Jane Eyre Journal 4

Three monents of “Mr. Rochester to Jane Eyre”

(J=Jane, R=Rochester, B=Blanche)

     One of the most interesting and challenging things (at least to me) to do with a romance is to catch the moment that hero and heroine fell in love with each other and who is the first one to recognize the feelings. The boundary of “when exactly” is always blurry because of different understandings, but I think all readers would agree—there're some moments before the hero and heroine made clear confessions, and it's those moments and the later process made them pile up their feels which confuse themselves but also help clear their minds. After reading those moments again and again, the readers will suddenly really, “wow, he/she has fallen in love with her/him at that time”.

 

       In Jane Eyre, what I firmly believe is Mr. Rochester got initiative at the beginning of the relationship, because--

• He is the master and experienced one,
• He is interested in Jane in the first place and started all conversations with Jane (because of curiosity and instinct)
• He exposed his past and stories to Jane first-- on account of his words and deeds, Jane was aware of her strong feelings for him.

       I concluded briefly with three moments and also dialogue between Jane and Rochester which symbolized R's confession to J. In all of these conversations, Rochester wished to express more but paused. I call them “the unfinished”.

Moment 1 (end of Chap.15):

the night that fire incident happened, in Mr. Rochester’s bedroom. R held J’s hand and with warm words and special looks.

Key sentence: “What! You will go?”

→ The blaster of love (direct cause of J's feeling). 

Moment 2 (end of Chap. 17):

Jane felt uncomfortable in the party (hearing the rich’s comments on governess) and quickly quitted with depressed look. R comforted her and gave her excuse to leave. 

Key sentence: “Good night, my—”

→ What is it after “my—”?

1) My Jane? Did he think Jane was or would be hers (possess of love)?

2) My love/ darling something like that? Is it appropriate?

→ Why did he pause?

1) He was afraid to confess this love despite age differences

2) He realized that she was not hers (yet).

→ At this moment, R realized there’re still distance between Jane and him. 

Moment 3: (The interesting part I chose to analyze,from Chapter 21, Page 223-226): the dialog between Mr. Rochester and Jane before Jane's leaving for Gateshead to see her dying aunt. 

Here is my summary of this dialog's lead and Mr. Rochester's response

1. J inquired of R, calling Blanche “that person”:

R's face was curious, strange and equivocal → both of J & R recognized B’s special existence

2. J asked for absence:

R showed concern and asked for detailed reasons

→ R was surprised J didn’t tell him about her family 

3. R's compromises and nervous tone inch by inch :

stay “as short as possible” → only “a week”

→“at all events will come back”

4. R mediated and ask for departure information(time and safety)

5. Money /salary issue:

R gave J money more than her asking → J bargained

→ R used salary unpaid wage as a “bait” to “ensure” her coming back

6. J’s new job and R’s “potential marriage” issue:

“Go straight to ‘Devil’” → “shouted” → J didn’t want his help → R got angry, spoke bitterly: “walk up the pyramids of Egypt” → R played childish: “Little niggard” Wanted his money back → R claimed to make arrangement for J

7. R asked J to teach him the ceremony of parting:

“Farewell” → “must I say?” → “is that all?”

→ it’s “stingy”, “dry”, “unfriendly”

→wanted more, even handshake was not enough

→ “blank and cook—‘farewell’ ”

I am especially interested in the 7^th point. 

R apparently knew how to act as a gentleman in a parting situation, but he still asked Jane, what was his intention?

 

My understandings are:

• It's polite to say some formal good-bye. It seemed make sense to say something about parting in a situation like this.
• His abnormal behavior and upset feeling was agitated by Jane’s leaving. And his unbeknown childish side could only be evoked by Jane!
• He was nervous and couldn’t come up with other better topics, but still wanted to stall for more time with Jane before she left.
• He just couldn’t help expressing his feeling using irrelevant