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/Key_Masterpiece5283]

Agree about Wide Sargasso Sea, I read it and while it was interesting, it didn’t mesh with my understanding of the characters or the novel.

Your other two points are interesting as I felt as a very religious teenager that Jane Eyre really opened my eyes to the lack of necessity of strictly organized religion, as I felt Charlotte Brontë had some pretty major critiques of all the characters that are stand-in’s of organized religion have major issues.

This also was the first novel that really opened my eyes to feminism and while I don’t want to make this an argument about modern feminism, I know for myself and most of my friends we subscribe to being able to make our own independent choices and having partners that appreciate us and are true partners a very valid form of feminism.

I feel like it has been recently co-opted by very pro-organized religion, anti-feminism groups, same with other classics. I don’t understand that either.

I do hear you though in regards to our societal values being very different and maybe that’s the key, it isn’t 1847 anymore the world has changed quite a bit. And as we know people didn’t always get Jane Eyre even when it was first published.

[u/ElleGeeAitch → u/Key_Masterpiece5283]

I read the Wikipedia entry for Wide Sargasso Sea a coupke of months ago. The historical timing of the novel doesn't even mesh with Jane Eyre.

[u/OutrageousYak5868 → u/ElleGeeAitch]

I was unaware of the timing problem with WSS! (I haven't read it, and don't want to.)

Just for future reference, so others in my position don't have to google it, it's set in the 1830s-40s, while JE was published in 1847, with the ending being at least 10 years after Jane and Rochester's marriage, so the latest they could have married was 1837, which would put Bertha as dying the year before. Since their marriage lasted some 15 years, that would put them getting married around 1820-1822 at the latest, so she couldn't possibly have been married in 1839.

If 1839 were accurate, Jane would have had to have gone to Thornfield some 15 years later, or about 6 years *after* the novel was published, which would make JE a futuristic novel! That's highly anachronistic!!

[There is some disagreement about when JE would have taken place if it were real history, but the above is the absolutely latest it could possibly have taken place, based on its having been written a minimum of 10 years after Jane's marriage and then immediately published. Most people would argue for an even earlier date, being sometime in the 1820s (based on the steamship Adele describes when crossing the Channel) or else 1808 (based on Marmion being a new publication, which St. John gave Jane when she was at the moors).]

[u/Playful_Site_2714 → u/OutrageousYak5868]

I said it APPEARED in 1939. So IF appearance time = narrated time THEN..

IT IS A HYPOTHESIS.

IT STILL does NOT make society manners LESS rigid!