Mrs Reed, Eliza, John and Georgiana are sitting around their mother in the sitting-room. Jane wants to join the family circle, but Mrs Reed objects.

ACT 1

SCENE 1

Mrs Reed, Eliza, John and Georgiana are sitting around their mother in the sitting-room. Jane wants to join the family circle, but Mrs Reed objects.

Mrs Reed: No, Jane. Until I hear from Bessie, or see for myself that you are really trying to behave better, you cannot be treated as a good, happy child, like my children.

Jane: What have I done?

Mrs Reed: Jane, it is not polite to question me in that way. If you cannot speak pleasantly, be quiet.

Jane runs away and hides behind the curtains. John runs after her.

John: Where are you, rat? Eliza, Georgiana! Jane isn’t here! Tell Mamma she has run into the rain – what a bad animal she is!

Eliza: She is behind the curtain.

John: Come out!

Jane: What do you want?

John: Say “What do you want, Master Reed?” Come here!

Jane: How can you be my master? I am not a servant!

Jane comes up to him. He hits her on the face.

John: That is for your rudeness to Mamma just now and for your wickedness in hiding, and for looking at me like that, you rat! What were you doing behind the curtain?

Jane: I was reading.

John: Show me the book. (Jane gives it to him.) You have no right to take our books. You have no money and your father left you none. You ought to beg in the streets, not live in comfort with a gentleman’s family. Anyway, all these books are mine, and so is the whole house, or will be in a few years time. I’ll teach you not to borrow my books again.

He lifts the heavy book and throws it hard at Jane.

Jane: You wicked, cruel boy! You are a bully! You are as bad as a murderer!

John: What! What! Did she say that to me? Did you hear, Eliza and Georgiana? I’ll tell Mamma but first…

He rushes to attack her and they start fighting when Mrs Reed enters the room.

Eliza and Georgiana: She attacked John.

Mrs Reed (to Miss Abbott): Take her away to the red room and lock her in there.

The author: Jane was locked in the red room. Nobody wanted to sleep in that room because Mr Reed had died in it nine years before. He was Jane’s uncle and had made Mrs Reed promise to look after Jane like her own children. But everybody was cruel to Jane. They scolded and hated her. Mrs Reed decided to send her to charity school.

SCENE 2

Servant: Mr Brocklehurst has arrived!

(A tall man dressed in black enters the room.)

Mrs Reed: Good afternoon, Mr Brocklehurst.

Mr Brocklehurst: Mrs Reed.

Mrs Reed: Do come this way. These are my children.

Mr Brocklehurst: Enchanting.

Mrs Reed: Tea? Be seated. John, would you go and find that wretched girl?

John: Yes, Mum.

Mrs Reed: Her parents died when she was a few months.

Mr Brocklehurst: Are you her only living relative?

Mrs Reed: There’s an uncle, her father’s brother. He lives abroad. I have done what I can for this child, but she has a willful, obstinate nature.

(Jane comes in)

Mrs Reed: Ah, here she is. This is Jane Eyre. Jane, this is Mr Brocklehurst of Lowood School.

Jane: How do you do, sir?.

Mr Brocklehurst: I hear you are a wicked child, Jane Eyre. Let me examine you. Do you know where the wicked go after death?

Jane: To hell.

.

Mr Brocklehurst: What is hell? Can you tell me that?

Jane: A pit full of fire.

Mr Brocklehurst: And would you like to fall into that pit… and to burn there forever?

Jane: No, sir.

Mr Brocklehurst: What must you do to avoid it?

Jane: Keep well and not die, sir.

Mr Brocklehurst: Wrong! Children younger than you die all the time.

Mrs Reed: It is as I said. You must warn her teachers to keep a strict eye on her, and above all: she has a tendency to deceit. She is a dishonest child, a liar.

Mr Brocklehurst: A lair? We don’t tolerate that at Lowood.

Mrs Reed: As for the vocations… I would prefer if she spent them at school.

Mr Brocklehurst: Of course. Come here. Jane, deceit is a sin.

Jane: I beg your pardon, sir. I am not deceitful. I am not a liar. If I told lies, I would say I loved you! But I don’t, I hate you! I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. If anyone asks how you treated me, I will tell them the truth, that you were very cruel to me. People think you are a good woman, but you are lying to them! I hate living here.

Mrs. Reed: Do you see what a wicked child she is?

Mr Brocklehurst: Have no fear, Mrs Reed. Life at Lowood will do her good. At Lowood we’ll tame her unruly spirit.

Mrs Reed: Thank you, Mr Brocklehurst.

ACT 2

SCENE 1

(At Lowood school Mr Brocklehurst and Jane come into the classroom).

Mr Brocklehurst: The stool! Place this child upon it. Do you see this … this girl? Her name is Jane Eyre. Take a good look at her. This girl is a liar. Avoid her company. Let her stand on this stood all day. She will have no food and let no one speak to her.

Miss Temple: Alice, pay attention. Back to your lessons.

Mr Brocklehurst leaves the room The girls write smth in their exercise-book.

Miss Temple: Collect the lesson books and put them away.

Four tall girls rise from different tables and, going round, pick up the books and put them on the teacher’s table.

Miss Temple: Fetch the supper.

The tall girls go out and return in a short time, each carrying a plate with pieces of bread and cheese. The bread is handed round.

Mr Brocklehurst enters the classroom.

Mr Brocklehurst: I see that cheese has been served to the girls. Why is this? There is nothing about it in the rules! Who is responsible?

Miss Temple: I myself, sir.

Mr Brocklehurst: Madam, listen to me for a moment. You know that I am trying to bring up these girls to be strong, patient and unselfish. Tell the girls to be brave and suffer like Christ Himself. Remember what the Bible says, man shall not live by bread alone, but by the word of God! Madam, when you put bread into these children’s mouths, you feed their bodies but you starve their souls!

Miss Temple: Get ready to sing.

Girls: Forgive me, Lord

For thy dear son

The ill that I

This day have done

That with the world

Myself and thee

I ere I sleep

At peace may be.

Mr Brocklehurst: Let her sing with us.

the teacher helps Jane to join the girls.

Girls: Oh, may my soul

Oh thee repose

And with sweet sleep

My eyelids close

Sleep that may be

For victorious make

To serve my God

When I awake.

The girls and the teacher leave the room. Helen and Jane stay behind.

Helen: Jane! Some bread and cheese.

Jane: Thank you. What is your name?

Helen: Helen Burns.

Jane: Thank you, Helen. God bless you.

Helen: And you too, Jane. Good night.

They leave.

SCENE 2

In the classroom

Miss Scatcherd: Burns, turn your toes out immediately. And your chin is poking out. Draw it in. Hold your head up! (Burns coughs)

Cover your mouth! Burns, don’t stand like that! (She comes up to Helen and sees her hands).

You dirty girl! You haven’t washed your hands this morning!

Helen: The water was frozen.

Miss Scatcherd: Wicked girl! Nothing will change your dirty habits! Fetch me the birch!

(She takes the stick and hits Helen several times with it).

Put it away. The time for your lessons.

SCENE 3

Later that day, during the play-hour, Jane finds Burns reading a book.

Jane: Do you want to leave Lowood?

Helen: No, why should I? I was sent to school here, so I must learn as much as I can.

Jane: But Miss Scatcherd is so cruel to you!

Helen: Cruel? Not at all. She is strict and she sees my faults.

Jane: If I were you, I’d hate her. If she hit me with a stick, I’d break it under her nose.

Helen: I don’t think you would. And if you did, Mr Brocklehurst would send you away from school, and your relations would be upset. Anyway, the Bible tells us to do good, even if other people hurt us.

Jane: You say you have faults, Helen. What are they?

Helen: I’m untidy and careless and I forget my rules. I read when I should be doing my homework.

Jane: Helen, can I draw a portrait of you?

Helen: Me? (laughs)

Jane: Yes. Take off your bonnet. You have such pretty hair.

Helen: Who taught you to draw?

Jane: I taught myself. I used to look at books at my Aunt Reed’s house and then try to copy the pictures.

Helen: You have a gift. You’re lucky.

Mr Brocklehurst and Miss Temple enter the room.

Mr Brocklehurst: Miss Temple, please make sure the girls’ stockings are mended more carefully. Some of them have a lot of holes.

Miss Temple: I shall follow your instructions.

Mr Brocklehurst sees Helen’s hair and almost jumps in surprise.

Mr Brocklehurst: Who, who’s that girl with red hair, with curls, madam, with curls everywhere?

Miss Temple: Helen Burns. Her hair curls naturally, you see.

Mr Brocklehurst: Naturally! Yes, but it is God we obey, not nature! Miss Temple, bring me the scissors. The girl’s hair must be cut off.

Miss Temple: Mr Brocklehurst …

Mr Brocklehurst: No, Miss Temple, I insist.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-30