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.
No comments:
Post a Comment