小说《简·爱》的同名女主人公简·爱在襁褓之中时因父母双亡而成为孤儿,寄养在舅舅里德先生家里。舅舅对她体贴入微,然而不久就去世了。舅母里德太太原本就讨厌简·爱,尽管亲口答应里德先生照顾好简·爱,但还是对她百般刁难。简·爱的三个表兄妹也经常侮辱和殴打她。在这样残酷的境况下,简·爱不但没有逆来顺受,反而从小养成倔强不屈的性格,使她敢于直言斥责他们的粗暴行为。气急败坏的舅母终千无法忍受这个桀骜不驯的孩子,把她送到洛伍德孤儿院的一所寄宿学校去接受顺化教育。而简·爱刚从一个深渊跳出来了,又跳进另一个深渊。
在洛伍德,“惩罚肉体以拯救灵魂”的教育,从肉体和精神上摧残着无数的孤儿。幸好简·爱有海伦为伴,又有女学监丹伯尔照顾,她在那的生活虽说艰苦但并不孤独。海伦聪明善良,但柔弱多病,后来患肺结核死了;几年后丹伯尔也结婚离开这个地方。尽管此时简·爱已当上了洛伍德的教师,但朋友的相继离去使她更加厌烦了这个苦熬了八年的地方,遂决定离开。她登广告求职当家庭教师,很快便收到特恩费德庄园的邀请,去教一个名叫阿黛拉的小姑娘。
她从庄园管家那儿了解到小姑娘的叔叔罗切斯特经常在国外旅行,很少回家。三个月后的**傍

Part One Life at Gateshead
Chapter One The Fight
Chapter Two Going to School?
Part Two The Schoolgirl
Chapter Three My First Impressions of School
Chapter Four My New Friedn
Chapter Five Mr.Brocklehurst's Visit
Chapter Six Life at Lowood Continues
Part Three A Young Woman at Thornfield
Chapter Seven Mr.Rochester
Chapter Eight Life with Mr.Rochester
Chapter Nine Mr.Rochester's Secrets
Chapter Ten A Conversation with Grace Poole
Chapter Eleven A Great Party at Thornfiled
Chapter Twelve The Gypsy
Chapter Thirteen Mr.Mason Is Attacked
Chapter Fourteen I Redturn to Gateshead
Chapter Fifteen The New Mrs.Rochester
Chapter Sixteen The Wedding
Chapter Seventeen The Day of the Wedding
Chapter Eighteen Mr.Rochester's Story
Part Four Life at Moor House
Chapter Nineteen Finding a Home
Chapter Twenty Getting to Konw the Rivers Family
Chapter Twenty-One St.John's Secret
Chapter Twenty-Two I Am No Longer Poor
Chapter Twenty-Three My Past Returns
Part Five The Next Mrs.Rochester
Chapter Twenty-Four A Surprise at Thornfield
Chapter Twenty-Five Hapiness