Jane Eyre | Discussion Questions 51 - 51

In Jane Eyre what is Jane's relationship to her two sets of cousins?

Jane has a very rocky relationship with her Reed cousins early in the book, although she reconciles with Georgiana to some degree and with Eliza to a greater extent. They reunite when Jane comes to Gateshead when Sarah Reed is dying, and while the two sisters are standoffish at first, they become curious about Jane's drawings and begin to talk to her. She offers to draw portraits of each of them—a gesture of unspoken forgiveness, given the way they had treated her in the past—and they spend the rest of their time together in relative comfort. Indeed, the two sisters show more animus toward each other than they do to Jane. Georgiana, who is much interested in society and what is fashionable, probably just befriends Jane at this time because she wants company. Eliza, who has become devoutly religious, seems more able to relate to Jane in a less disinterested way. The Rivers sisters are much more friendly with Jane from the start, and the three of them spend much time together. When the sisters are about to return to Marsh End for Christmas, Jane makes a point of cleaning the home and preparing food that they will enjoy, as she wants to make them happy. Diana, it seems, is a bit "frolicsome," as evidenced by her pushing St. John to kiss Jane, albeit "as a sister."