No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep.
Chapter 2
Context
Bessie responds to Jane's question by defining her position at Gateshead: Jane ranks even below the servants because she contributes no labour in exchange for her maintenance.
Analysis
The comparative structure 'less than a servant' creates a social category below the already-low rank of domestic worker, indicating that Jane occupies a space outside the normal household hierarchy. The phrase 'do nothing for your keep' frames existence purely in transactional terms—worth measured only by economic utility—which denies Jane any claim to care or belonging based on kinship or simple humanity.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Brontë exposes how Victorian social structures denied dignity to dependent children—Bessie's statement reveals that without either family status or labour value, Jane has no recognized place, making her vulnerable to total dehumanization.