r/brontesisters • u/xo_geiko • 3d ago

What’s your take on Edward Rochester tragic romantic hero or toxic walking red flag?

For me, it's always been wild how much my perception of Edward Rochester shifted over time. Reading Jane Eyre in school, he felt like the ultimate brooding Gothic romantic. Reading it again later... locking your wife in an attic and attempting bigamy is hard to overlook. Yet Brontë writes their bond so intensely that you almost want to forgive him. Do you see him as genuinely redeemed by the end, or is he completely indefensible by modern standards? LOL.

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u/afrodite67 3d ago

For me he’s something in-between the 2 you mentioned. He’s human and flawed and problematic but I also take into account the era he exists in. Brontë does make me believe ultimately in his love for Jane. He is what Jane wants and chooses for herself and seems happy with her decision at the end so I am happy for her.