Jane demonstrates her characteristic inner strength here, especially her bluntness and refusal to tolerate hypocrisy. Mrs. Reed has decided to banish Jane because of "wickedness," which she believes can be cured in the unforgiving, harsh environment of a boarding school (Lowood, specifically). Jane, however, refuses to ignore her aunt's hypocrisy any further; she exposes Mrs. Reed's abusiveness and insists that she is "deceitful" for accusing Jane of wickedness.
