chapter 23

Again, quite short, considering how much happens. However this chapter brings back good memories, and I'll never be able to read it with a straight face again! Jane is out in the garden, and when Rochester appears, she tries to hide. However, he somehow knows she's there, and they wander off to sit on a bench underneath a chestnut tree. They talk of Rochester marrying Blanche, and Jane gets rather upset (understandably). Mr Rochester then proposes to Jane, in a very strange turn of events. It’s not the conventional way to make a proposal I'm sure.

Themes

Isolation appears again, as Rochester mentions sending Jane off to Ireland, and they will be separated by many miles, and Jane will know nobody there. Trickery is also a theme, as Rochester tricks Jane into believing he wants Blanche as his bride, whereas he really loves Jane. This backfires on him, as Jane starts to get wise to his tricks and doesn’t believe him when he proposes.

Motifs (and a metaphor)

The weather, a very significant thing in Jane Eyre’s life, is turning bad again. Just mention a storm and you know Jane is going to spiral down into a nasty situation, although at this point it is confusing, as it is hard to imagine why the proposal could cause problems for her. There is also an interesting (if slightly clichéd) metaphor at the end of the chapter, where the chestnut tree from earlier is struck dramatically by a bolt of lightning. This is what happens to Jane and Rochester, who, although seemingly destined for each other, they are pulled apart by a twist of fate. Another way this is expressed in Rochester’s description of the string attached to a place just below his left rib. This is a reference to the first book of the bible, Genesis, where God creates Eve from part of Adam, namely one of his ribs, and so the two people are one, as are Jane and Rochester.

Narrative voice

Jane’s emotions go up and down like a rollercoaster this chapter, making it quite hard to follow, as you get swept up in it all. Her emotions themselves are quite easy to pick up on however, Jane is either hideously depressed or really really happy, not too hard to tell the difference really.

Response

I find the whole proposal strange, as I think that most women who had been treated like that would not have consented to marry the man that did it, but Jane just seems to accept everything, which is quite unrealistic and disconcerting, at least in my opinion. Is the moth a direct comparison between Jane and Bertha, Rochester says that it is unusual to find a moth so cool (I’m paraphrasing) in England, instead of the West Indies. Jane and Bertha also share this direct link.