Jane Eyre: Charlotte Brontë
In Chapter 29, Jane Eyre has been nursed back to health by Diana and Mary Rivers and Jane is explaining to St John Rivers how she arrived at Whitcross.

‘Don’t make her talk any more now, St John,’ said Diana, as I paused; ‘she is evidently not
yet fit for excitement. Come to the sofa and sit down now, Miss Elliott.’
I gave an involuntary half-start at hearing the alias: I had forgotten my new name.
Mr Rivers, whom nothing seemed to escape, noticed it at once.
‘You said your name was Jane Elliott?’ he observed.
‘I did say so; and it is the name by which I think it expedient to be called at present; but it
is not my real name, and when I hear it, it sounds strange to me.’
‘Your real name you will not give?’
‘No: I fear discovery above all things; and whatever disclosure would lead to it, I avoid.’
‘You are quite right, I am sure,’ said Diana. ‘Now do, brother, let her be at peace a while.’
But when St John had mused a few moments he recommenced as imperturbably and
with as much acumen as ever.
‘You would not like to be long dependent on our hospitality – you would wish, I see, to
dispense as soon as may be with my sisters’ compassion, and, above all, with my charity
(I am quite sensible of the distinction drawn, nor do I resent it – it is just): you desire to be
independent of us?’
‘I do: I have already said so. Show me how to work, or how to seek work: that is all I now
ask; then let me go, if it be but to the meanest cottage; but till then, allow me to stay
here: I dread another essay of the horrors of homeless destitution.’
‘Indeed, you shall stay here,’ said Diana, putting her white hand on my head, ‘You shall,’
repeated Mary, in the tone of undemonstrative sincerity, which seemed natural to her.
‘My sisters, you see, have a pleasure in keeping you,’ said Mr St John, ‘as they would have
a pleasure in keeping and cherishing a half-frozen bird some wintry wind might have
driven through their casement. I feel more inclination to put you in the way of keeping
yourself, and shall endeavour to do so; but observe, my sphere is narrow. I am but the
incumbent of a poor country parish: my aid must be of the humblest sort. And if you are
inclined to despise the day of small things, seek some more efficient succour than such
as I can offer.

‘She has already said that she is willing to do anything honest she can do,’ answered
Diana for me; ‘and you know, St John, she has no choice of helpers: she is forced to put
up with such crusty people as you.

In this extract, Jane says that she wants to keep her real name a secret.
Explain how secrets are explored elsewhere in the novel.
In your answer, you must consider:

• who keeps secrets
• why there are secrets.

Secrets play a significant role in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre, as they are intertwined with the characters’ motivations, actions, and relationships. Throughout the novel, various characters keep secrets for different reasons, and these secrets often have consequences that impact the plot and the development of the story. The theme of secrets is explored in different ways, shedding light on the characters’ inner struggles, desires, and vulnerabilities. In this essay, we will examine how secrets are portrayed in Jane Eyre, including who keeps secrets and why there are secrets, as well as the effects of these secrets on the characters and the overall narrative.

One of the main characters in the novel who keeps a secret is the protagonist herself, Jane Eyre. From the beginning of the novel, Jane conceals her true emotions and desires, often suppressing her true self in order to conform to societal norms or to protect herself from being hurt. For instance, when Jane is a young girl, she hides her passionate and fiery nature, which often leads her to be punished or scolded by her Aunt Reed and her cousins. She learns to mask her true emotions and present herself as calm and composed, keeping her inner turmoil hidden: “I resisted all the way: a new thing for me, and a circumstance which greatly strengthened the bad opinion Bessie and Miss Abbot were disposed to entertain of me” (Brontë, 6).