Jane Eyre: Imagery

Jane Eyre: Imagery

Jane Eyre tells the story of a woman progressing on the path towards acceptance. Throughout her journey, Jane comes across many obstacles. Male dominance proves to be the biggest obstacle at each stop of Jane's journey:

Gateshead Hall, Lowood Institution, Thornfield Manor, Moor House, and Ferndean

Manor. Through the progression of the story, Jane slowly learns how to understand and control her repression. I will be analyzing Janes stops at

Thornfield Manor and Moor House for this is where she met the two most important men in her life. The easiest way to compare and contrast Rochester and St. John

Rivers is by examining when and under what circumstances these two gentlemen come into contact with Jane.

It is at Thornfield Manor that Jane first encounters Mr. Rochester. While living at Thornfield, Rochester demands undivided attention from the servants,

Jane included. He needs to be in control of every aspect of his life, and he needs to feel superior to all of those around him. Jane de cides to accept his control and she concedes to him by calling him sir, even after they begin to have an intimate relationship. At one point, she even goes so far as to excuse herself for thinking. She says, "I was thinking, sir (you will excuse the idea; it was involuntary), I was thinking of Hercules and Samson with their charmers"

(p.289). This statement possibly begins to suggests Janes unsatisfaction with

Rochester's position of complete dominance in their relationship. To Jane,

Rochester embodies the idea of love which she has so long been denied of. As I stated earlier, the whole movie is about Janes journey towards acceptance, by herself and by others. It is this journey which persuades her to move on when she finds Rochester's physical and material love unacceptable.

Jane's next stop on her journey is Moor House. Here, she meets St. John

Rivers, her cousin. Unlike Rochester, St. John is portrayed as the ultimate sacrificer, willing to do anything for others, no matter how undesirable the task might be. St. John also expects this sacrifice from Jane, and she must decide whether to accept his proposal. At this point in her journey, Jane understands that her search for herself can not be accomplished without real love. She denies St. John's marriage proposal by saying, "I have a woman's heart, but not where you are concerned; for you I only have a comrade's constancy; a fellow soldier's frankness, fidelity, fraternity. . .nothing more." (p.433). She knows real love can not be given to her by St. John and she