Jane Bullied by John Reed

Ten-year-old Jane Eyre, an orphan living with her aunt Mrs. Reed at Gateshead Hall, is bullied by her fourteen-year-old cousin John Reed. He finds her reading behind a curtain, strikes her, and throws a book at her, causing a head wound. Jane fights back, calling him a murderer and a slave-driver. The servants Bessie and Miss Abbot separate them, and Mrs. Reed orders Jane locked in the red-room as punishment. This event establishes Jane's position as an unwanted dependent and her passionate, rebellious nature.