Jane Eyre Characters
Every major character in Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë, with a portrait, who they are and the chapters they appear in.
Jane EyreProtagonist · 36 chaptersAn orphaned governess-narrator who insists on moral integrity, self-respect, and emotional honesty amid social and personal trials.
Mrs. FairfaxMinor character · 19 chaptersThe steady, long-serving housekeeper of Thornfield Hall who welcomes Jane and manages domestic life with cautious propriety.
Adèle VarensMinor character · 15 chaptersMr. Rochester’s lively French ward and Jane’s pupil who brings domestic warmth and a link to Rochester’s past.- MMr. RochesterMajor character · 14 chaptersThe brooding, imperious master of Thornfield who becomes Jane’s employer, confidant, and would‑be husband, hiding a destructive secret.
Mrs. ReedAntagonist · 12 chaptersJane Eyre’s aunt and guardian at Gateshead whose cold authority and favoritism shape Jane’s early sense of injustice.
St. John RiversMajor character · 12 chaptersA serious, disciplined clergyman and Jane’s cousin who urges duty, missionary zeal, and self-denial over personal feeling.
Edward Fairfax RochesterMajor character · 11 chaptersThe brooding, mercurial master of Thornfield Hall whose secret past and passionate nature drive Jane’s moral and emotional trials.
Grace PooleMinor character · 11 chaptersA taciturn Thornfield servant employed on the upper floor, she becomes the household’s mysterious, suspected cause of strange events.
Mr. BrocklehurstAntagonist · 11 chaptersThe stern clergyman who runs Lowood, enforcing austerity and public discipline in the name of piety.
Diana RiversMajor character · 10 chaptersOne of the amiable Rivers sisters who shelters and mentors Jane, offering affection, intellect, and moral steadiness at Moor House.
Miss TempleMajor character · 9 chaptersThe compassionate superintendent and teacher at Lowood who mentors Jane and quietly counters Brocklehurst’s harshness.- PPilotMinor character · 9 chaptersA large black-and-white dog at Thornfield who fetches aid and lounges loyally at Mr. Rochester’s side.
Bessie LeeMinor character · 8 chaptersThe Gateshead nursemaid who gives Jane early kindness, comfort, and the practical care that contrasts with the Reeds' cruelty.
Blanche IngramMajor character · 8 chaptersA wealthy, proud socialite and celebrated beauty who visits Thornfield as a prospective bride for Mr. Rochester.
Mary RiversMinor character · 8 chaptersOne of the gentle, well-educated Rivers sisters who offers Jane quiet companionship, practical help, and moral steadiness at Moor House.- SSophieMinor character · 8 chaptersAdèle Varens’s French nurse and a steady Thornfield servant who assists with household and bridal preparations.
John ReedAntagonist · 7 chaptersJane Eyre’s bullying, entitled cousin at Gateshead whose violence and favoritism mark Jane’s oppressive childhood.- LLeahMinor character · 7 chaptersA Thornfield servant; one of the household attendants who helps maintain the domestic routine.
Georgiana ReedMinor character · 6 chaptersJane Eyre’s vain, pampered cousin at Gateshead; valued for looks and social promise, serves as a foil to Jane.
Helen BurnsMajor character · 6 chaptersA thoughtful, bookish Lowood pupil whose calm Christian patience and friendship profoundly shape Jane's moral outlook.- JJohnMinor character · 6 chaptersA steady Thornfield and Ferndean servant, husband to Mary, who helps receive and care for Jane and Rochester.
Richard MasonMinor character · 6 chaptersA genteel visitor from the West Indies who arrives injured and later reveals Rochester’s prior marriage, catalyzing Jane’s ruined wedding.
Rosamond OliverMajor character · 6 chaptersA wealthy, vivacious heiress of Morton who befriends Jane and repeatedly visits the Moor and Morton schools, drawing out St. John's restrained feelings.- CColonel DentMinor character · 5 chaptersA member of the fashionable party from the Leas who visits Thornfield as one of the Dents during Mr. Rochester’s entertainment.
Eliza ReedMajor character · 5 chaptersJane Eyre’s older cousin at Gateshead: a dutiful, pious, and emotionally reserved woman who becomes austere and retreats into religious seclusion.- MMr. OliverMinor character · 5 chaptersRosamond Oliver’s father, a well-to-do local gentleman who commends Jane’s school and invites her to Vale Hall.
Bertha MasonAntagonist · 4 chaptersA violent, secreted presence at Thornfield whose confinement, discovery, and final act shatter Jane’s hopes and Mr. Rochester’s home.- CCéline VarensMinor character · 4 chaptersA French opera-dancer and former lover of Mr. Rochester, mother of Adèle, whose betrayal and abandonment shape Rochester's past.
- HHannahMinor character · 4 chaptersThe elderly house servant at Moor House who is cautious but ultimately practical and dutiful in tending the Rivers household.
- MMiss IngramMajor character · 4 chaptersA fashionable, proud guest at Thornfield who participates in the social theatre surrounding Mr. Rochester.
- MMiss MillerMinor character · 4 chaptersA junior Lowood schoolmistress who supervises the lower class and presides over routine instruction and discipline.
- MMiss ScatcherdMinor character · 4 chaptersA strict Lowood teacher who enforces discipline and publicly punishes pupils, most notably Helen Burns.
Mr. BriggsMinor character · 4 chaptersA professional solicitor who appears to assert legal facts that abruptly reshape Jane’s prospects and Rochester’s future.
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