Jane Eyre Character Analysis

Essay #3

Through chapters seventeen to twenty one, in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, a few new aristocrats are introduced as Mr. Rochester’s guests. Among these guests there is a significant character called Blanche Ingram. Jane is soon to find out about the relationship between Mr. Rochester and Miss Ingram, they are engaged.

During the week that Mr. Rochester was away, Jane came to a realization of her feelings towards Mr. Rochester. However she kept telling herself that she had no business with Mr. Rochester except a strict business relationship as his governess. And that the only thing he should be giving her is the money she earns and that is it. However after a few days Mr. Rochester comes back with a group of aristocrats. Although he has guests he intends to impress, he still calls down Jane every evening. Because she is not in their ranks she is mainly ignored, but because Mr. Rochester calls her down, she is forced to sit in the window seat and simply watch them.

In these gatherings, Miss Blanche and her mother treat Jane cruelly. They insulted her not directly but by her position. They talked badly about how much they dislike governesses and tutors and about how difficult they would make their lives. However Jane could really see inside Miss Ingram. She spent those days observing mainly the relationship held by Mr. Rochester and Miss Ingram and came up with the conclusion that

“Miss Ingram was a mark beneath jealousy: she was too inferior to excite feeling. Pardon the seeming paradox; I mean what I say. 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; nothing bloomed spontaneously on that soil; no unforced natural fruit del...

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... still, without weapons a silent conquest might have been won.”(chap. 18, pg 196)

Jane was confident of her charm that she had over Mr. Rochester, and although she didn’t interfere, there wasn’t any trace of jealousy, except possibly some hurt, because Mr. Rochester would choose to marry someone who he doesn’t love but is in the same social class, rather than someone who he does love, and loves him back but isn’t in the same status as him.

Overall although everything was happening so fast, soon we find out that Miss Ingram was only interested in Mr. Rochester’s wealth, and probably thought that since he was older, and not that attractive he would be easy to get a hold of, since she knows that she is beautiful, and sort of a snob. Even so we also find out that Mr. Rochester lead on Blanche Ingram, making her think he wanted to marry her, simply to get Jane Jealous.