Jane’s character with reference to her relationship with Mr.
Rochester and St. John River.
The protagonist and narrator of Jane
Eyre, Jane begins the novel as an angry, rebellious, 10-year-old orphan
and gradually develops into a sensitive, artistic, maternal, and fiercely
independent young woman. In each stage of the novel, Jane is met with fierce
opposition from those around her, often because of her low social class and
lack of economic independence. Yet, Jane maintains her independent spirit,
growing stronger in her beliefs and ideals with each conflict; Jane's inferior
position as a governess serves simply to heighten her thirst for independence,
both financial and emotional. She rejects marriages to both Mr. Rochester and
St. John because she understands she will have to forfeit her independence in
the unions. Only after she has attained the financial independence and
self-esteem to maintain a marriage of equality does Jane allow herself to marry
Mr. Rochester and enjoy a life of love. This self-esteem is gained through
Jane's making her mark in various worlds: Lowood, Thornfield, and particularly
Moor House, in which she is valued for her humanity and values
Edward
Rochester
The
owner of Thornfield Manor and Jane's lover. Mr. Rochester is an interesting twist on the tragic Byronic hero;
though not handsome in a strict sense, his great passion and forcefulness make him an extremely
appealing and sensual character in Jane's perspective. Mr. Rochester is also a
sympathetic character because of the mistakes he has made in his past: deceived
by Bertha Mason's external beauty, Mr. Rochester is constantly brooding and
rejecting the darkness of his decision. Despite their difference in backgrounds
and social status, Mr.
Rochester is a kindred
spirit to Jane and feels a sort of
emotional peace when he is in her presence. Mr. Rochester is also particularly
important to Jane because he provides her with the unconditional love and sense
of family that she has never experienced before. Although Mr. Rochester is
clearly presented as Jane's superior in intellect and worldly knowledge, the
revelation of his marriage to the insane Bertha Mason demonstrates that Jane
possesses the moral and ethical superiority in the relationship. Jane rejects
his marriage proposal after she learns of Bertha, not only because she feels it
would flout the law, but perhaps because Bertha's marriage is a cautionary
symbol of Victorian marriage: despite Mr. Rochester's best intentions and
Jane's equal intellectual standing, he may still end up imprisoning Jane in his
own way through matrimony, just as he has imprisoned Bertha. Ironically, when
Jane finally does agree to marry Rochester after having gained her
independence, the fire Bertha set to Thornfield has blinded him. Thus, he is
suddenly dependent on Jane, a fact which nullifies the typical marriage
inequalities of the time period and tips the balance in her favor. On a kinder
note, Brontë closes the novel with Mr. Rochester's sight regained in one eye:
the marriage is restored to equality and Mr. Rochester and Jane can be happy in
their union.
St. John Rivers
The
evangelist who takes Jane in at Moor House, brother to Diana and Mary and, it turns out, cousin to
Jane. St. John is the last of the three major Christian models Jane observes
over the course of the novel. Stoical, cold, and strictly devoted to
Christianity, St. John's religion is far too detached for Jane. He refuses to
give in to his love for Rosamond Oliver out of a warped sense of duty to God,
and Jane concludes that he still knows little about God's love. Although St.
John does not love Jane, he believes that she would be suited to missionary
work in India and thus, asks her to marry him. While Jane admits that she would
gladly accompany him as his cousin (or adopted sister), marrying him under such
circumstances would mean forfeiting her rights to a life of passion and love. Losing her autonomy in such a way
is unacceptable to her,
while
accompanying him without marriage violates St. John's sense of propriety.
Jane's rejection of St. John's advances seems to spur her return to Rochester,
her one chance for spiritual passion. While Rochester is described in terms of
fire and flames, St. John is constantly associated with ice and cold, a
connection that heightens the lack of passion and joy that would come with a
marriage to him. Although the book ends happily for Jane and Mr. Rochester, St.
John's ending is far more ambiguous. Although he has traveled to India to
fulfill his Christian duty, Bronte still gives the impression that St. John's life could
have been more meaningful if he had ever accepted love.
The
novel ends happily for Jane: not only does she maintain her independence and
live with the man she loves, she is able to overcome the social constraints of
her position as governess and become a heroine with which every reader can
relate.
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