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Home » Brontë, Charolotte » Jane Eyre » Chapter XV
Chapter XV
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë
| Abstract: A while later, Rochester fulfills his promise to Jane to tell her about his and Adèle’s pasts. He had a long affair with Adèle’s mother, the French singer and dancer named Celine Varens. When he discovered that Celine was engaged in relations with another man, Rochester ended the relationship. Rochester has always denied Celine’s claim that Adèle is his daughter, noting that the child looks utterly unlike him. Even so, when Celine abandoned her daughter, Rochester brought Adèle to England so that she would be properly cared for. Jane lies awake brooding about the strange insights she has gained into her employer’s past. She hears what sound like fingers brushing against the walls, and an eerie laugh soon emanates from the hallway. She hears a door opening and hurries out of her room to see smoke coming from Rochester’s door. Jane dashes into his room and finds his bed curtains ablaze. She douses the bed with water, saving Rochester’s life. Strangely, Rochester’s reaction is to visit the third floor of the house. When he returns, he says mysteriously, “I have found it all out, it is just as I thought.” He inquires whether Jane has ever heard the eerie laughter before, and she answers that she has heard Grace Poole laugh in the same way. “Just so. Grace Poole—you have guessed it,” Rochester confirms. He thanks Jane for saving his life and cautions her to tell no one about the details of the night’s events. He sleeps on the library sofa for the remainder of the night. | ||||
Source: Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre (Cornhill: Smith Elder and Co., 1847) | ||||
Lexile Level: TBD | Origin: British | Genre: Fiction | ||
| Reading Level: 9 | Language: English | File Name: 1795 | ||
| Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.2.4: The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts. LA.D.2.4: The student understands the power of language. LA.E.2.4: The student responds critically to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. | ||||
Theme: The value of friends and family, finding security, finding love, the danger of secrets, learning trust | ||||
| Reading Strategy: Timelines and Flowcharts | ||||
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| Mp3 Length: 0:34:17 | Word count: 5030 | Use PDF for printing | ||
This collection of children's literature is a part of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse and is funded by various grants. Copyright 2009 by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida.