A Note About This Story
Time: The 1830s. Place: The north of England. Early in the nineteenth century, there were no cars or trains. People rode horses. People travelled in coaches or in carriages pulled by horses. Journeys were long and difficult. Most people lived in the countryside. Rich people had large houses and many servants. Rich children learnt their lessons in their homes. A teacher lived in their house. Some poor children lived at their schools. Some of these schools were very bad. The buildings were cold and uncomfortable. These children did not have enough food. Their teachers often beat them. The Brontes were poor. The three sisters worked as governesses. Governesses lived in the homes of rich families. They taught the children of these families. In the story, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte wrote about her own life. Jane was unhappy in a bad school. Charlotte was unhappy too. Jane Eyre was not pretty. But she was clever and she was good. Charlotte was not pretty. But she was intelligent and she worked hard. In the story, Jane Eyre becomes a governess. Charlotte was a governess in the homes of two rich families. She hated the work.
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In 1851, there were about 25000 governesses in England. Many poor women from good families worked as governesses. They were not married. Governesses were not paid well.
