The American Heritage Dictionary defines the term "melodrama" as "a dramatic presentation characterized by heavy use of suspense, sensational episodes, romantic sentiment, and a conventionally happy ending." Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre, contains specific characteristics that make it a melodrama. In particular, it incorporates the use of exaggeration, suspense, deliberate word choice, and emphatic punctuation. It is with the use of these melodramatic devices that the narrator is able to draw the reader in and make him or her more emotionally attached to her and thus to the story.

From the very onset of the novel the narrator, Jane, attempts to make the reader, trust, open up to, and feel with her. Specifically in Chapter 7, she narrates with extravagant details that elicit emotion from her reader. In this scene, Jane tries to hide behind piece of slate to hide from Mr. Brocklehurst; however, ."..[her] treacherous slate somehow...