We have learnt from Jane’s path of life that little Jane is an orphan and suffers hard work, mistreatment and unchanging hatred. In Jane’s path of life, Jane dares to rebel and struggles for equality, freedom and happiness finally grows into maturity. At Lowood school, harsh condition, many pupils die for disease which threatens all of them life, but Jane survives with her strong-hearted and tenacious vitality. Especially, Helen’s death affects Jane deeply. Helen is only best friend of Jane at there; Jane is sorrowful but still hard works constantly and avails herself of every advantage offered her. Then Jane rises to be first girl of the first class and becomes one of the office teachers. At Thorfield Hall, Jane‘s wit and her other unique personalities attract Rochester so much. From their conversation, we find it is so interesting. When Jane knows Rochester has already got married, she is able to control herself better than many men would never be able to. Jane does not surrender Rochester to be his mistress, although Jane gets heavy hit, but she leaves resolutely, poor, lonely and homeless. She thinks she can live with her mind and two hands. Her indomitable spirit and wit make her avoiding die in the moor and becoming good friends with St’ John’s two sister. After she revives, St’ John proves Jane a very poor and humble work, but Jane accepts it with all her heart, because she thinks it can prove her cottage and food. When Jane returns from Manor house, she finds that Thorn field has been burned to ground. But she does not give up find Rochester although the burned sight really let person think that Rochester is died or handicapped badly actually, when Jane knows Rochester loses sight and one of his hands, Jane says “I had dreaded worse.” (Chapter 36)
B. Passion and Reason
Jane’s life is full of passion but she is reason as well. In her childhood, Jane struggles for freedom and independence with passion. When Jane hears that Rochester will get married with a noble beautiful Miss Blanche Ingram, Jane cannot help crying to Rochester “do you think I can stay here and become nothing to you? Do you think because I am poor, humble, and plain? I am soulless and heartless. You think wrong!” when Jane knows they love each other sincerely and deeply. Jane also arranges her life like before as a governess, keeping her dignity and independence. When Jane knows Rochester has married and his wife is alive, Jane is passion in her heart. Jane stays in a room lonely thinks much, finally says, “I must go: that I perceived well.” (Chapter 26)
Jane realizes that such freedom can also mean enslavement by acting as Rochester’s mistress; she would be sacrificing her dignity and integrity for the sake of her feeling.
St. John River, unlike Rochester, is a handsome young clergyman, even though he is cordial and courtly. Jane still finds John River is stubborn and detached. By listening to his voluble Calvinist speech, Jane realizes that he does not find happiness in religious faith. St’ John restrains his love and passion of life, Jane almost accepts his offer of marriage but ultimately can not turn her back on passion, Jane still with passion to love Rochester, so her forceful foreboding makes her go back and want to know how Rochester is. When Jane meets Rochester at Fern dean, she has many words say to him but she does not to say. She controls her passion and knows how to do with reason.
C. Benignancy and Kindheartedness
With constant effort, Jane becomes a teacher. After two years of teaching experiences, Jane advertises for a governess to teach Adele. Adele is the little girl whose mother abandons her and Rochester is her custody, when Jane knows the fact, she gives the little girl more attention and love, likely Jane is her sister and mother. Otherwise, Blanche Ingram looks upon the little girl with mocking air, speaks to her inurbane, which makes Rochester despises the beautiful appearance and rich woman in heart, and loves Jane more. When Jane gets a letter to see her dieing Aunt Reed who has not changed a bit, her Aunt Reed dose not show remorse or apologies to Jane for her cruelty, but Jane still kiss her sincerely. At Moor house, Jane becomes a teacher, in the village school, although all of the students are poor cottagers’ children and most of them can’t write or cipher. They speak with the broadest accent of the district, which makes Jane difficulty to understand them. However, Jane does not look up down them, on contrast, Jane is patient to teach them and gives more help actively and as she can. While unfortunate Rochester is stone blind and loses one of his hands, Jane gives him live hope and lively life.
Ⅳ. Jane’s Love
As an old saying goes that love is the most beautiful characteristic of human being, however some person look marriage as a bargaining and measure their marriage by one’s status, which make their loveless and pains are concealed by surface, they marry one but think of another one. Maybe they never taste the true love. A reader can feel the most beautiful and true love from Jane’s love. Because love between Jane and Rochester is that heart and feeling are perfect response and have mutual affinity. Shakespeare says: ‘The course of true love never runs smooth,” Jane and Rochester gets true love after a lot suffering; Jane and Rochester love each other deeply although they undergo lots of hardship. In true love, without regard to property and rank, Jane falls in love with Mr. Rochester who has rich experience and wisdom and kind-hearted. When Rochester falls in love with Jane, he feels that he finds salvation in Jane’s love. Jane loves him, but not for his wealth and high rank, however St’ John River ignores Jane’ feeling. Rochester loves Jane for her unique character.
In that social background, people pay too much attention to property, rank and status. There is a great disparity, if a pair of lovers suffered disagreement from their families and their friends. However, Jane and Rochester love each other heartedly; they have common idea in the mind. Mrs. Fairfax, one of Rochester’s servants, is very surprised and feels puzzled that her master is madly to marry Jane, but both of them do not care about the difference of status and property or others’ opinion. They pursue true love. They can smash the bonds of tradition and can surmount all obstacles. They are very happy and want to be married. However, their marriage is stopped by the fault that Rochester conceals the truth that he is married man and his wife is still alive. Honesty is very important in loves. Honesty is the basis on which mutual trust is formed. Communication is very important in inter-personal relationships, especially in love. If two people fall in love with, they should communicate honestly to each other. Then they can have a perfect love. Jane and Rochester as just like this. At beginning, because of their frank communication, then they have the love feeling. When Rochester tells all of his history, Jane understands him more. Factually, Rochester really loves her and gets true love from her.
At beginning although Rochester tries to conceal that he has a mad wife but Jane understands that Rochester is worried that she can not help enduring the fact and would leave him, now Rochester exposes his secret to Jane, which proves his sincere love for Jane. Jane forgives him in heart, but Jane does not submit to be his mistress with her dignity. Finally, Jane leaves Rochester with very heavy heart. Jane still loves Rochester because he knows it is not Rochester’s fault. She still feels anxiety about Rochester because she knows Rochester loves her deeply. Therefore, she often dreams of him and gets foreboding that some dad thing will happens to Rochester. After leaving Rochester’s home, Jane walks and travels without any aim. She lives in huger and cold. At roams, Jane is nearly dead because she suffers terrible hardships. St. John helps her and saves her life. St. John wants to marry Jane and takes her to India with him, although he is a little merciful and handsome, but he considers little benefit for Jane, and he does not respect her or gives her selfless love. Jane says that he will abandon half herself and go to premature death if she joined St’ John Rive and if went to India. Jane insists that true love should be based on equality, mutual understanding and respect, so she knows that to marry such a stonehearted person is to become a puppet.
Conclusion