Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Jane Eyre 27-36
We must discuss the relationship of these Moor House chapters with the preceding chapters. How do these chapters comment indirectly on previous characters and events? We should pay particular attention to what these chapters suggest about passion, morality, social context, and the self. More broadly let's see if we can puzzle out how these chapters are necessary for the novel as a whole.
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3 comments:
In these beginning chapters (27-36), Rochester is trying to persuade Jane to stay with him. In my opinion, this is a big part of Jane's character formation. The discussion in class today revolved alot around Jane's perspective on money. She feels that poor people are mean and unhappy, so therefore she doesn't want to be poor. But when she leaves Rochester, she has to resort to living on the street for a couple days. This is a great example on how Jane chooses to remain as her own person. If she had chosen to stay with Rochester, it would be against her morals, but being poor is also something she did not want to become. In the end, she did what was morally correct. Even though she went through these hardships, she still got her happy ending. I think that Bronte believes that if you try to be the best person you can be, good things will happen to you eventually. Leaving Rochester was probably the toughest choice to make, but the result was that Jane recieved a big inheritance, a loving family, and social status acceptance. After she overcame her hardships, everything fell into place.
I think Katina is right in saying how Jane sticks to her morals in that she would rather be poor and destitute than except another mans' money without actually working for it. Jane has no problem excepting money in fact she really wants to be rich, but her values forbid her to except money that has not been earned. Jane had to leave Rochester because with Birtha still around, Jane can not see herself as Rochester's true wife. And if she is not seen as a wife and on an equal status with Rochester, this marriage can not exist. Jane does not want to be treated any differently or pampered, but treated with the same respect that she gives Rochester. It is interesting that by choosing to leave Rochester without any money, she ends up by the end of these chapters more wealthy and empowered with the union of her family. The character of St. John in the novel as the class has agreed is the anti-Rochester, but I feel that she is not utterly opposed to him because he like Jane sticks to his own values.
Even though his differ from hers, she can respect the fact that he lives his life for God. But even though Jane respects St. John, she doesn't love him enough to get married to him. In class when we talked about St. John trying to persuade Jane to marry him and move to India, Jane comes close to giving in to his demands, he almost brainwashes her to marry him, when Rochester acting as Jane's savior from a lifetime of passionless marriage where the end result is death, speaks to her from miles away. I liked Mr. Cook's claim that Rochester is the electricity that reawakens Jane before she gets sucked into marriage with Saint John. If Rochester is the electricity, than St. John has to be the opposite by draining Jane of her power. For as long as Jane knows St. John, he makes her feel bad, and worry about him. When he doesn't talk to her, and chooses not to kiss her goodnight, he makes Jane feel worthless which Rochester never did.
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