Chapter fourteen

Adele finally receives her present (thank goodness, her constant nagging was getting on my nerves!) and Jane and Mr. Rochester carry on their previous conversation, for the chapter before.

Themes

Now Jane has Mr. Rochester to talk to, the theme of isolation has faded into the background for the time being. The theme of social differences is starting to step forward, as Jane and Mr. Rochester seem matched in wit and intelligence, but a huge gap of social standing seems to separate them slightly. Every time they start to get away from the gulf that separates them, something reminds them of who they are, for instance, when Mr. Rochester apologizes for his manner of speaking, and Jane points out that she is his employee, and so he could speak to her any way he wanted. Religion is also debated, and Jane takes a view previously untouched by her, and starts to defend and explain Christianity to Rochester, who, in his opinion, is paving the road to hell with good intentions, and, if hes going to hell anyway, he may as well live life to the full.

Narrative voice

As with the previous chapter, much of the chapter is speech, and so there is less voice to comment on. Jane is starting to sound more confident in her surroundings and her manners.

Words and phrases I liked

I liked the word play between Jane and Rochester, as it makes the story just that little bit more interesting, as, in my opinion; it starts to lag at this point.

Response

As mentioned early, I started to find the novel boring at this part, as it seems to be all talking and no actual action or advance in the storyline. I'm certainly struggling to find anything to write about in this journal at this point.