Jane Eyre - Power and Manipulation

There are not most indications that Mr. Rochester has romantic feelings towards Jane throughout the chapter although it in the end of the chapter on page 114 Mr. Rochester request that Jane participates in his social excursions in “ I expect you to appear in the drawing room every evening.”

Furthermore, Jane says “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself” (Chapter 27, Bronte.) This statement greatly represents the growth that Jane has undergone. She no longer dreads the solitude that once haunted her because she respects herself enough to realize that she did not deserve to experience such great dismay. Through independence and self-recognition, Jane has discovered the importance of loving oneself. Without the reliance on the thoughts of others, the once extremely troubled girl found bliss through a lack of outside control. In regards to her relationship with Mr. Rochester, Jane understands that she must leave him behind to maintain her own well-being. She does not allow the wealth or proclaimed love from Rochester to skew her decisions and she does not linger to dominate the life of her lover. Instead, she moves forward to continue her endless pursuit of happiness and independence.

When Jane enters Thornfield she thinks she is going to work for a woman named Mrs. Fairfax, but she does not. She works for a mysterious man name Mr. Rochester. This man is going to be an import aspect of Jane’s life. Jane works as a governess to a young girl named Adele. Jane encounters Mr. Rochester when she goes for a walk and runs into Rochester, whose horse is injured. After the encounter Jane and Rochester start to gain interest into each other. Mr. Rochester is a man with a large amount of money and Jane is a woman with very little money, the fact that she works for Mr. Rochester defies their unprofessional relationship. “Like governesses, these marriages between older men and younger women were viewed with great ambivalence during the Victorian period”(Godfrey). Both characters develop strong feelings for one another and become close to getting married but a discovery of a secret puts the marriage to a halt. After

Mr. Rochester begs that Jane understand his motives, explaining to her the history of his family, and urging Jane to stay with him. However, an inner voice tells Jane to resist the temptations to be Rochester’s mistress. Despite her desire to live with Mr. Rochester and pursue a relationship with him, she knows that deep inside, she would be ruining her life and reputation-realizing the need to respect herself, she leaves Thornfield, despite her temptations. Jane knows that she can find a “temporary heaven” in living with Mr. Rochester, but she refuses to accept it.

To set the stage in “Jane Eyre” our Protagonist, Jane Eyre is deceived by Mr.Rochester, one of the antagonists in order to “protect” his love, Jane. Mr. Rochester’s deception begins

In Chapter 23, further emphasis is placed on the class difference and divide between Jane and Rochester. Earlier in the chapter, Rochester seems to treat Jane like an employee, which she is, and makes reference to “her duty”, and expresses his desire to assist her in finding a new employer. In addition, Jane refers to him as “master”. She believes that “wealth, caste, custom” separate the two, despite her love for him. This forbidden element to their relationship also presents it as passionate.

Jane and Rochester officially meet at Thornfield, the day after his arrival, Rochester invites Jane for tea. His attitude towards Jane is abrupt and quite cold, although he is charmed by Jane's drawings. Jane feels unusually comfortable around

There are hints, however, at Jane’s growing dissatisfaction with controlling her relationships through the veil of submissive acceptance. Rochester states, “I consent to be

(E) These are interesting quotes on both the parts of Mr. Rochester and Jane. First, Mr. Rochester calls her daughter dumb. This is somewhat understandable because this child was had through an affair with a married woman and he does not seem to care about this daughter much. Nevertheless, parents usually do not say such negative things about their children as he has. We also notice that Jane does not include any details about her teaching ability in the book as she is not one to toot her own horn. This is very humble of her as a storyteller to do.

Mr. Rochester begins to tell Jane his history without actually telling her. He lived in the West Indies for some time and married a young girl for her name, while she married him for his family money. We the reader, learn that her name is Bertha and that

Throughout much of Jane Eyre, the novel describes many characters implicitly through their dialogue and interactions with others, often subtly highlighting how a character has changed after an event. Towards the end of the novel, Bronte especially highlights this aspect through the conversation between Jane and Mr. Rochester at Ferndean, in which the work characterizes the growth of both individuals in their language and tone. After Rochester’s initial shock at meeting Jane once more, he expresses that the encounter remains only bittersweet, emphasizing how Jane “cannot always be [his] nurse… [and that she] must marry one day,” portraying Rochester’s expectation that Jane will not want to stay with him (421). As Rochester expresses his despair, the work illustrates his acceptance his own

We first encounter this relationship between Jane and Rochester during their first dramatic meeting. She encounters him when he falls off his horse and she is required to give him assistance. Jane’s first impression of his face is that ‘He had a dark face, with stern features and a heavy brow’. This may portray the dimness in his face awaiting to be enlightened by a woman which, in this case Jane. Further on in this chapter, unaware of who he is, on her return home, Jane is amazed to discover that the gentleman she assisted in the road was her employer, Mr. Edward Rochester. Jane’s future relationship with Rochester is most clearly set out in their first meeting. Although without any money, reserved and socially dependent, Jane is not

Initially, his manner towards Jane is frigid, and at their infrequent passing, Jane recalls, “he would sometimes pass me haughtily and coldly, just acknowledging my presence by a distant nod or a cool glance, and sometimes bow and smile with gentleman-like affability,” (177). He treats Jane differently than the staff, observing her emotions and carefully concealing his own. When Rochester opens up about Adele’s origins, Jane recognizes a spark of warmth in him, and a desire for affection he has been denied. At this point, Jane begins to admire Mr. Rochester, stating that, “His presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire,” (203). Not long after Jane affirms this notion, a literal fire engulfs Rochester’s room while he is sleeping.

As a governess, Jane is shown the life of the luxurious. Mr. Rochester's mansion is overwhelming, and his parties are extravagant. Mr. Rochester speaks to her frequently, because he needs someone to listen to him. When Edward reveals to Jane his former cheating wife, she feels a connection to him on personal level. Jane has never felt this since her relationship with Helen Burns at Lowood. Jane becomes

Although she knows Blanche and Rochester are not in love, she believes they will marry due to money and class. Ingram is equal to Rochester, and Jane is not. She knows she cannot unlove him, but "all his attentions appropriated to a great lady who scorned to touch [Jane] with the hem of her roses as she passed" (Bronte 211). In Jane 's mind, she is no match for Blanche, and she refuses to marry Rochester because they are not equal. After Jane and Rochester become engaged for the first time, he attempts to spoil her with gifts and special treatment. However, Jane will not accept. First, he takes Jane to Millcote to buy her accessories. When he looks at her with "passionate pleasure" she looks at him and threatens that he "need not look in that way...if [he does, she 'll] wear nothing but [her] old Lowood frocks to the end of the chapter. [She 'll] be married in this lilac gingham" (309-310). She refuses these gifts as she believes she should not be treated higher than her actual class. She also refuses to dine with Rochester at his request.When he asks her to join she tells him that she has "never dined with [him]; and [she] sees no reason why [she] should now" (311). Rochester then begins to question what she wishes to become of her salary and other days to which she responds that she "shall just go on with it as usual. [She] shall keep out of [his] way all day"