Quote: "Which is better?...to have been now living in France, Mr. Rochester's mistress; delirious with his love half my time--for he would--oh, yes, he would have loved me well for a while. He did love me--no one will ever love me so again" (361).
Reflection: Jane is obviously still in love with Mr. Rochester and must think about him daily and ponder about whether or not she made the right decision to leave him behind. She knows Mr. Rochester loves her more than any other man could or ever will. She is not ready to let go of him completely as thoughts of him obviously comfort her and bring her both happiness with sadness. A huge part of her wishes she would have stayed to leave the country and live with him isolated in some huge mansion just the two of them. How peaceful her life would have been. Yet, she would have been morally perplexed because she does not want to live a life of sin and while Mr. Rochester's wife is living and well that's all her life would be. She may think she did the right thing, but I know that if Mr. Rochester's wife ever died, Jane would find her way back to Mr. Rochester to get married like they were supposed to.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
ENTRY 26
Quote: "Yes; she would certainly have been found dead at the door in the morning, had she been left out all night. I wonder what she has gone through?" (341).
Reflection: Jane's stubbornness left her close to near death. She was too proud to completely beg people for food or drink or offer some sort of exchange for refreshment. She was also too proud to stay at Thornfield where she had shelter, love, and food. Fortunately, she fell upon the door step of a generous man willing to revive her to health and pick her up on her feet. If it had not been for St. John coming home late from his dead father's bed side that night, they would have opened their door to a thinned out corpse. Poor Jane probably looked like a low class beggar woman, but she is quite the opposite. Never begged once in her life, well-educated, plain but by far not a low class woman. She had held a respectable job with an exceptional background and reputation. She will most likely keep her personal life private from her rescuers for she is not the type to air her dirty laundry in public. She likes her business to be kept to herself and no one else.
Reflection: Jane's stubbornness left her close to near death. She was too proud to completely beg people for food or drink or offer some sort of exchange for refreshment. She was also too proud to stay at Thornfield where she had shelter, love, and food. Fortunately, she fell upon the door step of a generous man willing to revive her to health and pick her up on her feet. If it had not been for St. John coming home late from his dead father's bed side that night, they would have opened their door to a thinned out corpse. Poor Jane probably looked like a low class beggar woman, but she is quite the opposite. Never begged once in her life, well-educated, plain but by far not a low class woman. She had held a respectable job with an exceptional background and reputation. She will most likely keep her personal life private from her rescuers for she is not the type to air her dirty laundry in public. She likes her business to be kept to herself and no one else.
ENTRY 25
Quote: "Through that I departed: it, too, I shut; and now I was out of Thornfield" (323).
Reflection: Jane knew she had to flee Thornfield before another meeting with Mr. Rochester which would happen right in the morning when people were to be awake. She knew that any more words from him would restrain her from leaving, and she would yield to staying by his side. Although this is what she wished for and she longed to be with him married, knowing that they could never be real and true pushed her to run away. She was sad to run out on little Adele and Mrs. Fairfax, but she did not want to live a life of sin which is what would have happened if she would have stayed with Mr. Rochester. I wonder how far ahead Jane has thought out leaving Thornfield. Let me remind you that she has no friends, relatives, money, or any kind of connection. Where will she get her next meal? Job? Shilling? How is she going to survive without all these things. For her heart's sake it may be easier to leave Thornfield behind and start over, but for her life's sake she should stay and work out some kind of situation.
Reflection: Jane knew she had to flee Thornfield before another meeting with Mr. Rochester which would happen right in the morning when people were to be awake. She knew that any more words from him would restrain her from leaving, and she would yield to staying by his side. Although this is what she wished for and she longed to be with him married, knowing that they could never be real and true pushed her to run away. She was sad to run out on little Adele and Mrs. Fairfax, but she did not want to live a life of sin which is what would have happened if she would have stayed with Mr. Rochester. I wonder how far ahead Jane has thought out leaving Thornfield. Let me remind you that she has no friends, relatives, money, or any kind of connection. Where will she get her next meal? Job? Shilling? How is she going to survive without all these things. For her heart's sake it may be easier to leave Thornfield behind and start over, but for her life's sake she should stay and work out some kind of situation.
ENTRY 24
Quote: "His language was torture to me; for I knew what I must do--and do soon--and all these reminiscences, and these revelations of his feelings only made my work more difficult" (317).
Reflection: Despite the fact that Mr. Rochester was spilling his heart and soul into the ear of his young beloved, she had already made up her mind to leave him. Which is understandable because she knows she cannot legally bind herself to him which would become a tease to live day by day at his side and not be able to have him as her own. Yet, she could just stay and act as they have always as friends who love each other. She is probably not fond of the second option because she wants to marry and love and have a family. Two would be impossible with Mr. Rochester as he is already married and to do those things with him would be sinful and against the word of the Lord. The strength that young woman contains to be able to stare straight into the eye of a man she worships and refuse to be his mistress or lover. How easily it would be for her to slink back into his arms and forgive him and have comfort but she chooses to torment herself and him for what she feels is right. However, I feel that she is acting with her mind and not her heart which will hurt her in the end.
Reflection: Despite the fact that Mr. Rochester was spilling his heart and soul into the ear of his young beloved, she had already made up her mind to leave him. Which is understandable because she knows she cannot legally bind herself to him which would become a tease to live day by day at his side and not be able to have him as her own. Yet, she could just stay and act as they have always as friends who love each other. She is probably not fond of the second option because she wants to marry and love and have a family. Two would be impossible with Mr. Rochester as he is already married and to do those things with him would be sinful and against the word of the Lord. The strength that young woman contains to be able to stare straight into the eye of a man she worships and refuse to be his mistress or lover. How easily it would be for her to slink back into his arms and forgive him and have comfort but she chooses to torment herself and him for what she feels is right. However, I feel that she is acting with her mind and not her heart which will hurt her in the end.
ENTRY 23
Quote: "I said this whilst I knelt down at, and unlocked a trunk which contained a brace of loaded pistols: I meant to shoot myself" (310).
Reflection: At some point before his meeting with Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester wanted to kill himself. He was so miserable with his faulty marriage to a crazed woman set up by his father and brother that he no longer wanted to experience life. But who could blame him? His family hated him when he lived, his wife wanted to kill him, he had no one to befriend, if I were as unfortunate as he was at that time I may have considered the same solution. His future seemed to lead into a black hole of failure. He could not legally marry or find someone to spend the rest of his life with as long as that demon was still breathing in the third story room. He did not have the chance to prove himself to his father and brother who prejudiced against him for reasons unknown. I do not think anyone should take their own life no matter how distressed or hopeless their life may seem because look how Mr. Rochester's has turned out. No doubt it is kinda crappy now that he betrayed Jane, but for the time being he was happy, in love, and felt a purpose in life. He found his soul mate which everyone will at some point given the chance.
Reflection: At some point before his meeting with Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester wanted to kill himself. He was so miserable with his faulty marriage to a crazed woman set up by his father and brother that he no longer wanted to experience life. But who could blame him? His family hated him when he lived, his wife wanted to kill him, he had no one to befriend, if I were as unfortunate as he was at that time I may have considered the same solution. His future seemed to lead into a black hole of failure. He could not legally marry or find someone to spend the rest of his life with as long as that demon was still breathing in the third story room. He did not have the chance to prove himself to his father and brother who prejudiced against him for reasons unknown. I do not think anyone should take their own life no matter how distressed or hopeless their life may seem because look how Mr. Rochester's has turned out. No doubt it is kinda crappy now that he betrayed Jane, but for the time being he was happy, in love, and felt a purpose in life. He found his soul mate which everyone will at some point given the chance.
ENTRY 22
Quote: "Briggs, Wood, Mason,--I invite you all to come up to the house and visit Mrs. Poole's patient and my wife!-- You shall see what sort of a being I was cheating in espousing" (294).
Reflection: Mr. Rochester has been hiding a huge secret from Jane, the servants, and all his friends. He tried hiding his wife for ten years and starting over because there was no getting rid of his situation unless he killed her. At that time, people did not get divorced the way they do now. Divorcing was completely unheard of and people stuck to the vow til death do us part. That does not mean that people back then loved each other more than people now, they just disrespected their marriage more than people today. Mr. Rochester has been traveling around for ten years hoping that his crazy wife would die off in the mean time and he could freely love and marry another woman. He unfortunately betrayed and lied to the woman he fell in love with and tried to marry in the process of hiding his past. He should have been up front and honest. It is also strange that he still had the courage to live under that same roof as that crazy woman after she tried killing him, her brother, and threatened in a sense the life of his beloved Miss Eyre. I do not see why he does not send her off to some kind of mental institution because they must have had them back during that time. It would make his life a million times easier and less stressful.
Reflection: Mr. Rochester has been hiding a huge secret from Jane, the servants, and all his friends. He tried hiding his wife for ten years and starting over because there was no getting rid of his situation unless he killed her. At that time, people did not get divorced the way they do now. Divorcing was completely unheard of and people stuck to the vow til death do us part. That does not mean that people back then loved each other more than people now, they just disrespected their marriage more than people today. Mr. Rochester has been traveling around for ten years hoping that his crazy wife would die off in the mean time and he could freely love and marry another woman. He unfortunately betrayed and lied to the woman he fell in love with and tried to marry in the process of hiding his past. He should have been up front and honest. It is also strange that he still had the courage to live under that same roof as that crazy woman after she tried killing him, her brother, and threatened in a sense the life of his beloved Miss Eyre. I do not see why he does not send her off to some kind of mental institution because they must have had them back during that time. It would make his life a million times easier and less stressful.
ENTRY 21
Quote: "Just at my bedside the figure stopped: the fiery eye glared upon me--she thrust up her candle close to my face, and extinguished it under my eyes. I was aware her lurid visage flamed over mine, and I lost consciousness for the second time in my life" (286).
Reflection: If this crazed demonic woman was not Mrs. Fairfax, Sophie, or even Grace Poole, then what unknown woman lives under that same roof. Mr. Rochester is convinced that it was Grace Poole, however, that cannot be because the description of the woman in no way fits the description of Miss Poole. I would have wet the bed if I would have awoken to a strange, goblin-like woman rummaging through my room in the middle of the night alone. It gives me the chills to even picture such an event taking place in reality. I would have passed out just as Jane if some blood sucking woman put her face up to mine just glaring at me in the middle of the night through candle light. The image must traumatize Jane, and I do not blame her for sleeping with little Adele the next night. But I do not understand how she could have possibly ever slept after that incident. What troubles me more is who was that woman in her room and why did she break Jane's veil? Was it a past lover of Mr. Rochester's? A jealous servant that no one knows about? Creepy situation that I hope I never have to experience.
Reflection: If this crazed demonic woman was not Mrs. Fairfax, Sophie, or even Grace Poole, then what unknown woman lives under that same roof. Mr. Rochester is convinced that it was Grace Poole, however, that cannot be because the description of the woman in no way fits the description of Miss Poole. I would have wet the bed if I would have awoken to a strange, goblin-like woman rummaging through my room in the middle of the night alone. It gives me the chills to even picture such an event taking place in reality. I would have passed out just as Jane if some blood sucking woman put her face up to mine just glaring at me in the middle of the night through candle light. The image must traumatize Jane, and I do not blame her for sleeping with little Adele the next night. But I do not understand how she could have possibly ever slept after that incident. What troubles me more is who was that woman in her room and why did she break Jane's veil? Was it a past lover of Mr. Rochester's? A jealous servant that no one knows about? Creepy situation that I hope I never have to experience.
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