Exploring Mrs. Reed

Exploring Mrs. Reed in Jane Eyre:

Study of Mrs. Reed’s Multi-dimensional Image from the Perspective of Sigmund Freud’s Personality Structure Theory
by Shihan Wang and Chengyao Jian
Journal of Education and Educational Research, 8(2), 238-240.

Jane Eyre is a classic written by British female writer Charlotte Brontë. In this paper, the author makes a comprehensive analysis of a minor character in the novel, Mrs. Reed. It is found that Mrs. Reed is a hard-hearted and cruel aunt, a doting mother and a jealous wife. Then, Freud’s personality structure theory is employed to interpret Mrs. Reed’s multi-faceted image. Firstly, Mrs. Reed is influenced by the “id” factor which makes her indulgent in her own nature, unconstrained by social rules, and behave as a hard-hearted, jealous and doting woman. Secondly, “ego” factor also shapes Mrs. Reed’s image as Mrs. Reed does show humanity occasionally under the rules and pressures of reality. In order to adapt to the social environment and cope with external pressures, Mrs. Reed displays a multifaceted and complicated personality in different situations.