Why Wealth and Status Don't Play a Key Role in Jane and Mr. Rochester's Relationship

Why Wealth and Status Don't Play a Key Role in Jane and Mr. Rochester's Relationship

"My bride is here because my equal is here, and my likeness. Jane,

will you marry me?"

When one talks about marriage in the Victorian society, wealth and

status is first considered. Love comes last or, more often, it is

never considered. In the novel Jane Eyre, the relationship between Mr.

Rochester and Jane is quite different. This is clearly shown when

Blanche Ingram changes her mind about marrying Mr. Rochester,

preparations for Jane's abortive first marriage, their attraction for

each other without the presence of money, and when Jane inherits money

and she makes a surprising move.

The importance of wealth and status in Victorian marriage is immense.

In Victorian England parents made their girls marry men from similar

wealth and position. If a woman did marry purely for love and not for

wealth she risked a life of poverty, homelessness, and hunger. This

factor can also be seen in Jane Eyre, because Jane's mother was

married to a poor clergyman against the will of her father. She

married purely for love and therefore risked a life of being poor.

This was almost a punishment for Jane's mother as she married against

her father's will and only married for love.

Wealth and status is also important in the novel Jane Eyre, although

they are important in different aspects of the novel and important to

different people. There are two opposing views. Blanche Ingram, a very

spiteful character is going to marry Mr. Rochester because of his

wealth but when she is called to the gypsy to find out her future, she

"finds out" that he is not as rich as he seems and therefore cancels

all plans to marry him. "She (Blanche) considers the Rochester estate

eligible to the last degree; though I told her something on that point

about an hour ago which made her look wondrous grave".1 However there

is another view to the importance of wealth and status. Jane Eyre, the

main character says, "Were I a gentleman like him, I would take to my

bosom only such a wife as I could love".2 Money and status are not

important to her. In her opinion marriage should not be an act of

convenience.

During the preparations for Jane's abortive first marriage, Mr.

Rochester wants to buy Jane expensive items e.g. clothes and jewels.

Jane has no intention of buying expensive jewels and clothes, as they

are not important to her. She says, "Oh, sir! - never mind jewels! I

don't like to hear them spoken of. Jewels for Jane Eyre sound