Chapter 20

Jane is sleeping, when she hears a sudden cry. She goes out into the corridor to find the "gentlemen and ladies" heard it too, and everyone was in a state of panic. Rochester appears and tells nobody to panic, it was just a servants nightmare, and says that everybody should go back to bed. Jane slips off back to her room, but dresses instead of sleeping, somehow knowing that Rochester would come and ask for her help. Which he did. Jane follows Rochester up to the third floor, and Jane sees Mr Mason, lying injured in a vast bed. Rochester asks Jane to watch over him, forbids Mason to say a word, and then disappears to call for a doctor. The doctor/surgeon (Mr Carter) appears, and starts to dress Masons wound, caused by Bertha biting him. Mason is taken by Mr Carter for further treatment, and Jane and Rochester go for a walk. They sit down in the garden, and start to talk of things, until the conversation turns to Blanche. Rochester asks Jane's opinion of her, and then goes off to tell the guests that Mason left during the night.



Themes



The main theme is most likely to be concealment, as Rochester forbids Mason to reveal anything to Jane, which must have made her slightly suspicious. From the beginning it is obvious that something is being hidden, the secret of Thornfield, and its probably what bit Mr Mason. Another theme is isolation, as Jane is locked in a room for about two hours, but to Jane this seems much more. This draws parallels to the Red Room, as Jane is again worried about seeing a ghost or something similar, and is trapped, which nobody to talk to or to let her out. Another theme that's brushed upon is superstition, as Mason states that Bertha "sucked [his] blood: she said she'd drain [his] heart". This refers to a vampire, an undead being that drinks peoples blood. Submissiveness is also a theme that's starting to crop up, in this chapter it appears twice. The first is Jane's instant acceptance of what Rochester tells her to do, which she does, quietly and without question. The other is the curious submission of Mason to Rochester.



Motifs



The main motif is probably red, as Mr Mason is bleeding quite a bit. Its quite obvious that the red is bad this time, as if blood is anywhere but in your body, its not a good thing! Jane also connects the fire and blood together, asking "what mystery, that broke out, now in fire and now in blood, at the deadest hours of the night?". This shows that Jane has connects all the bad things ( all the red?) to form her own view of whats happening, although she believes that its Grace Poole who is causing all the havoc. The moon is also mentioned at the beginning at the chapter. I'm sure its significant, as its described at many key points in the novel, but I'm not sure exactly what it signifies.



Narrative voice



Jane seems fearful in this chapter, and rightly so, as shes trapped in a room with a man near to death. Shes also starting to question why Mr Rochester is concealing things from her. During the time that she is alone with Mason, she gets more and more panicked, her sentences getting shorter and more frantic. Once Rochester arrives she calms down, but all her description seems to indicate unease, and the knowledge that something similar will happen again.



Response



Found this chapter very creepy, and I'm starting to wonder how Jane is coping with Rochester. I found it hard to believe she forgave him for the gypsy incident, but being locked in a room with a dying man is not something that i personally would forgive instantly, especially without an explanation of whats happening! Also, did Mr Rochester drug Mason when the doctor came, he gives him something, but it doesn't mention what it actually is.