Question

Read the following summary. In the novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Jane is an orphan girl who is mistreated by her aunt, Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed is rude to Jane and sends Jane away to a boarding school. Based on the summary, why is Mrs. Reed the antagonist of the story? She is the most important character in the book. She is in a conflict with Jane. She is unfeeling. She is Jane Eyre’s aunt.

Answer 1

Mrs. Reed is the antagonist because she is in a conflict with the protagonist.

Answer 2

Answer: B) She is in a conflict with Jane.

Explanation: in literature, a conflict is a struggle between opposite forces, usually between a character (the main character or a very important one) and himself (internal conflict), society or another character (external conflict). In the given summary, we can see that Mrs. Reed is the antagonist of the story, because she is in a conflict with Jane (who is the protagonist). Mrs. Reed mistreats Jane and is rude to her (which is a person vs. person conflict).