A Little About Charlotte Bronte/Typhus in Jane Eyre

Biography

Charlotte Bronte:born in 1816, the third daughter of the Rev. Patrick Brontë and his wife Maria. In 1825 the two eldest daughters, became ill, left the Clery Daughter's school and died: Charlotte was brought home. After playing with a box of wooden soldiers her father brought home Charlotte became fascinated with an imaginary world, Angria .In 1839 she accepted a position as governess in the Sidgewick family, but left after three months and returned to Haworth. In 1841 she became governess in the White family, but left, once again, after nine months. Bronte did not learn to truly love her husband. A reverend object a proposal to Bronte. Pretty similar life, huh.

Typhus

During the spring at Lowood an outbreak of typhus fever ravages the school.Helen dies from the disease in Jane’s arms. The deaths by typhus alert the benefactors that the school is in unsuitable conditions. Mr. Brocklehurst is revealed to have been using the funds to fund his luxurious lifestyle.

Typhus: A series of acute infectious diseases that appear with a sudden onset of headache, chills, fever, and general pains, proceed on the third to fifth day with a rash and toxemia (toxic substances in the blood), and terminate after two to three weeks.

"While disease had thus become an inhabitant of Lowood, and death its frequent visitor; while there was gloom and fear within its walls; while its rooms and passages steamed with hospital smells, the drugs and the pastille striving vainly to overcome the effluvia or mortality, that bright May shone unclouded over the bold hills and beautiful woodland out of doors."-Page 65

No wonder the girls are sick. "Our clothing was insufficient to protect us from the sever cold: we had no botts, the snow got into our shoes and melted there; our ungloved hands became numbed and covered with chilblains, as were our feet. Then the scanty supply of food was distressing." (Jane Eyre, 50)


Typhus is not as common today and occurs in the southeastern and southern United States, often during the summer and fall. 

Song Related To Jane Eyre

Lonely-Akon

"ya know got that one good girl who's always been there like ya Know took all the bull**** then one day she can't take it no more and decides to leave." This describes Jane journey this far in the book. She cannot take Lowood anymore and decides to find a job as a governess. Also, jane decides she cannot handle Thornfield anymore because of Mr. Rochester's wife and decides to run away. "Ever since my girl left me, my whole life came crashing." Mr. Rochester feels this way, he wants Jane to stay with him and not leave.