At this point in the novel Jane Eyre resents her Aunt more than ever, and her Aunt is none too fond of her. Brontë could have chosen to use to term 'alien' for more than one reason. The word alien is often used to describe a foreigner which Jane technically was. The only reason she was living there was due to the fact that her father was deceased and had requested she stay there. Another usage for the word alien is in the extraterrestrial sense. Jane was not classically "beautiful" and her Aunt was never shy to tell her. Brontë could have been using this term to describe her lack of blending in with the Reed family.
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nice analysis of what wouldn't seem particularly important at first -- highlights the value of word choice
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