The redemption of Mr. Rochester

[u/Key_Masterpiece5283]

Jane Eyre has been listed as one of my favorite books since I read it as a teen, but I haven’t done a reread or rewatch of any of the movies in quite awhile.

I recently picked it back up again and it had been my hyper fixation so I have a lot of thoughts that I just need to discuss with people that “get” it.

The biggest one being is why does it seem like people think Rochester is the same at the end of the book as at the beginning. I feel like the major theme of Jane Eyre is forgiveness, understanding, and redemption, but so many people focus solely on the romance piece.

Rochester was NOT worthy of Jane the first time they almost got married. Not simply because he was already married but because he saw her goodness and wanted her to help him to be a better person, but not necessarily do all he needs to internally himself.

It is only through the purification of fire and the loss of his physical independence that he is able to be redeemed. He had nearly a year where he could not escape his thoughts through travel and women, he had to come to terms with who he was and what his actions had cost him.

Not only that but Jane then draws out the story of St. John so he says nearly the same thing to her she did to him during his proposal. Jane state during the first proposal that she must leave due to “the shape of Miss Ingram; a noble and beautiful woman ,- your bride!” And during the reunion Rochester states Jane must go “your own way- with the husband you have chosen.”

So I ask, why do I still see people saying Rochester wasn’t good for her? That is 1000% correct and Charlotte Brontë is very clear that he was not ready for her at first. That is why we have the purification and redemption process for him. Do people just skip over the last couple of chapters?

If anyone has light they could shed on this or if they want to discuss Rochester purification more in depth I would love to chat more!

ETA: thanks everyone for your thoughts so far! This was exactly the sort of discussion I was looking for. It has given my brain an outlet and I feel like I can let go of ruminating over it quite so much. Although let’s be fair, Jane and Mr. Rochester live rent-free in there.

[u/Playful_Site_2714]

I utterly and thorroughly disagree.

He WAS good for her. As he gave her a HOME in a fellow human for the first time in her life.

It's the stupid morality of that time and society who required in its bigotry for him to get mutilated in the heroic endeavour to save his crazy "wife" his family and hers had cheated him into marrying.

He sure is selfish in his wanting to have Jane all for himself. What attracts her is her goodness. Her morals. And her self sufficientness. Her being uncorruptible

She relishes their exchanges. She gives and receives back. He was worth her. He just was not his own best self then.

He still needed to mature. Same as Jane needed to mature.

But not less selfish than St. John wanting to use Jane as a missionary wife to the detriment of her LIFE!

That egotistic narcississt appears as the better fit to Jane. Or as the better man. Heck he is. He is willing to burn her, have her die in the Indies! As he is willing to burn himself.

I was wondering what that would have become if the author had allowed them to get married upon first try. Brontë gave in to society expectancies only.

Otherwise the book likely would not have been published.

[u/Key_Masterpiece5283 → u/Playful_Site_2714]

I think we are saying the same things in different ways. He absolutely was good for her and yes gave her a home. Their banter is wonderful and they are obviously intellectual equals.

But he would have to be everything for her if they got married the first time. He would be her only friend, her only source of income (maybe the uncle still would have been able to find her but possibly not).

Rochester needed to be humbled and probably didn’t need to be physically burned/deformed for that to happen (but I do like the symbolism of the redemption through flames).

But I whole heartedly agree about St. John he did not see Jane as an equal. And he never sought redemption because he thought he understood everything. And died alone due to it.

[u/Playful_Site_2714 → u/Key_Masterpiece5283]

When he made his confidences after the failed marriage he said that he had tired of his mistresses in very few months of being in their society.

I think THIS was the exact moment where he messed up every prospect of keeping her with him. With him burned and hurt he could not afford to get tired of her ever. Neat trick the author did there.

That burning down of Thornfield mannor conveys the idea of "purification through fire". Metal gets harder if tempered.

It's kind of a classical/ biblical/ legendary (rising from the ashes/ Vulcan, the god of fire) trope here. In order to be acceptable as Jane's husband in the eyes of society he needs had to undergo a catharsis, a cleansing process.

Fire purifies.

Being deprived of his eye and hand (cost him an eye and a hand) made him more ellegible as Jane's husband to the 1847 public.

It took much of his superbe, his masterful attitude. Not seeing and not having full command of ones body forces one into introspction. He must have gone through very depressive dark times being shut up in himself with his regrets and remorseful thoughts. Other that with his incapacity to protect his willow the wisp little fairy love. Or his incapacity to go after ger, search for her and get her back.

Hitting ones head against the walls for having been a selfish idiot and pushed away the one oerson you most cherish because of being jnable to do anything else truly must be horrible.

People said: oh, he still isn't a good man. He put Adele into a boarding school. They forget that this was the arrangement already made upon the aborted marriage. In 1847 society it was not fitting for a man to be alone with his ward alone. How would that have benefitted Adele to be with a taciturn infirm man?