Book Review: Jane Eyre

[osprey_archer]

I don't believe I've ever before arranged a reread around following a specific thread through a narrative, but following the fairies through Jane Eyre proved a rich vein right up till the end. When Jane returns to Rochester, she finds him blind and crippled, maimed attempting to save his mad wife from the fire she set, the fire which claimed her life. But he recognizes the sound of her voice, the touch of her small fingers, the curve of her slender waist: "my fairy," he calls her, and then demands, "You are altogether a human being, Jane? You are certain of that?"

“I conscientiously believe so, Mr. Rochester,” Jane assures him.

But he can't be fooled by this pretense of demure humanity. "You mocking changeling — fairy-born and human-bred!"

This is, I think, the first time that he hits upon the word changeling. Now at last he fully understands her true nature, and that is why at last they can be reconciled and wed. (Well, and also the fact that his first wife is now conveniently dead.)

Leaving aside the fairy theme, this is still true: he recognizes, he bows to the fact that Jane's conscience is a part of her, and that in trying to bully or bribe it aside after the revelation that he was already married, he was wrong, and trying to turn her into something she's not, so as to keep her with him. Now he truly knows her, and his love for her is, likewise, true.

(Hence also the unworthiness of St. John, who saw only half of Jane's soul, and could never have loved her impish mocking side; in fact tries to stamp out the sparks of it whenever they happen to blaze clear.)

This is a theme that will recur in Villette: the one who loves you is the one who knows you, who sees past surface appearances to the burning soul beneath. Jane Eyre and Lucy Snowe are not much alike in other ways, but they are similar in that a cool English reserve masks an inner volcano.

First, however, Shirley. And first of all in Shirley, I have to get past the endless prelude with the world's most boring curates. But the path will lead in the end to Shirley herself: to that thought I must cling strong!

Comments

[kore]

"And first of all in Shirley, I have to get past the endless prelude with the world's most boring curates"

From what I remember, it was VERY controversial that she mocked the Church like that. And it didn't help a lot of them were caricatures of her father's curates, either. But it's such a baffling opening for a modern reader! Especially after JE.

[osprey_archer]

I bet that's why she has the disclaimer about how she's describing curates from the LAST generation. The current generation is, of course, much more useful! But those curates during the Napoleonic wars, now, those were a horse of a different color.

[kore]

A TINY bit transparent of you, Charlotte (who was famously horrified when an old man in her village was reading JE and recognized the people in it, including Brocklehurst).

[osprey_archer]

Horrifying that Brocklehurst is based on a real person. Truly one of the worst people in Jane Eyre, and the competition is pretty stiff!

[ethelmay]

I remember finding the curates somewhat funny, but too belabored. It's a while since I've read Shirley, though.

[asakiyume]

I have really loved your Jane Eyre rereading and changeling Jane Eyre. And that it IS an impish mocking side! Suddenly Emily Bronte's poem "No Coward Soul Is Mine" pops into my head--no docile heroines need apply in Bronte sisters' books!

[osprey_archer]

Yes, this turned out to be a really fruitful way to read this particular book! If I have any similar inspirations to do targeted rereads with future books, I will follow the inclination, because it turned out so well here.

Sometimes people mistakenly believe that a Bronte heroine is docile, but they are usually wrong.

[littlerhymes]

he was wrong, and trying to turn her into something she's not, so as to keep him with him

That is so well put and I love how the changeling theme brings it all together!

[osprey_archer]

The changeling theme may appear merely decorative, but it turns out to be central to the book! Genius. Charlotte Bronte knew what she was doing.

[kore]

I wonder if anyone's written about the changeling/Fae themes.

[osprey_archer]

Under the Pendulum Sun is clearly drawing inspiration from Jane Eyre and going for broke on the fae themes, but I didn't particularly like its take on the fae or the incest so YMMV.

[silverusagi]

Shirley is also on my to read list. The library has the audiobook and everything!

[osprey_archer]

It gets better after the first few chapters! But the first few chapters are a struggle.

[regshoe]

It is a cool way to do a re-read, and it's been fun following your posts about it all :) And I like your observation that Rochester's recognition of Jane as a changeling is what makes their relationship finally able to work. (I do not like Charlotte Brontë's romances much, but I appreciate that she does interesting things with them.)

Shirley! Curates notwithstanding, there is a lot to look forward to :D

[osprey_archer]

It was surprising how well it worked as a reread strategy! I've been contemplating if there's anything in particular I'd like to track when I get to Villette, but nothing has come to mind yet.

ETA: I've finally gotten past the curates! I must admit that I find Robert Moore deeply boring (I'd forgotten his name till I started the reread), but Caroline Helstone has appeared on the scene and the book is beginning to perk up.

[skygiants]

I've got to do Shirley one of these days! Been saving it for a treat.

[osprey_archer]

I am not sure if I would exactly call Shirley a treat although there are definitely treat aspects, mainly Shirley herself. It just takes so long before she finally appears! But definitely worth reading, and you never know, you might find the curates less dull than I do.

[lokifan]

It's been fascinating to follow the fairy theme in your reviews, especially given The Pendulum Sun (the Jane Eyre riff where she's literally a changeling). Should reread those two books together at some point.

(Hence also the unworthiness of St. John, who saw only half of Jane's soul, and could never have loved her impish mocking side; in fact tries to stamp out the sparks of it whenever they happen to blaze clear.)

Yes!

[osprey_archer]

It would be interesting to read the two in conjunction for sure.