The clear predominance of the character John Reed in chapter 1 cannot be ignored. Brontë's portrayal of John is characterized by her deft choice of language, in combination with the narrative, structure and characterization of both John and Jane. John's obvious and domineering behavior towards Jane elicits sympathy from the reader. Jane is portrayed physically, as well as metaphorically, much smaller than John. Jane is seen as vulnerable due to John's dominance as a character at the beginning of the book. He describes John Reed as having "dirty and unhealthy skin". Here Jane is talking about John's appearance as a teenager. Although this description of him seems to only describe his physical appearance, "unhealthy skin" could be interpreted as a person whose appearance comes solely from the outside and who has a cavity on the inside, which we see John have later in the book. . Jane's vulnerability is really shown when she says "I trembled to be dragged out by the said Jack." In this scene the use of both language and structure evokes not only sympathy, but also an empathetic fear in the reader. The word “tremble” is used brilliantly here as it really shows Jane's innocence as a child. It shows us that even though Jane gives a confident first-person account throughout the book, her young age of only ten really shows through her combination of anxiety, fear, and agitation. “Every morsel of my flesh shrunk as he got closer.” This quote really demonstrates Jane's fear of John Reed and shows her vulnerability when in his presence. What is interesting to note is how Brontë manages to maintain the reader's belief that John is portrayed as the dominant male, even though he is only fourteen. Jane's subdued characteristics create a tremendous sense of innocence over John's behavior, evoking even more sympathy towards