Jane Eyre - Marriage Proposal

Jane Eyre -Marriage Proposal

• First climax of novel - heightened and passionate language
• language becomes journalistic - Jane can't express her emotion properly 

STORM - suggest God won't pardon Rochester/ sanction his actions - Rochester is still living a lie, unbeknownst to Jane. 

Thornfield once again linked to its master; The smell of Rochester's cigar mingled with that of the flowers in the garden. 

Provides lyrical example of the dialogue that takes place between the two lovers in the garden. 

These conversations bring the characters alive. 

Bronte makes a break from other authors at this time; most authors glossed over characters' speeches, whereas Bronte adds them in in full detail, moving between confusion, explanation and exclamation - helps us understand Jane's turmoil and Rochester's inner conflict. 

Rochester's secret 

'If I can't do better, how is it to be helped?' - hesitation, becomes clear on wedding day. 

Jane - 'You are a married man...wed to one inferior to you'. - FORESHADOWING - Jane is talking about him being married to Blanche, which is ironic because Blanche is very similar to Bertha Mason before Rochester married her. 

Rochester hopes to find Bertha's opposite in marrying Jane - He realises that Jane will only return his love if he treats her with respect. 

His love is genuine, yet built on a secret, hence he is at this point enslaving, dishonourable and shallow. 

RELATIONSHIP DOOMED: suggested in storm above them. 

Doomed relationship

RELATIONSHIP DOOMED: suggested in storm above them. 

CHESTNUT TREE: symbol of life, yet becomes an omen of ill-fortune. 

Jane/ Rochester are chased out of this garden of paradise as Rochester asks God to sanction their marriage; clear that the relationship will not be sanctioned. 

At the end of the novel, Rochester likens his own maimed body to the shriven tree's black form - link back to Rochester's similarity to Thornfield Hall. 

Arranging the wedding 

FORESHADOWING of trouble ahead - suspense is added to the romance. 

Bronte drops hints continually that Rochester is hiding something (as if well pleased at seeing a danger averted) - Jane ignores these hints, makes reader uncomfortable. 

Torn veil 

GOTHIC chapter - full of foreboding. 

Jane's prescience (ability to see the future) in her dreams show her Thornfield reduced to a shell. 

Her thoughts on contemplating the ruin of the chestnut tree foreshadow her feelings when reunited with Rochester at the end of the novel. 'I think, scathed as you look,...there must be a little sense of life in you yet, rising out of that adhesion at the faithful, honest roots' - Links Rochester to Thornfield hall again - they have both learned their lessons here. 

IRONY - Jane refuses to use the luggage labels as 'Mrs Rochester' doesn't exist yet, yet the real Mrs Rochester tears Jane's own veil. 

The wedding day 

Bad omens of the previous chapters are fulfilled; the mysteries of Thornfield and its master are revealed. 

This chapter ties up loose ends; we are left wondering what Jane is going to do next. 

Marriage - matter of legal record; essential that a middle-class women remained respectable - a virgin - until her wedding day. As Jane had no property, her only guarantee of a livelihood came from marriage, hence her whole future rested on her respectability - could explain her stand-offish behaviour to Rochester and her refusal to accept his many gifts during their engagement. 

Bigamy taken very seriously - the wife's reputation would be destroyed, hence a solicitor rescued Jane by saying - 'The marriage cannot go on'. 

If Jane had married illegally, her whole future would have been ruined. There would have been no chances to restore her reputation or to gain her independence. Circumstances in her life might have turned to worse than before at Lowood etc. 

- Chapter of great emotion - last in the Thornfield section (maybe ties up all the emotion/ drama that Jane has experienced in her time at Thornfield) 

Rochester's narrative - we learn more about his character, how he has matured and how he reflects on that scene now. Jane's JOURNALISTIC style in describing her mental state is important - she is relying on her schooling to provide her with the inner strength to tolerate these extreme circumstances. (brings up the fruits she had sown at Lowood, both in education and in Helen's /Miss Temple's teaching to overcome troubles in life.)

FIRE/ ICE - 'white cheek' contrasts to 'hot rain of tears' - shows us how she has controlled her passions, at some cost. 'Icy cold' - although Jane melts towards Rochester and forgives him, she realises she must be 'ice and rock' to him to save her own future/ reputation. Highlights her independent spirit. 

READER - 'Reader, I forgave him' - foreshadows - 'Reader, I married him'. 

Jane's passion very clearly shows as fiery - (links to hell, her inner dilemma) - link her to Bertha Rochester whose own passions have caused her to set fire to his room in the past, and to burn Thornfield completely down.