Love

1) Jane experiences deprivation of love in early childhood.

Me she had dispensed from joining the group/were now clustered around
their mama.
‘dispensed’ – left out, casually dismissed from sitting with them. It is a choice that Reeds
have made for her. This shows her position of inferiority within the Reed family and that she
is considered worthless and is not allowed to make choices of her own. Bronte then
juxtaposes this with the verb ‘clustered’ to describe the Reed children sitting around their
mama. The verb ‘clustered’ implies that Jane is deprived of being part of the family unit. It
also evokes a sense of togetherness, warmth and familial intimacy which is a stark contrast
with the cold and casual dismissal of Jane being ‘dispensed’. Bronte purposefully structures
the pronoun ‘me’ at the start which represents her isolation and it also conveys the idea
that Jane is conscious of the injustice and the abuse and that it affects her. Bronte highlights
that social status was a huge determining factor of your quality of life in the Victorian era.
She conveys the idea that social class played a great hand in determining your fate.

You are a dependant, mama says…you ought to beg

Bronte portrays John as a figure of patriarchal dominance. John labels Jane a ‘dependant’ to
remind Jane of her social inferiority. Bronte uses the verb phrase ‘ought to beg’ to show a
sense of resentment from John, who rejects the idea that Jane, an outsider, should be the
recipient of all the privileges that the Reed siblings have. Bronte, through John, conveys the
power of patriarchy – the idea that men are superior in society. Even though John is still
young, he acts out his fantasy of being the master of Gateshead prematurely on Jane. John
is also given license to mistreat Jane in a most sadistic (take pleasure from causing others
pain) manner, by his mother not intervening when Jane is being bullied.

Why could I never please? /win anyone’s favour?

Jane finds it difficult to understand why she is not treated in the same way as the other
Reed siblings who are forgiven every flaw in their personality and their behaviour. Bronte
uses these rhetorical questions in Jane’s narrative to show the emotional abuse that she is
subjected to. The verb ‘please’ and ‘win’ suggests that Jane is deliberately singled out
despite her good behaviour. Again, like at the start, where Mrs Reed excludes her until she
is ‘more childlike’, ‘more natural’, she is made to feel inferior, unworthy, unlovable.
Crucially, Jane is made to feel like she is to blame for the others’ exclusion of her. Bronte
conveys the fragile and impressionable nature of a child’s mind and the importance of
protecting and caring for children, especially vulnerable ones like Jane.

Be seated somewhere; and until you speak pleasantly, remain silent.

Bronte uses a paradoxical situation to convey unseasonable expectations put on jane. Bronte
uses these orders further illumine readers about uncertain, narrow space available to jane.
Bronte uses a verb `somewhere’ to suggest she has no special place to settle or belong in.
this shows she should keep silent if she cannot please people, which reeds show her she
doesn’t. the contrast is persecuting her yet she must be child-like and pleasant at all times.
Jane needs to adapt to sham situations in order to show “more natural manners” in the
same breathe she’s also being accused of being “contended” “a cavalier and question.” This
suggests that Jane is being instructed to do anything without questioning. Bronte critics how
the ones who do nothing, expect everything In return. She’s been given a ultimatum to live
comfortably. Despite this, Bronte conveys janes emotional resilience silencing her tongue by
no means silences her mind. Ultimately, Bronte conveys persecuted children have their own
way of handling physical reassortment.

“Jane eyre who has been ardent, expectant woman- almost a bride, was a
cold, solitary girl again: her life was pate, her prospects were desolate”.
Context: bronte narrates this about jane when she discovers the secret abput bertha and
cannot marry R anymore.
At the point of revelation of R deception, jane is a transported back into the “cold, solitary
girl” in her childhood and feeling of hopelessness is almost palpable for jane. The most
heartaching adverb she uses “again” implies she feels all isolation that she once faced in
childhood which led to rage and suicidal thoughts but as an adult, we see jane forgives
immediately. The sincerity of Rs love for jane is severely undermined here as it could argue R
has exploited and betrayed her just as Reeds have marganalised her in her childhood, both
which is motivated by janes ambiguous social position. Were reminded of R relief of absence
of any loved ones in janes life. It leaves her completely vunerable and open to exploitation.
The differences, which jane recognises instinctively is that R exploitation of jane was borne
out of entitlement to love (bigamous marriage was meant to end), wheread the
marganalisation that jane is subjected to is out of cold indifference at best, intense hatred at
worst from the reeds. Then, she felt rage at “habitual” mistreatment but now she feels
dispear. Now, she must learn to survive independently. This is a bitter reminder for Jane of
power that social position can exert over most intense feelings.

2) Jane desires to find love without sacrificing or harming herself at

same time and without trapped by emotional fulfilment.
Accomplished lady of rank/Portrait of a governess: disconnected, poor and
plain
Contextualize: Jane captions the two portraits that she draws to remind herself that she is
no competition for Blanche.
Analysis: Bronte uses the character of Blanche to serve as a cold stark reminder of the
barrier of social class that exists between Jane and Rochester. The caption ‘accomplished
lady of rank’ suggests that Blanche is the ideal woman of the Victorian era: she has been
educated with all the feminine traits and qualities to attract the male gaze. In contrasts, she
captions her own portrait ‘disconnected, poor and plain.’ Her own characterisation of
herself as ‘disconnected’ indicate her lack of familial ties and estrangement with the ones
that she does have (the Reeds); ‘poor’ relates to her economic status as a dependant; she
ends her self-characterisation with the word ‘plain’ removes any hope of her overcoming
the obstacles. If she had possessed conventional beauty, perhaps she could have attracted
the male gaze. Bronte conveys the power that social class can exert over even the most
passionate of feelings. Bronte also criticises the feminine beauty standards that existed in
the Victorian era and was the root of much injustice. Bronte shows shes reprimanding her
feelings by hurting herself before someone hurts her. She ultimately ignores all her
feelings in order to protect herself since no one else will.

Blind puppy
Context: When Mrs Fairfax narrates the famous beauty and talents of Blanche, Jane engages
in a narrative of self-rebuke.
The metaphor suggests that Jane feels foolish for allowing herself to entertain the idea of
being a ‘favourite of Rochester’. It also depicts Jane’s shame at putting herself in a
vulnerable position. Perhaps, Jane engages in this short narrative of self-rebuke to build
resilience and as a measure of self-protection. Bronte conveys the fragile sense of worth
that Jane has as a result of her traumatic childhood where she was deprived of love. Now,
she think she is undeserving of love due to her social status. Perhaps jane desires
unhealthy love later on in life, due to the persecution she suffers as a child and her
inability to gain Reeds favour. And as a consequence of a dysfunctional childhood.

Eden like/bloomed with flowers/and what ailed the chestnut tree. It writhed
and groaned.
Context: Jane is taking a walk in the garden after she returns from meeting her Aunt and Rochester is
still at Thornfield and is taking even more interest in her.
Bronte uses imagery to show the elation (happiness) that Jane experiences as the closeness
between her and Rochester increases. The simile ‘Edenlike’ to describe the garden which
‘bloomed with flower’ to show the sheer joy and contentment that Jane is feeling at this
point in their relationship. She allows herself to forget about all the obstacles that are in the
way and basks in the moment that nature offers her. This could also foreshadow the
proposal to marry Rochester which soon follows. This foreshadowing reveals the dream-like
event for Jane – that she is able to make her bond with Rochester legitimate in the eyes of
law, society and religion. However, Bronte then contrasts this idyllic description of nature
with a disturbing description of the ‘chestnut tree’ which then ‘writhed and groaned’ as a
storm starts to brew. Perhaps this imagery suggests a sense of warning for Jane about
Rochester’s hidden past. The same chestnut tree then has split away in the morning when
she awakes which could foreshadow her broken heart and her inevitable separation from
Rochester. In fact, the chestnut tree becomes a symbol of their relationship because it has
strong roots, can be affected by the weather and circumstances but can never be destroyed
entirely. This shows the entrapment of R and the passion she feels for him. The warning
given is to symbolise near threat of pursing this passion. Symbolises the passion vs reason
and becomes a reality check for jane instead of staying in this heaven like place.

I cannot do it/I should do it/Conscience turned tyrant, held Passion by its

throat/You shall yourself pluck out your right eye; yourself cut off your right
hand
Context: After the marriage fails to take place, Jane shuts herself up in her chamber, and debates the
next steps.
Bronte presents Jane’s inner conflict when she finds out that Rochester is already a married
man. She faces a range of emotions as she ‘wrestles’ with herself. At first, she says she
‘cannot do it’, then tells herself she ‘should do it’. The modal verb ‘cannot’ suggests that
Jane feels that it is impossible for her to extricate (separate) herself from Rochester because
she feels that she is a part of him. It also indicates that at this point, Jane does not have the
emotional resilience to leave him. But the modal verb ‘should’ suggests that despite its
difficulty, Jane knows that it is the correct action to take. However, even her ‘conscience
turned tyrant help passion by its throat’. The metaphor comparing her ‘conscience’ to a
‘tyrant’ suggests that instead of her conscience helping her to make the right decision, it is
turning against her. The violent image evoked in ‘held Passion by its throat’ demonstrates
that Jane feels at the mercy of her passion. Yet again, Jane summons up all the strength that
she has to make her final decision. The biblical lines ‘pluck out your right eye’ and ‘cut off
your right arm’ shows that her moral principles, inspired by her faith, allows her to make the
hard decision to leave. The brutal verb ‘pluck out’ and ‘cut off’ shows the pain that it causes
to Jane is almost at a physical level, foreshadowing the suffering that it will lead to. Bronte
conveys the dangers of untampered passion. Bronte also conveys the compromises that
women had to make in the Victorian era so as not to lose their independent will and dignity.
She also highlights the role that religious beliefs played in society to influence to behave in a
morally acceptable way, especially in females.

Sunk down in the silken snare/to be a slave in a fool’s paradise (Rochester)/I

scorn your idea of love, I scorn the counterfeit sentiment that you offer and I
scorn you when you offer it. (St John)
Context: When she has settled in her job as village schoolmistress at Marsh End, she reflects on her
decision to leave Rochester/Jane says this to St John when he proposes to her.
Bronte presents Jane’s rejection of both men for different reasons. When Jane has settled in
at Marsh End which puts the distance of time and place between herself and Rochester, she
is able to reflect on the decision that she made to reject his proposal to become his mistress
and live in the South of France. Bronte employs the metaphor ‘sunk down in the silken
snare’ to reflect Jane’s understanding that staying with Rochester would have been
disastrous, as it would have trapped her, as inviting and tempting as it was to surrender to
her passion. The oxymoronic phrase ‘silken snare’ symbolises the deceptive nature of desire
and passion which can overpower a person and make them oblivious to its destructive
traits. She proceeds to describe herself, if she had stayed, as a ‘slave in a fool’s paradise’.
Again, this analogy illustrates that Jane has the insight now to know that she would have
become enslaved by her passion and ‘fool’s paradise’ also suggests that the happiness and
pleasure would not have been real. At Marsh End, when St John proposes, she rejects it for
entirely different reasons. She directly tells him that she ‘scorns his idea of love’ and ‘scorns
the counterfeit sentiments that you offer’. The repetition of the verb ‘scorn’ allows us to
catch a glimpse of Jane’s earlier fiery spirit in hostile situation and this situation is hostile
because St John is manipulating Jane and forcing his will upon her. The phrase ‘counterfeit
sentiments’ indicate that Jane is unprepared to enter a marriage that is devoid and absence
of any romantic feeling. She knows that this a means to an end, and she is unwilling to enter
a marriage of convenience. Jane is however, almost tempted to surrender to St John’s will
later on, however Bronte creates a supernatural intervention in the form of Rochester’s
voice to prevent her from marrying St John. Bronte highlights the dangers of icy reason as
well as fiery reason. If we view St John as a symbol of extreme reason, we see how it takes
away all humanity and joy from a person, as he is consumed by his ambition and desire to
make a mark, despite being a good person.

Think of his misery, think of his danger/ soothe him, save him, love him.
Context: R tries to persuade jane to stay.
Bronte presents janes thoughts as a sway to stay with him, janes being manipulated into the
idea that shes responsible for his state of mind. Bronte dresses up passion as a duty and
how even though she has a reason to leave, passion convinces her that he needs us.
Rochester manipulates Janes mind as she feels guilt for protecting herself from sin and
ultimately choosing her integrity. He undermines janes commitment to her faith and morals,
which was due to her upbringing of early influences. His entitlement to loving relationship
which is deprived.

3. Bronte presents love as contender which can defeat restrictions and

rigidity of social structure.

1. You have saved my life. I have a pleasure in owing you.

Context: After Jane rescues Rochester from the fire, Rochester expresses his gratitude.
The fire scene symbolises a turning point in their relationship. Once more, Bronte casts Jane
in the role of the heroine, not only saving him, but bringing out the passionate side of him
which has been dormant (no-existent) for a while. There is distinct shift from Rochester’s
reluctance to accept Jane’s help in their first meeting to the sincere expression of his
gratitude now. When Rochester tells Jane that she has ‘saved his life’, perhaps Bronte is
showing that Rochester feels that Jane could be his saviour, saving him from loneliness, a
life of potential sin, misery. Perhaps, Bronte implies that Jane could provide Rochester a
chance for long-term happiness. Jane has given him hope for redemption, a new lease of
life. Rochester expresses that he does not feel indebted to Jane because he says that he
feels a ‘pleasure in owing’ her. This shows the depth of their connection; it also shows the
trust that exists between them at this point. Rochesters action of holding her hand
symbolises the shift beyond master and servant dynamic. He expresses his gratitude
towards her which shoes fondness of jane transcends social class. It would be unheard of to
show gratitude but feelings for her allows him to dismiss disparity in social class. However, it
could also show that Rochester is further trapping Jane into believing that they have a
special bond which will make it easier for him to woo her into a marriage. Bronte seeks to
put both Jane and Rochester at an equal footing, despite Jane’s lower social position and
she achieves through the subversion of gender roles.

Do you think because I’m poor, obscure and little, I am soulless and
heartless?/at God’s feet, equal, as we are.’
CONTEXT: Jane reacts angrily to Rochester’s manipulative proposal where he lies to her about
needing to leave Thornfield.
Bronte presents Jane as reacting angrily to Rochester’s manipulative ways and his ‘harsh
caprice’ for the first time. This suggests that their relationship has now reached a level
where she can be candid with Rochester and challenge his behaviour towards her. Bronte’s
description of Jane as ‘poor, obscure and little’ in her own words show that Jane feels the
injustice of being a ‘poor’ person in the Victorian era. It characterises Jane as vulnerable, but
at the same time, it shows that she is a strong character as she challenges the idea that
people can exploit her (it makes her ‘soulless and heartless’). Through the speech, jane sets
on her requirements of a sincere relationship which desires equality. She resists equality.
She resists R manipulation tactics and sets on expectations which is that he does not have
license to toy with her feelings just because shes in a lower class compared to him. Jane
finishes her impassioned speech with the radical proclamation that her and Rochester are
‘equals’ which suggests that Jane’s desire is for fair and equal treatment in a romantic
relationship. Bronte indicates that though in class and gender, Jane is not Rochester’s equal,
spiritually they are ‘akin’ to each other. In this way, they share an even deeper connection
which takes their relationship from a romantic one to an almost divine, spiritual one. Bronte
criticises male dominance in upper class males who exploit the vulnerabilities of working
class women. Bronte gives a strong voice to her working class heroine who demands
nothing less than equal treatment in a romantic relationship which was radical for a female
in the Victorian era.

Which you shall make for me Jane. I will abide by your decision/I am an
independent woman now.
Bronte reverses the power dynamics between Jane and Rochester. Now Jane asserts that
she ‘independent’, not only financially, but she also adds that she is her ‘own mistress’. This
characterises Jane at this point in the novel as finally independent from poverty and duty to
others. So this indicates that she is finally free to make her own choice. Rochester supports
her new state of independence and tells her that he will ‘abide by her decision’. This clearly
reminds us of the stark contrast to Rochester’s early entitlement and commandeering
demeanour. Then, Jane was simply a passive agent who had to repond to Rochester’s
sudden whims and decisions. But now, Rochester is ‘crippled’ and ‘blind’, whereas Jane in
‘independent’. Where Rochester had the advantage of experience, gender and class over
Jane, now Jane has the advantage of health, youth, and wealth over him. Bronte, at the end
of the novel balances the innate inequality between them by granting Jane several
advantages over Rochester. Despite jane being more coveted suitor and independent now,
love takes president over all. It defeats any social class barriers. Her character shows shes
nt going to change even though her social class did. Their love almost is divine and
spiritual level that cant be undermined by wordly factor. Their dynamic age allows shift in
power to coincide a dramatic gender reversal. The threat of janes youth influences
transference of strength from R to J. Bronte highlights the importance of equal power
dynamic in a marriage by making them both interdependent.

I will be your nurse, neighbour, and housekeeper/than his proud state of

independence.
Context: she promises Rochester as soon she arrives that she will stay with him/she reflects that she
likes him better now than when he was healthy and rich
Bronte characterises Jane as being more comfortable in her role as giver, a role that Jane
readily adopts owing to Rochester’s physical infirmities. Bronte employs language of
domesticity when she says she will be his ‘neighbour’, ‘nurse’, ‘housekeeper’. It also
suggests that Jane is happily going to shift between the different roles to nurture Rochester
back to health. It further implies that Jane does not feel undermined in her new role as
server; instead she feels content. Her narrative reveals that she feels more comfortable now
that she can be ‘useful’ to Rochester than she did ‘in his proud state of independence’.
Bronte conveys Jane’s source of contentment to be in the service of Rochester. Bronte also
highlights the intensity of love that makes sacrifice easy for Jane. Eventually jane choses
domestic harmony, Jane persuing the love is her last independent act she does.

4. Marriage it seems infuses jane with new life, the change she
undergoes makes her into a more complete and ideal woman.
2. I will be your nurse, neighbour, and housekeeper/than his proud
state of independence.
Context: she promises Rochester as soon she arrives that she will stay with him/she reflects that she likes him
better now than when he was healthy and rich
Bronte characterises Jane as being more comfortable in her role as giver, a role that Jane
readily adopts owing to Rochester’s physical infirmities. Bronte employs language of
domesticity when she says she will be his ‘neighbour’, ‘nurse’, ‘housekeeper’. It also
suggests that Jane is happily going to shift between the different roles to nurture Rochester
back to health. It further implies that Jane does not feel undermined in her new role as
server; instead she feels content. Her narrative reveals that she feels more comfortable now
that she can be ‘useful’ to Rochester than she did ‘in his proud state of independence’.
Bronte conveys Jane’s source of contentment to be in the service of Rochester. Bronte also
highlights the intensity of love that makes sacrifice easy for Jane. However earlier jane
advocated for women’s inequality and societal expectations for women: Women feel
just as men feel/they suffer too rigid a restraint/making puddings and
knitting stockings. Bronte presents Jane’s ideas about men and women. Bronte uses
repetition of ‘feel’ and the parallelism of the sentence ‘women feel just as men feel’ to
establish equality between genders and squash the idea that women are incapable of
forming their own thoughts and opinions. Jane feels frustrated at the expected behaviour
dictated by society where women ‘were supposed to be calm’. Bronte presents Jane as
defying a woman as submissive, obedient, and someone who never questions or ‘rebels.’
She also believes that the woman ‘suffers too rigid a restraint’, which shows that Jane feels
passionately about the inequalities, prejudices and stereotypes that women are subjected
to. The mocking tone that Bronte uses when she talks about women being confined to
‘making puddings and knitting stockings’ shows her derision of women being trapped in the
domestic sphere. Bronte shows a very passionate and rebellious side to Jane at this point in
the novel and it appears as though she wishes to break the shackles that women were
confined in the Victorian era. It also shows Bronte’s own radical and progressive views
about gender roles and she almost intrudes upon Jane’s narrative to convey her strong
views on the injustice of the patriarchal society.

We are precisely suited in character; perfect concord is the result.

Bronte shifts tense at the end of the bildungsroman (genre where the narrator starts
retrospectively from their childhood and takes the reader along the journey into adulthood)
novel to present the current state of their union which she describes using the hyperbolic
term ‘perfect’ to reflect the true contentment and satisfaction that she feels inward though
they may not appear to be the perfect pair. The abstract noun ‘concord’ implies that there is
an absence of conflict, resentments and obstacles in their relationship. Jane describes a
harmonious scene of domestic bliss. Bronte contrasts the ending of the novel with the
opening where Jane is the victim of familial abuse. Bronte opts to give her heroine a happy
ending. However, critics argue that the ending of domestic harmony is out of sync with the
desire for independence in the middle of the novel and her criticism of traditional roles and
expectations of women in the Victorian era. Perhaps, Bronte is making the point that where
sincere and intense love exists within a marriage, this is what sets a woman emotionally free
from suffering a marriage of convenience. Jane eventually finds her freedom and that is in
the realm of marriage with the man that she loved.