Chapter Five

Here's chapter five!
The beginning of this chapter starts out with Jane preparing to leave for school. She is so excited that she is awake long before the coach is to arrive. She finishes packing and heads out to the front gates with Bessie to meet the coach. When it arrives, we find out that she is to travel 50 miles to her new school, completely alone.

• Why is it that there wasn't anyone besides Bessie that was bothered by the fact that Jane was going to travel so far alone at her age?

However, Bessie charges the driver of the coach with keeping Jane safe on the journey. He happily complies. At one point, when the coach stops in a small town, the driver tries to get Jane to eat, but she is too nervous, so the driver takes her to a large, comfy room to spend some time in while the rest of the passengers ate. The coach driver treated Jane with respect and kindness.

• I find it interesting that nobody close to Jane treated her kindly, but a complete stranger did. Obviously, Jane isn't as awful as Mrs. Reed claims she is, but why does everyone she knows refuse to believe in Jane's good nature?

Well, Jane finally arrives at her new school. It is late evening, and the girls living at the school are about to participate in their evening scriptures and snack. Jane is far too tired to do much of anything except sleep, so she waits patiently until all of the girls are excused for bed.
The next day, all of the girls are awakened before it is light out, and they hurriedly prepare for the day's lessons and activities. Upon arriving in the dining hall, they discover that the porridge has been burnt, and hardly any of them are able to ingest it. Nearly all of the girls go hungry.

• What kind of budget must the school have to burn the food and still serve it, without trying to make it taste any better, and not care that it would make the girls sick to their stomachs?

The lessons commence, and the headmistress of the school, Miss Temple, provides the girls with bread and cheese to make up for the awful breakfast they were served. Miss Temple is a wonderful lady. However, she will most likely get in serious trouble with Mr. Brocklehurst for this kind deed. Mr. Brocklehurst is a penny pincher, and doesn't care if the girls go hungry.

• How fair is it that a man who could care less about how young girls are treated gets to be the owner of a school designed to help those very girls?
• Why was that the norm back then?

Once the girls have been properly fed, they spend a few minutes outside in the gardens. Jane is left to wander around by herself, and does so, until she sees a young girl reading a book. Jane, intrigued, wanders over to the girl and engages her in conversation. The girl tells Jane all about what the school is like and all about the teachers there, effectively praising Miss Temple some more. Jane finds that she really likes the company of this girl, and can't help but notice when the girl gets in trouble during evening lessons.

• After spending so long being ignored and learning to cope on her own, why does Jane suddenly feel so close to somebody now?

And that is the end of chapter five. In this chapter, I thought that the most important thing that happened was that Jane, a little girl who was previously "lost" per se, became found when she was finally able to leave the shadow she was in when she lived with Mrs. Reed.
I found a song that clearly illustrates this point, at least to me, and I'd love your feedback on whether you think this song is appropriate, and if not, what song would be a better one. :)

That's all for this chapter! Stay tuned for chapter six.