| “ | All liars will have their portion in the lake burning with fire and brimstone.
|
„ |
| ~ Mr. Brocklehurst |
| “ | Oh, madam, when you put bread and cheese, instead of burnt porridge, into these children's mouths, you may indeed feed their vile bodies, but you little think how you starve their immortal souls! | „ |
| ~ Mr. Brocklehurst urging Miss Temple to starve the children of Lowood. |
Mr. Brocklehurst is a supporting antagonist in Charlotte Brontë's literary classic Jane Eyre. As the clergyman, headmaster, and treasurer of Lowood School, he commonly mistreats the children in his care, while also embezzling money to support his own luxurious lifestyle.
Although he plays a minor role in the book itself (making two appearances and receiving five mentions), his dramatic characterization leaves both a lasting impact in the characters and the reader.
Personality[]
Mr. Brocklehurst himself is made clear to be an almost fanatical Christian, as he uses Biblical rhetoric to justify his actions. He takes quotes and phrases out of context and applies them to the situations he meets - such as saying "man shall not live by bread alone" to rebuke Miss Temple for giving the schoolgirls an extra meal after their porridge was burnt.
Mr. Brocklehurst is severely delusional, as he commonly rants on about how he is helping his students become good children, despite seeing the horrible conditions they are forced to live in. He is also highly hypocritical: constantly professing that aid and charity are Christian duties when his actions reflect the exact opposite. Despite forcing the girls to have only one set of clothes, it's revealed that he gives his own children lavish and luxurious clothing, complete with exotic and expensive furs.
He is also prejudiced, implying that he doesn't believe that lower-class children (and all lower class citizens) are as important or virtuous as richer people. He demonstrates a strong, tyrannical desire to control the girls - to the point where he forces them to have haircuts, because he doesn't believe they should have much of anything. Upon meeting Jane for a second time, he publicly slanders her in front of the whole school. He also is a coward, as when the typhus fever outbreak happened at his school, he didn’t go near it at all, likely out of fear he would get sick.
Biography[]
Mr. Brocklehurst is introduced in Chapter 5, when he comes to Gateshead to interview Jane Eyre as a potential student for his charity school. He shows great unpleasantness, denouncing Jane as a bad child because her aunt says so, and becoming angry with her when she says she doesn't enjoy reading Psalms.
When Jane arrives at Lowood, Brocklehurst's cruelty is made clear as he forces his students to endure the a harsh and heavily disciplined lifestyle. He expects them to eat spoiled and rotten food, makes them wear thin and poorly-made clothing, and forces them to walk two miles to church without boots. The school's lack of proper insulation leaves the girls' rooms cold and causes their water to freeze regularly - making it impossible to wash.
This whole time, Brocklehurst is embezzling money from the school and living a lavish lifestyle. However, after a break out of tuberculosis, which leads to the deaths of half the students, a public investigation reveals all his mistreatment. As a consequence, he is removed from an active role in the school, losing all his influence and credibility. Even then, he is able to retain his wealth.