Chapter III

Question 1

How long passes between the red-room incident and Jane being told of her future?

Answer 1

Several weeks to two months pass.

Question 2

What is Jane’s emotional state during this waiting period?

Answer 2

She endures “cruller treatment” from her aunt and cousins and lives in anxiety about her fate.

Question 3

Jane overhears an adult conversation that reveals what about her potential future?

Answer 3

That Mrs. Reed has been making arrangements for her schooling.

Question 4

What is the name of the institution Jane is told she will attend?

Answer 4

Lowood Institution, a charitable school for female orphans.

Question 5

Who is the master and treasurer of Lowood, and what is his physical description?

Answer 5

Mr. Brocklehurst, a stern, forbidding man with an austere face and straight, black hair.

Question 6

What is Mr. Brocklehurst’s initial tone and line of questioning with Jane?

Answer 6

He is abrasive and questions her religious piety and her expectations for the school.

Question 7

What does Jane say she dislikes about the Bible that shocks Mr. Brocklehurst?

Answer 7

She says she finds the Psalms and religious tracts uninteresting.

Question 8

How does Mrs. Reed attempt to sabotage Jane’s reputation with the headmaster?

Answer 8

She warns Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane has a “tendency to deceit” and a “propensity for lying.”

Question 9

How does Jane feel when Mrs. Reed makes this accusation?

Answer 9

She is deeply hurt and offended; she is so upset that she cannot control her emotions.

Question 10

What is Mr. Brocklehurst’s reaction to Mrs. Reed’s warning?

Answer 10

He says he intends to publicize this fact to Jane’s teachers and fellow students at Lowood.

Question 11

After Mr. Brocklehurst leaves, what remarkable thing does Jane do to Mrs. Reed?

Answer 11

She confronts Mrs. Reed fiercely, defending her character and expressing her hatred for her.

Question 12

What bold accusation does Jane make against Mrs. Reed during their argument?

Answer 12

She accuses her aunt of being “deceitful” and “cruel” for breaking her promise to her dying husband.

Question 13

How does Mrs. Reed react to Jane’s outburst of anger?

Answer 13

She is stunned into silence and concedes a brief defeat, showing a rare moment of fear.

Question 14

Who sides with Jane after the confrontation and praises her spirit?

Answer 14

Bessie, the nursemaid, expresses admiration for Jane’s courage.

Question 15

What does Jane realize about her relationship with her aunt after their confrontation?

Answer 15

She realizes she has finally freed herself from Mrs. Reed’s oppression and stands on her own.