how was jane eyre treated in reeds house?

Jane was treated as an outcast. From the start, she is oppressed; she is sent off while her cousins play and never included in family activities. We learn through exposition from John that she is a penniless orphan, dependent on the heartless Reed family but never on an equal level with her relatives; indeed, social class will play an important role in the rest of the novel. Although we do not have a clear sense of the extent of Mrs. Reed’s resentful feelings toward Jane, Bronte emphasizes Jane’s loneliness and lack of familial affection.