Jane Eyre at Lowood Institution: Summary Meanings and Question Answers Class 7

Jane Eyre at Lowood Institution: Here you will get Meanings of difficult words, summary and answers to textbook exercise questions of the chapter ‘Jane Eyre at Lowood Institution’. Students may put their doubts and queries in the comment box.

Meanings: Jane Eyre at Lowood Institution

Summary

This is an extract from the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. After class ends at five o’clock, the students scatter and Jane falls to the ground, deeply ashamed. She believes that her reputation at Lowood has been ruined, but her friend and fellow student, Helen, assures her that most of the girls felt sorry for Jane rather than despising her for her unproven accusations. Jane tells Miss Temple, the headmistress, that she is not lying and recounts the story of her miserable childhood at Gateshead. Miss Temple believes Jane and writes to Mr. Lloyd to confirm her account of events. Miss Temple offers Jane and Helen tea and seed cake, further endearing herself to Jane. When Mr. Lloyd’s letter arrives and corroborates Jane’s story, Miss Temple proclaims Jane’s innocence to the entire school. Feeling comforted and at ease, Jane immerses herself in her studies.

Textbook Exercise Solutions

Practice Comprehension

Answers. A

1. Jane was in a state of misery after Mr Brocklehurst accused her of being ungrateful and a habitual liar in front of the entire school.
2. Helen Burns arrived to offer comfort to Jane.
3. Coffee and bread were brought by Helen for Jane.
4. Miss Temple intentionally visited Jane, knowing that she was upset about Mr Brocklehurst’s accusations.
5. Mrs. Reed had provided Mr. Brocklehurst with false information about Jane’s behavior, claiming that she was not only ungrateful but also a liar.
6. As Jane’s aunt, Mrs. Reed was responsible for her care since her uncle had passed away.

Answers.B

1. a. Jane Eyre.
   b. Helen Burns is her friend and another pupil in the school.
   c. The speaker said ‘nothing sustained me’ as she was overwhelmed with her grief. She was feeling
   extremely sad because of what Mr Brocklehurst had said about her to others.
   d. ‘Abandon myself’ here means that she was allowing the sorrow to overwhelm her.
2. a. Jane was mistaken about herself. After what Mr Brocklehurst had told everyone about her, she
   thought that everyone would despise here and dislike her.
   b. The speaker is Helen Burns.
   c. The speaker thought that people in the school pitied Jane as everyone knew about Mr
   Brocklehurst’s attitude and behaviour. So when he accused Jane about being ungrateful and
   telling lies, everyone pitied Jane for the same.
   d. The speaker is talking about the Lowood school.
3. a. ‘She’ is Miss Temple here.
   b. The speaker means that she understands the position of Jane and all that she had been accused
   of by Mr Brocklehurst in the school that day. It meant that Miss temple did not give in to what
   Mr Brocklehurst said about her.
   c. She told Miss Temple the story of her sad childhood and stated her state of affairs while she
   was with Mrs Reed, her aunt.
   d. Helen was unwell as she had cough and pain in her chest.

Answers

1. Jane was consumed by an overwhelming sense of grief and sadness, brought on by Mr. Brocklehurst’s public accusations against her at school. She wept uncontrollably and lay prostrate on the ground, feeling terrible.
2. Jane’s concern about her reputation is evident throughout the text, particularly when Mr. Brocklehurst accuses her of lying and ingratitude. She worries about how her peers and teachers perceive her and fears being despised and disliked. Despite this, she longs for affection and is willing to endure physical pain to gain it.
3. Helen reassures Jane that despite Mr. Brocklehurst’s accusations, many at Lowood Institution hold friendly feelings towards her. Helen believes Mr. Brocklehurst was influenced by Mrs. Reed’s negative opinions and repeats them weakly and pompously.
4. Helen tells Jane that Mr. Brocklehurst’s accusations were unfounded and that he was disliked by many at Lowood. She believes he was swayed by Mrs. Reed and repeated her opinions without much thought.
5. Miss Temple exhibits a kind and compassionate attitude towards Jane, comforting her and taking her and Helen to her quarters. She even gives Jane the opportunity to defend herself against the charges of falsehood, proving herself to be a caring and fair-minded teacher.
6. Jane resolves to be moderate and impartial when recounting her story, mindful of Helen’s warning against indulging in resentment. Despite her bitterness and sadness, she avoids adding her woes to her story.
7. Jane reveals to Miss Temple that Mrs. Reed was her uncle’s wife and had only taken her in begrudgingly. She had promised her dying husband to care for Jane, but did not do so out of love.
8. Miss Temple announces that an inquiry has cleared Jane of all charges, bringing her immense relief and happiness.
9. With her mind at ease, Jane is able to focus on other matters, such as translating a French story shown to her by Madame Pierrot. She is so relaxed and excited that she does not dream of food that night.
10. Write for yourself.

Perfect Vocabulary

Answers

1. deeply  

2. extremely  

3. strongly  

4. bright  

5. quick  

6. detailed

7. comedy  

8. board  

9. cheese  

10. caught  

11. run  

12. doing

Grammar

Answers

1. begins
2. forgets
3. am preparing
4. are quarrelling
5. have won
6. has swept
7. has been reading
8. has been playing
9. has been saying
10. have been working