmful consequences will extend to everyone related to you – and, moreover, the Bible commands us to return what is good. for evil” (55). Although Helen died shortly afterwards, it is clear that her presence at Lowood made a strong impression on Jane and calmed her fiery tendencies. The novel's next setting is Thornfield, where Jane is hired as a governess and where the greatest development of her character takes place. The way Bronte describes Jane's arrival at Thornfield shows that the place will be transformative: "I followed her through a square hall with high doors all around: she took me into a room whose double illumination by fire and candle dazzled me at first, contrasting with that of Jane. as was the case with the darkness to which my eyes were.