Jane Eyre
Georgiana Reed
The vain cousin
Jane's pretty, shallow cousin at Gateshead, interested only in admiration.
Georgiana is the younger Reed daughter, vain and gossipy, fond of luxury and attention. She relies on her looks and expects the world to admire her.
She is a foil to Jane's modest depth and to her sister Eliza's harsh austerity. She does not take much notice of Jane except as a poor relation, and she is more interested in dresses, gossip and her own reflection than in anyone's feelings.
In the story
Contains spoilers.
Georgiana is among the Reed children in the opening chapters at Gateshead. She is there when Jane returns to see the dying Mrs. Reed.
She has no major role in the plot but is part of the family that shows Jane what she has left. Along with Eliza, she shows that cruelty at Gateshead takes more than one form, and her shallowness is as much a part of the household's emptiness as John's temper.
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