Happy Endings...

Mr. Rochester has promised that the wedding will be in 4 weeks. Mrs. Fairfax congratulates Jane although she doesn't agree with her engagement since she believes that class inequalities could be a big obstacle. Mr. Rochester starts treating Jane with luxury and spending money on gowns and gifts. But Jane only wants to live a plain and simple life. Personally and privately, she starts to think about answering his uncle's letter. While Mr. Rochester is away Jane starts to have strange dreams about babies and she being alone. On the morning of the wedding Jane realized that there were to strangers at the ceremony. When the clergyman asked if there were any objections to their marriage, these two men stood up. One of the was a lawyer from London that announced that Mr. Rochester was married to a woman called Bertha Mason. He married her in Jamaica 15 years ago and he is still married to her. The other man was Bertha's brother, Mr. Mason and he claimed that story to be true by saying that Jane's uncle had sent him to stop Jane from marrying disgrace. Mr. Rochester was furious, and accepted that this was true but that Jane didn't know. Apparently Bertha had been locked on the third floor and Grace Poole was hired to take care of her, Mr. Rochester said she was insane. Jane locks herself inside her room after that and starts crying and praying to God. Mr. Rochester asks for forgiveness and Jane to go and live with him in France. But even though Jane still loved him, she decided to let him go and she escaped from Thornfield and asked for a car on an unknown road.

Soon, she runs out of money and food. On the way, she tries to exchange some of her belongings for food and water but nobody accepted. She was in the midst of despair until she found a country house and two sisters called Mary and Diana Rivers, who take her in. She later through the maid, Hannah, that learns that Mary, Diana and St. John's ( Mary and Diana's older brother) father died just three weeks ago and that they are trying to maintain their family by becoming governesses. Soon Jane become close friends with Mary and Diana Rivers. Sr. John, Mary and Diana's brother offers Jane to run a school at Morton and she accepts. She starts off with 20 students of little education. One of the school's benefactors is a woman called Rosamund Oliver, she and St. John are in love. One day John arrives with an unexpected story for Jane. He told her that her Uncle John died and left her 20,000 pounds. Advertisements were put everywhere to find Jane. John reveals to her his real name which is John Eyre Rivers. Apparently Mary, Diana, John and Jane were all cousins since they're mother was Jane's aunt. One day she suddenly heard Mr. Rochester's voice calling for help. She went to Thornfield and found it burnt and destroyed. Mr. Rochester had lost his sight and one of his hands, Jane was informed that he now lived in a home in the woods. She went to see him and she promised not to ever leave him again. They later married and lived happily with a baby and Jane's cousins near.

Thinking this and that...

“Not the voyage, but the distance: and then the sea is a barrier---“ “From what, Jane?” “From England and from Thornfield: and---“ “Well?” “From you , sir.” I said this almost involuntarily; and, with as little sanction of free will, my tears gushed out. "

Jane and Mr. Rochester are talking about what will happen after Mr. Rochester marries with Blanche Ingram. He has offered Jane to leave with Adele, Sophie ( Adele's nanny) and Mrs. Fairfax to Ireland. But Jane does not want to go because she doesn't want to be separated from Mr. Rochester. Here is when she finally confesses her love for him. She explains how the distance is going to be harder than the voyage. How the sea will separate them and torn them apart, but not only from England but form each other. When Jane said this, she as mentioned in the quote said it "involuntarily" because her feelings became stronger than her thoughts at that time. But I wonder, why did Jane decide to confess her love right now and not before Mr. Rochester was even engaged with Blanche? She could've married him before the problem with Bertha Mason came up.





"The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. "

In this quote Jane shows her moral integrity, which is a main trait and quality of her personality. In this part of the book, Jane has already found out that Mr. Rochester couldn't marry her because he was actually married to Bertha Mason. But, Mr., Rochester didn't want to loose Jane so he asks her to live with him in France, although he is still legally married. But Jane is aware that she will become her mistress, which would bring a dishonorable reputation. Jane has to resist temptation since Mr. Rochester is the only one who has ever loved her and appreciated her for who she was, but she didn't accept the offer. She here shows her self worth and love. In my opinion, this means that Jane is a very self secure and determined person that knows what is right and wrong. She took her decisions based on these principles and did well . Regardless of the wonderful and safe life she would've had, she resisted and acted with bravery. I have to say that I highly admire Jane for this and that her morals should be in everyone's character.

Wrapping it all up...

In conclusion I would like to say that I've really enjoyed this book and it's amazing story. It is a combination of love and suspense. In my opinion, books with strong female leaders are very inspiring and worth reading. They all teach us about life for women in those times as well as how those habits started changing and to have less importance for some. These women have, with their attitudes and personalities, bit by bit, have made the world we have today. Women can now work, be dependent and valued. Although, in some parts of the world these ideals are still preserved and women have no freedom. I would also like to recall the story's main themes, which I explained throughout my blog posts, which are bravery, moral integrity and gender. They all make up the story, and they make up Jane. In terms of the book's ending, I really enjoyed it since Jane finally had a happy ending and a happy life with the man she loved. Probably her life was very unfair at the beginning, but destiny and fate took care of doing their thing, and of making justice at last. I really recommend this book to people who would like to be inspired, and for people who would like to discover a new world and life narrated directly from Jane's eyes and soul. The reason why I like this books is because I find a connection with these women, both Elizabeth and Jane up to now, and because they inspire me to get better every passing day.

Discovering Stories and Feelings

What happened next....

Eight years passed an Jane was a teacher at Lowood now. But even though she was satisfied with her job, she wanted to experience something new. She wrote an advertisement that said that she was looking for a job as governess and was answered my a woman called Mrs. Fairfax. She lived in a place called Thornfield Hall that was close to Millcote. She left Lowood and off she went, she decided that a new chapter of her life was starting and another was ending. When she got to Thornfield she was received by Mrs. Fairfax, a very kind woman of age. A few days later she also met her pupil Adele, a little French girl that always asked questions and her master Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester, was a knowledgeable man of high social status. He had deep reflections and a commanding personality. But since the first moment Jane met him, she felt weird emotions and feelings towards him. Months passed and Jane had taught Adele a lot just as she had learned from her too. She saw Mr. Rochester very often indeed, and had interesting conversations that always left Jane thinking. But one day Mr. Rochester left and he wasn't going to be back in a long time. While Jane waited for his arrival she overheard the servants' conversations about one of the servants named Grace Poole and her high salary and weird behavior. Mr. Rochester finally arrived one day along with some guests. One of them was Blanche Ingram. She was also a wealthy woman, known for her beauty, talents and status. Jane saw how Blanche flirted with Mr. Rochester. She also realized that she was a  prideful and unkind woman

Mr. Rochester was gone for some days, and left his guests at Thornfield. A man named Mr. Mason arrived asking for him but Mr. Rochester was not at home. Jane later realized that Mr. Mason had some previous business with Mr. Rochester in the West Indies. A gypsy came too, to read the guests' fortunes. Blanche was really upset after her fortune was read, the gypsy told her that Mr. Rochester wasn't as wealthy as he looked. The gypsy also asked to see Jane and told her that she was soon going to achieve happiness, but Jane later realizes that the gypsy was Mr. Rochester in disguise. Although she was really mad at him. she did tell him about Mr. Mason. Mr. Rochester later tells Jane that he had committed a capital error in foreign country. He thought that marrying Blanche would give him salvation and a moral life in marriage. Before Jane could say anything he left. Weeks passed and Jane gets news saying that his cousin John committed suicide and that her aunt had a stroke and was dying. She went to Gateshead and met again with Bessie. She also saw her other cousins Georgiana and Eliza. Before Mrs. Reed died, she gave Jane  a letter that was from her uncle John Eyre that said that he wanted to adopt her and that he wanted her to be his heiress. Mrs. Reed finally died that day. On her way back to Thornfield she saw Mr. Rochester at Millcote he had just bought a new carriage and she was suspecting that it was because of his marriage with Blanche. When they got to Thornfield, Mr. Rochester told Jane that he was sure of marrying Blanche now. But she couldn't help it and confessed her love towards him. Luckily, this had all been planned by Mr. Rochester to make Jane jealous; then he asked her to marry him and she accepted.

Thoughts....

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex." ( Brontë, 106)

This quote emphasizes another of the book's main themes, gender. Throughout the book we see in Jane's character a different behavior, one that most women didn't possess on those times. She was unladylike and strong. As you may know, most of the women that lived in those times were fragile and dependent. But Jane felt that the world should be different, a place were women could maintain themselves through education and were they are treated equally. She was aware of the main stereotype, which was that women don't need a career or field because they should be dedicated to work at home and no education is needed for that. But this wasn't correct for Jane and she expressed what she felt. We can also see how gender can be dominant when at the beginning, Mr. Rochester commands Jane and acts with superiority.

"He is not to them what he is to me," I thought: "he is not of their kind. I believe he is of mine;—I am sure he is,—I feel akin to him,—I understand the language of his countenance and movements: though rank and wealth sever us widely, I have something in my brain and heart, in my blood and nerves, that assimilates me mentally to him. […] I must, then, repeat continually that we are for ever sundered:—and yet, while I breathe and think I must love him." ( Brontë, 164)

Jane is now assuring herself that she does feel love for Mr. Rochester. She is also explaining us what she thinks of him. She thinks that she understands him more than anybody else, that nobody else thinks of him in the way that she does. This also brings the subject of Blanche Ingram up, since she is giving an opinion of hers that states that only she understands him, which further on means that she is the only one among these people who truly loves him. It is clear since the start of Blanche's appearance in the book that she was only flirting with Mr. Rochester because of his high status and wealth, and Jane was aware of this too.  In my opinion, this quote also explains us the connection and relation that these two characters have that is only established through common tastes and personality but not through rank and status, unlike his connection with Blanche. Even though Jane is aware of this big difference, although she doesn't mention it, she focuses majorly on the important traits that create connections between people and not the luxurious and additional ones.

Finally....

Finally I would like to say that these last chapters have been so unexpected and surprising. I never imagined Mr. Rochester asking Jane to marry her. I never saw this coming since I thought that Mr. Rochester was indeed interested in Blanche Ingram and that Jane was going to end up heartbroken. In the last few chapters I also have discovered a new theme, which I mentioned before, which is gender. Jane has clear and strong opinions towards it and it's main stereotype. I decided to call this blog post as Discovering Stories and Feelings because this is where Jane discovers Mr. Rochester secret story and her hidden and unknown love for Mr. Rochester. Jane also discovers that she will soon reach happiness and that Mr.. Rochester was never going to marry Blanche. My prediction for the next chapters is that Mr. Rochester will happily marry and take Adele with them. I also think that new stories and mysteries will unfold and Mr. Rochester's story of the past will cause effects. 

 

Meeting Jane..

What I read....
I have to say that after reading Pride and Prejudice, Ive started to like and understand english writing a lot more. As I said on my last blog post, I love classics. They are my favorite genre and I've decided to keep on reading them. This time I choose to read a slightly different book, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane is an unladylike and brave little girl who lives with her aunt, Mrs. Reed at Gateshead Hall. Her parents died when she was very young and her uncle took her with him. Her uncle died, and asked his wife to raise and care for Jane as her own daughter. But  Mrs. Reed and her children are very cruel towards Jane. One day, as she was reading, her cousin John started teasing her and hit her head with a book, in attempt to defend herself, she started hitting her older cousin. Mrs. Reed saw her and locked her in a room. But this was a special room of the house, this is were her uncle died. She started recalling how cruel her aunt was towards her and how different her life would be with her uncle alive. Suddenly she spotted a white figure coming out of the chimney. She was so scared that she started screaming and had a fit. The next day she was feeling better and doctors went to see her. Bessie, one of the maids that worked at Gateshead, was really kind towards Jane and kept her company. One day she was summoned to her aunt. Mrs. Reed was talking to a man called Mr. Brocklehurst which owned a school for girls called Lowood. Jane had never gone to school before. While the conversation went on, Mrs. Reed started spinning stories around. She called Jane unpatient, misbehaved and ungratified by her "wonderful" care. She also acted as kind and loving, though Jane knew the truth. When Mr. Brocklehurst left,  Jane started reminding her aunt how cruel she was with her and how she hated her and her children. How hypocrite she was around people and that she will never come back to visit her. She felt victorious at the moment and proud of herself, never had she felt such a wonderful feeling.

The next day, a carriage came for her and she was taken to Lowood.  The journey was very long, it seemed as if Lowood was very far away into the countryside since she saw more hills and less homes and people. She finally got there and was received by  a woman named Miss Temple and  another named Miss Miller. Her first day was spent in solitude, Lowood was unknown to her. The food they got wasn't very good and it was distributed in very small portions. She was usually hungry and tired, but at least it was better than Gateshead. One day as they were doing some outdoor activities, Jane spotted a girl sitting by herself reading a book. She approached to her and started asking her questions. Her name was Helen Burns and she was a little older than Jane. Soon Jane and Helen became really good friends, they helped each other and Jane saw Helen as an older sister. The typhus fever came to Lowood one day and it struck many. Dead bodies were often seen and buried silently too, many were dying and returning home. Helen got the fever too. Jane stopped seeing her for a while and tried to make more friends, but she realized that none was like Helen Burns. One night, Jane slipped out of her room silently after hearing the doctors say that Helen wasn't going to live much longer. She silently went to Miss Temple's room and found Helen there. They both talked for a while and they fell asleep together. The next day Jane woke up, and sadly, Helen was dead. Her body was silently buried after that and Jane felt alone all over again. She started to feel that her life was useless and insignificant. She started to feel the unfair aspects in life.

I was just thinking that.....

"I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. I will never come to visit you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick, and that you treated me with miserable cruelty. . . . You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity. I shall remember how you thrust me back . . . into the red-room. . . . And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me—knocked me down for nothing. I will tell anybody who asks me questions this exact tale. ’Ere I had finished this reply, my soul began to expand, to exult, with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt. It seemed as if an invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into unhoped-for liberty. . . ." ( Bronte, 39-40)

 After Mr. Brocklehurst from Lowood School left, Jane and her aunt were left alone. But Jane felt she needed to speak up. This quote is showing us one of Jane's main and most important characteristics, bravery. She was brave enough to speak up for herself after her aunt called her names and told lies. She stood up for herself even though she knew how cruel her aunt could get to be and that she could end up being punished. Jane acts as an example for al of us in this part, she is giving the right example by not remaining silent when something doesn't feel right. This is what all of us should do when we are being mistreated, but sadly, the world has become a world in which people live in fear. I can personally connect to Jane in this aspect, because I also think that we should never remain silent. I think that we shouldn't bear disrespectful attitudes from others, we should make people respect us, through words and speaking but never through violence and hatred.

"But I feel this, Helen; I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly. It is as natural as that I should love those who show me affection, or submit to punishment when I feel it is deserved." ( Bronte, 58)

This quote also shows us how Jane thinks about people in general. She is talking to Helen about how we shouldn't tolerate people who dislike us for no reason and we should love people who love us back. I personally feel empathy towards Jane right now because she has lived an unfair and terrible life. But I also think that since Jane hasn't been treated fairly and kindly all along her life, she automatically starts disliking everyone without noticing.  And this can lead to hatred. Jane doesn't understand yet, that we shouldn't let the unhappy people, affect our feelings. Helen brings this subject up when she later questions her on her way of  remembering  the negative and bad experiences with so much detail, instead of letting them go and fade away. In my opinion, this is a good advice because I know by experience that it does help remove burden that we unconsciously carry in our soul that isn't seen but felt.

To conclude......

So far I am really enjoying this book and I really look forward to keep on reading it. What I like most about it is the way in which it is written. It is written from Jane's perspective , which causes us to feel more and to get engaged with the book. I have to say that when I realized that Helen died, I cried. I was so connected with the book that I didn't realize that I wasn't actually  it. For a moment I felt in Jane's shoes and realized how unfair it felt. Alone she was all over again, just when she found a great friend. My prediction for the next chapters is that Jane will remain at Lowood and she will probably find a new friend or companion. I also am thinking that further on, she will find her lost family members, apart from Mrs. Reed. I highly recommend this book to all of you because it is an inspiring story with messages like inner strength, perseverance and bravery. Never had I read a book written from the characters perspective that's so impacting and appealing. Jane has so far been a great example for me and should be for many.