Chapter thirty-six

Jane leaves the Rivers to go and find out what has happened to Mr Rochester, as she has been worried about him for quite some time. Upon reaching Rochester's lands she gets more and more excited, until she sees the house...and finds it burnt down, a ruin. Jane tells a short story to demonstrate her feelings, about a lover who finds his mistress dead on a bank. Jane asks a nearby man what had happened, and he said that the house had burnt down at the dead of night, although Mr Rochester was alive. Jane then hears the story of what had happened after she left. Rochester had shut himself up like a hermit in the hall, and sent away everyone but Grace Poole and Bertha. However, Bertha got hold of a candle or something, and set fire to Thornfield. Mr Rochester went to save her from the blaze, but she climbed up onto the roof, and, upon seeing Rochester coming after her, jumped off to the ground below, killing herself. Mr Rochester survived the fire, but was severely hurt, being crippled and blinded by the blaze.



Motifs



The fire is an obvious motif, as it has been used throughout the book as a symbol of trouble and disaster, it is also strongly connected with Bertha and Jane. This time the fire has helped Jane, in a way, as she is now free to marry Rochester, blind and crippled though he is. The fire also humbled Rochester, in a way, so that he is now on an equal level to Jane. Also, Jane stated that she would never live in Thornfield again, as it held too many unhappy memories, and i doubt she would after the fire, as it was a ruin, and not fit for human habitation.



Narrative Voice



Jane seems very worried in this chapter, and rightly so, as there are many instances where she believes that Rochester may be dead. Her emotions really go up and down in this chapter, ranging from excitedness, to sadness, to pity, and relief.



Response



I thought this was a sad ending for Bertha, as she died crazed, and didn't really know what she was doing. I also think its a shame that Thornfield was destroyed, as it sounded a lovely house, and a natural place for Jane and Rochester to spend the rest of their lives together.