Charlotte Bronte represents her ideal relationship through
her depiction of Jane’s various relationships throughout Jane Eyre. Fundamental to any relationship are the elements of
passion and judgment; one ignites, while the other controls the flames.
Seemingly contradictory, Bronte proves that the balance of passion and judgment
in relationships is necessary for a healthy relationship in which the
independence of both parties is maintained.
Detailing
his past relationships with superficially attractive mistresses, Rochester
speaks only of the beauty of the women and the passion he felt for their
exterior qualities. For instance, Rochester describes his first wife, Bertha
Mason, by stating, “All the men in her circle seemed to admire her and envy me.
I was dazzled, stimulated: my senses were excited; and being ignorant, raw, and
inexperienced, I thought I loved her” (352). “Excited,” “stimulated,” and “dazzled”
all indicate the act of overwhelming arousal. Thoroughly subdued by the intense
passion sparked by Bertha’s beauty, Rochester’s passion was quickly ignited.
The couple hastily solidified their relationship with marriage without
satisfying the other important part of the relationship: the cooling element of
judgement. Without judging the significant aspects of the relationship not founded
upon passion, such as the couple’s compatibility, Bertha quickly loses herself
to the passion of the relationship, subsequently losing her independence to
Rochester. Bertha’s descent into madness represents the overly passionate relationship
between her and Rochester. Unable to care for herself, Bertha becomes
completely dependent upon Rochester, losing her independence.
In contrast
to the insanity-inducing, passionate relationship with Bertha, Rochester’s
relationship with Jane at the end of the novel depicts both passion and
judgement. Rochester recognizes Jane as “poor, obscure, plain, and little,”
superficial characteristics that hardly arouse any passion. However, Rochester
is impassioned by Jane’s other qualities. Rochester states, “I am bound to you with
a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn
passion is conceived in my heart… kindling in pure, powerful flame” (263). Rochester’s
appreciation for Jane’s non-superficial qualities succeeds in igniting a
passion that is controlled because it is based upon love rather than solely
physical attraction. Asking Jane to marry him, Rochester asserts, “My bride is
here because my equal is here, and my likeness” (294). This kind of balanced relationship
creates an equality in which Jane is able to maintain her independence.
People say that your instinct during your first major league romance is pretty similar to those of a young driver's ed student. "You want to go fast even though you know you'll probably crash." Case in point: Bertha and Rochester. One was left lonely, the other broken after a passionate romance. Tragic stuff indeed. To argue against that point you made is hopeless for me: Allie, you hit the nail on the head and for me to argue otherwise would be to disagree with 150 years of scholarly study of this novel.
ReplyDeleteYour last point is what I want to argue. Rochester does indeed fall for Jane because she was his "equal" and "likeness." But isn't love recognizing yourself in things that are not you? You could argue that this is what Rochester is actually doing, but I would contend that his falling in love with Jane is less that and more a bizarre obsession with himself manifest in Jane. Didn't Rochester want to be intellectually challenged by his bride? Marrying someone with your "likeness" doesn't seem totally conducive to intellectually stimulating conversation. We learn from Jane at the novel's end: "All my confidence is bestowed on him, all his confidence is devoted to me," so obviously it all works out. But that end sounds a bit domestic, doesn't it?