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Mrs Reed
Sally Hawkins as Mrs Reed in Jane Eyre (2011)

Mrs. Reed Addresses Her Maker
 
You have some nerve, Miss Brontė, to portray
that prissy sham Jane Eyre forgiving me
after I'd foiled her windfall legacy
by claiming she was dead. That's not the way
rage works. You ought to know. You hold a grudge
better than any. All your books contain
caricatures of those who've caused you pain,
whom you arraign before a hanging judge.
My son John Reed, a spoiled and spiteful man,
is he not based on Branwell, your weak brother?
Are not Eliza and Georgiana other
dark cartoons of Emily and Anne?
Revenge is how the winners play the game.
You may disclaim it, but you do the same.

Susan McLean

 

If you have any thoughts about this poem, Susan McLean would be pleased to hear them

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