At the start of these chapters, Jane is feeling highly uncomfortable around Mr. Rivers due to his asking her to marry him. While Jane is uncomfortable, though, he seems to be quite calm and collected. At first, I was confused as to why he did not seem more enraged or offended, but then I quickly knew that it was because he assumed that Jane would "come to her senses" and make the clear "righteous choice" and eventually decide to marry him. How presumptuous and misogynistic of him? In this encounter, he essentially informs Jane that if she does not marry him, she will be condemned and not one of God's servants, as he presumed she was. Here Charlotte Bronte is trying to subtly show the way that in reality (of that era and even still to lesser degrees today), people will sometimes use religion as a way to coerce and almost punish people into doing something or being what they view they should, or some men take a controlling position with women in their lives. This is very true of many eastern world countries still to this day. I am thinking, as I read, surely she will not say yes. Jane must stick to her principles, stand her ground and not let herself fall into this torment and control that Mr. Rivers is attempting to pose. But, she almost succumbs! "How could she?" [I am screaming inside my head!] I always considered Jane to be far more strong willed and as a woman who stands her ground, yet she begins to succumb. However, it is a momentary lapse, in consciousness, thankfully. She suddenly hears a voice calling to her. She runs outside to find what it is and where the voice is coming from. Suddenly, Jane recognizes it to be Mr. Edward Rochester and is snapped out of her state of submissiveness to St. John Rivers. Jane then firmly decides not to marry St. John, rather to leave in the morning for Thornfield Hall. When she arrives at the Inn just before Thornfield, she decides to simply proceed on and travel the couple miles further to Thornfield on foot. She slowly creeps through the garden up to the house sprightly, acting almost as a school girl would in the presence of her crush. This demonstrates the intense love Jane feels for Mr. Rochester. Acting as a young school girl, giddy, nervous and jittery, she carries on walking toward the mansion. The woman inside her feels different emotions. She longs to hear his voice and feel his touch on her skin and on her lips. She is yearning for the man she adores. She is certain now that she must be bound, for her entire life, to her one and only true love, Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester. Even though she has a new found independence, this intense and abiding love will not allow her to tarry alone. After Jane has walked quite a while, she finds there is little left of the former grandiose home besides ashes, broken marble and stone, and burnt ruins!. She begins to feel inner despair and torment, still not knowing what has become of the people who once lived here and what tragic event happened which caused this glorious structure to burn to the ground. Most of all, she is dying to know, where is her Edward?
Jane returns to the Inn and requests the worker who brought her dinner to sit and talk with her. She asks him many questions as to the current state of Thornfield and inquired to know the past events which occurred there to bring it to its ruination. He begins to tell Jane much of her own story while living there! He tells her of a governess who once lived there and how Mr. Rochester had fallen madly in love with this young woman and, further, how once the governess left Thornfield, Mr. Rochester almost went mad. He also tells her the events regarding how the place burned down. He informed Jane it was due to a fire caused by Mr. Rochester's crazy wife, Bertha, in attempt to kill Jane, who she still thought was there. Jane then discovers that the only life lost was that of Bertha's, but sadly her Mr. Rochester was hit by a beam which struck him blind and crushed his right hand, which had to then be amputated. At this moment, Jane knew she had to see him! She quickly desired to know his whereabouts and to be taken there. She was taken kindly by the chaise driver to Rochester's little cottage in the woods. When she arrived, she took the last almost mile on foot and found Mr. Rochester at the door. He seemed despondent as he stood feeling the rain. After he returned inside, she went to the house and was let in by John's (the servant) wife. She proceeds to bring a tray of water and candles to Edward. Soon after, Mr. Rochester realizes it is Jane by touching her hands and arms and hearing her voice. At first, he believes himself in a dream, but Jane assures him that he is not. At this, the sweetest, most charming and scintillating moment happens. Jane Eyre describes for the reader that, as they talk, she sees calm, love, joy, and light return to Edward's face. She brings him the happiness he has been lacking, and she, too, feels elated! These two become the light and the joy they each have been missing. Jane completes his soul and his being more than the return of his lost hand or his sight ever could. She brings him joy and comfort when previously, despair left him discontent and longing. He does the same for her. I hope one day I will love someone so much and they will love me in the same manner that I am their hands, their sight, their pure joy, and their fulfillment.
Jane proceeds to tell Mr. Rochester that if she can be nothing else to him, she wishes to be his nurse, his caretaker, and she wishes to do all she can for him. I find it amazing the things love can do for someone. I would say Jane is naturally a very giving and kind person, but the fact that she is willing to give up being married, having children, and doing all she could as a young woman, to take care of one she loves most is truly a blessing, an act of God, and a result of true, deep love. However, Mr. Rochester tells Jane later the next day that he does want to marry her and asks her to be his wife. He also tells her two other things that struck a chord with me. The first being that he called out Jane's name the same day that she heard it being called and decided to return to him. Jane never tells him the correlation between the two or her hearing his call, but she does associate the two as God's hand in her coming back. I think this exemplifies to us how God's will is far greater than our own and He will ensure that we follow His Plan for our lives as long as we are willing to listen and heed what He has for us to follow and accomplish. The second thing is Mr. Rochester tells Jane that her willingness to give up her own life for the well-being of his makes her humble and an amazing servant of God. This is an incredible event when considering the entirety of Jane's life. Jane is finally told that she is not a liar or a devilish person, condemned to a life of debauchery and loneliness, but that she is doing the right thing, is a wonderful person, is a woman loved by God, and a woman who has the full love of a man named Mr. Edward Rochester.
This novel could easily have ended by simply informing the reader that Jane was married to Mr. Rochester and their lives were now content. However, instead, Charlotte Bronte has Jane Eyre finish the story by giving an account of many a character we met along the way: Adela, Diana, Mary, herself and Mr. Rochester and, also, the accounts peculiarly conclude with Mr. Rivers. Jane tells us that at first announcement of her marriage to Mr. Rochester, St. John did not answer, but after some months, he finally did, wished her well and told her of his time in India. She then details how St. John is a wonderful and joyful servant of the Lord, yet that he will probably never marry now. Why, might one ask? Because he is most likely nearing to return to Heaven to live with God. Jane describes how, when this does occur, he will not be sad or afraid. Rather, he is ready and overjoyed to return to Heaven. Jane states that she knows this by his words in his letters and she ends the book with this sentiment from Mr. Rivers, " My Master,” he says, “has forewarned me. Daily he announces more distinctly, ‘Surely I come quickly!’ and hourly I more eagerly respond, ‘Amen; even so come, Lord Jesus!"
In reading this phenomenal book, I have discovered that it is not only book about a love story, but that is far more than that. It is a book about love, yes, but it is also a book about tragedy, hardship, faith, devotion, selflessness, despair, joy, heart break, family, and becoming the people God intends us to become. As we journey with Jane throughout this novel, we see her life unfold in miraculous ways. Her life goes from something of destitution and terrible hardship, into one that neither she nor I as the reader imagined it could ever be. While it was still not picture perfect, it was joyful enough for her, and I believe that often times, we search too hard for the ideal instead of making the ideal out of what we do have.
Within our own homes, lives, friends, and family, we must set as a goal our own earthly idea of perfection and continue to strive for it, but be happy along the way with what we have. Be grateful, each and every day. Find joy in our current state. Become who you are destined to be and do not let anyone hold you back. Search for the beauty within people, not only on the surface but well within, too. Offer love and sacrifice for those who need it most. In these things you will find true joy. Know that even when you feel no one else loves you, God and Jesus Christ do. They know you. Above all, be faithful, be kind, listen to your heart and to the promptings of the Spirit, and in the end, trust far beyond your own hand. Trust the hand of God who sees your beautiful painting of life in its entirety instead of the corner of the frame which we can only view a little at a time. Jane had faith that He knew who she could become, and she walked the path of her destiny to a beautiful outcome. We must all gain the self-worth she had and believe greater things will come, and above all, settle for nothing less.
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