Jane Eyre: Unhappiness, Gender Roles, and the Emergence of a Romance (Chapters 11-20), Study Guides, Projects, Research of English

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Jane Eyre

Thornfield: Chapters 11-

Rebecca Ackerman, Eli Johnson, Robyn

Himelstein, Kyle Leigh Carney and Charlotte

Jenkins

Chapter 12: Jane's discontent

"I valued what was good in Mrs. Fairfax, and what was good in Adele, but I believed in the existence of other and more vivid kinds of goodness, and what I believed in I wished to behold. Who blames me? Many, no doubt; and I shall be called discontented. I could not help it; the restlessness was in my nature; it agitated me to pain sometimes. Then my sole reward and forward, safe in the silence and solitude of the spot, and allow my mind's eye to dwell on whatever bright visions rose before it- and certainly they were many and glowing; to let my heart be heaved by the exultant movement which, while it swelled it in trouble, expanded it with life; and, best of all, to open my inward ear to a tale that was never ended- a tale my imagination created, and narrated continuously, quickened with all of incident life, fire, feeling, that I desired and had not in my actual existence"- pg 122

• Jane comments on how she feels

unsatisfied with her life

-she believes there are more "vivid

kinds of goodness" that she wants to

have

• She explains how she is unhappy

and restless

-Jane comments on how she desired

to have “life, fire, and feeling.” These

things she wants emphasize how she

is unsatisfied and feels that her life is

dull. The symbol of fire may

represent the passion and excitement

that she feels is lacking in her life.

Chapter 12: Meeting Rochester (on horse)

If this stranger had smiled and been good-humored to me when I addressed him, if he had put off my offer of assistance gayly and with thanks, I should have gone on my way and not felt any vocation to renew inquiries. But the frown, the roughness of the traveler set me at my ease. I retained my station when he waved me to go and announced-- (pg 129) Rochester: “You just live below—do you mean at that house with the battlements?” pointing to Thornfield Hall, on which the moon cast a hoary gleam, bringing it out distinct and pale from the woods, that, by contrast with the western sky, now seemed one mass of shadow. “Yes, sir.” “Whose house is it?” “Mr. Rochester’s.” “Do you know Mr. Rochester?” “No, I have never seen him.” “He is not resident, then?” “No.” “Can you tell me where he is?” “I cannot.” “You are not a servant at the Hall, of course? You are-- ?” He stopped, ran his eye over my dress, which as usual was quite simple—a black merino cloak, a black beaver bonnet; neither of them half fine enough for a lady’s maid. He seemed puzzled to decide what I was. I helped him. “I am the governess.” “Ah, the governess!” he repeated; “deuce make me if I had not forgotten! The governess!” and again my raiment underwent scrutiny. In two minutes he rose from the stile; his face expressed pain when he tried to move. “I cannot commission you to fetch help,” he said, “but you may help me a little yourself if you will be so kind.” “Yes, sir.” “You have not an umbrella that I can use as a stick?” “Try to get hold of my horse’s bridle and lead him to me; you are not afraid?” I should have been afraid to touch the horse when alone, but when told to do it, I was disposed to obey.” (pg 129)

• Jane seems captivated by Rochester- “the frown, the roughness of the traveler, set me at my ease.”
• Strange that he does not tell her who he is
• Last line- even though she does not know who he is, she feels the need to obey him
• Descriptions related to plainness and simplicity- describing Thornfield as being “pale” and her dress being “as usual, quite simple.” These descriptions compliment Jane’ s feelings mentioned earlier of dissatisfaction with the lack of life, fire, and feeling in her life.

Chapter 13- Early Interactions with

Rochester

"Is it necessary to change my frock?"

"Yes, you had better: I always dress for the

evening when Mr. Rochester is here.

"Eight years! you must be tenacious of life. I

thought half the time in such a place would

have done up any constitution! No wonder you

have rather the look of another world. I

marvelled where you had got that sort of face.

Enough!" he called out in a few minutes. "You

play A LITTLE, I see; like any other English

school-girl; perhaps rather better than some,

but not well."

Were you happy when you painted these pictures?"

● Jane here is introduced to the

expectations of a man such as

Rochester, whose formalities are

a turn off for her.

● Right away Rochester is

fascinated with Jane, not

infatuated but seemingly

interested in her thoughts.

● Rochester still acts superior

enough to insult the lower

ranked governess without

hesitation.

● Early on, Rochester feels

comfortable enough with Jane to

ask personal questions about

emotions several times.

Chapter 14- Early Interactions with

Rochester

don't wish to treat you like an inferior: that is" (correcting himself), "I claim only such superiority as must result from twenty years' difference in age and a century's advance in experience. I desire you to have the goodness to talk to me a little now, and divert my thoughts, which are galled with dwelling on one point--cankering as a rusty nail."

I think you will learn to be natural with me, as I find it impossible to be conventional with you; and then your looks and movements will have more vivacity and variety than they dare offer now. I see at intervals the glance of a curious sort of bird through the close-set bars of a cage: a vivid, restless, resolute captive is there; were it but free, it would soar cloud- high. You are still bent on going?"

● Now, Rochester purely wants

Jane to reveal her "natural" side

which he believes has been

suppressed by Lowood.

● He wishes to erase the social

boundaries between them,

despite the inequalities being a

major insecurity to Jane.

● Rochester grows tremendously

in terms of his interest in Jane.

Chapter 15: The Plot Thickens

In this chapter, Rochester takes Jane on a walk

and tells her about his love affair with Adele's

mother, Celine Varens, although he denies that

Adele is his child. That night as Jane is lying in

bed she hears fingers brush the door and eerie

laughter. She runs into the hallway and into

Rochester's room and finds the bedcurtains on

fire. He blames the incident on Grace Poole and

closes the matter.

Characters

● Jane becomes jealous of Celine

● Rochester deepens his relationship with

Jane by confiding in her

● First experience with Bertha, the cat lady

Chapter 16: The Pot Chickens

The night after the fire, Jane awakes to find no

excitement in the house and is confused by

Grace Poole's lack of guilt over the incident.

Jane begins to recognize her feelings for

Rochester and is somewhat upset that he will

be away for several days at a party with

Blanche Ingram. She chides herself for thinking

such things about her master and resolves to

compare her likeness to Blanche Ingram's to

see how plain she is by comparison.

Chapters 17 and 18

● Rochester is gone indefinitely, until Mrs. Fairfax receives news that he will be returning in three days with guests ● Jane is eager about his homecoming and helps prepare the house

● further notices Grace Poole's isolation; irony in calling her "companion-less as a prisoner in his

dungeon" up in the third floor chamber all day

● overhears conversation between Leah and a char-woman, concluding "there was a mystery at

Thornfield; and that from participation in that mystery I was purposely excluded." ● Rochester returns with company, including Blanche Ingram. He requests Jane to accompany Adele to the drawing room after dinner and insists that she attend ● When the company enters, Jane observes them all from a corner of the room rather than interacting. ● Attempts to suppress feelings about Rochester: "Every good, true, vigorous feeling I have, gathers impulsively round him. I know I must conceal my sentiments; I must smother hope; I must remember that he can not care much for me." ● Blanche and her mother speak very poorly of governesses in front of Jane, making her exceedingly uncomfortable and upset

"...half of them detestable and the rest ridiculous, and all incubi—were they not, mamma?”

“My dearest, don't mention governesses; the word makes me nervous. I have suffered a martyrdom from their incompetency and caprice; I thank Heaven I have now done with them!”

illustrates the uncomfortable position that Jane is in as a governess

Chapters 17 and 18

● Begins to focus in on the potential of a relationship between Rochester and Jane

"'...so long as my visitors stay, I expect you to appear in the drawing-room every evening; it is my wish; don't neglect it. Now go, and send Sophie for Adele. Good-night, my--' He stopped, bit his lip, and abruptly left me."

● Blanche serves as an obstacle to the potential of a relationship between Jane and Rochester. Jane observes that they are likely to get married even though she does not think they truly love each other

"Miss Ingram was a mark beneath jealousy: she was too inferior to excite the feeling... She was very showy, but she was not genuine: she had a fine person, many brilliant attainments; but her mind was poor, her heart barren by nature."

"I felt he had not given her his love, and that her qualifications were ill-adapted to win from him that treasure... this was where the fever was sustained and fed: she could not charm him. "

● Mr. Mason arrives for the first time, revealing that Rochester once lived in the West Indies, as he did himself. ● A gypsy woman arrives at Thornfield and asks to speak individually to the young and single ladies of Thornfield. Blanche goes to the gypsy first, and does not appear to be pleased with her fortune when she returns

"All eyes met her with a glance of eager curiosity, and she met all eyes with one of rebuff and coldness: she looked neither flurried nor merry; she walked stiffly to her seat, and took it in silence."

Chapter 20

-"...the doors of a great cabinet opposite- whose front, divided into twelve panels, bore, in grim design, t he heads of the twelve apostles ... above them at the top rose an ebon crucifix and a dying Christ ."

-"Is the wandering and sinful, but now rest-seeking and repentant, man justified in daring the world's opinion, in order to attach to him forever this gentle, gracious, genial stranger, thereby securing his own peace of mind and regeneration of life?"

-" Sir, a wanderer's repose or a sinner's reformation should never depend on a fellow-creature. Men and women die; philosophers falter in wisdom, and Christians in goodness: if anyone you know has suffered and erred, let him look higher than his equals for strength to amend and solace to heal."

● Jane follows Rochester's orders in

this chapter and shows he can trust

her

● Gothic elements of story- mystery,

murder- heighten

● Christian theme continues

● Rochester alludes to his situation in

talk with Jane, seeks advice from her

○ she responds with Christian

based answer, foreshadows her

reaction when she learns

Rochester is married

● Chapter ends with Jane agreeing to

sit up with Rochester the night before

his wedding to Miss Ingram