Quote:
“ I was prepared for the hot rain of tears; only I wanted them to be shed on my breast: now a senseless floor has received them, or your drenched handkerchief. But I err: you have not wept at all! I see a white cheek and a faded eye, but no trace of tears. I suppose, then, your heart has been weeping blood?”
“Well, Jane! not a word of reproach? Nothing bitter—nothing poignant? Nothing to cut a feeling or sting a passion? You sit quietly where I have placed you, and regard me with a weary, passive look.”
“Jane, I never meant to wound you thus. If the man who had but one little ewe lamb that was dear to him as a daughter, that ate of his bread and drank of his cup, and lay in his bosom, had by some mistake slaughtered it at the shambles, he would not have rued his bloody blunder more than I know rue mine. Will you ever forgive me, (578)?”
Comment:
I really think that Mr. Rochester’s behavior towards Jane needs to be called into question, which I think is evident based on this quote and what had happened previously. Prior to this Jane finally found out about the secret wife that Mr. Rochester was hiding in his attic. This quote is when he is addressing her about it afterwards, and is asking for her forgiveness. What I find frustrating is how he goes about this conversation, essentially telling Jane how he expects her to act in this situation, as if Jane isn;t her own person who can reach how she wants. It is the line, “You sit quietly where I have placed you, and regard me with a weary, passive look,” that really stands out to me. Though Jane has shown that she does not always conduct herself the way other upper class women do, she is still a woman living in the 1800’s where it is not expected for women to act out or be anything other than ladylike. This quote also shows how Mr. Rochester has a tight hold over Jane and her affections, even though he lied to her and treated another with cruelty. This is not a new thing about their relationship, which can be seen in the ways he ignored her and was mean to her, but she only felt more love for him and his quirks. Even the fact that Jane forgives him immediately shows that there is a power dynamic between their relationship, and Mr. Rochester is using that to his advantage.
Question:
How does the social pressures of being a woman in the 1800’s affect how Jane acts in her relationship with Mr. Rochester? Does the age difference between Jane and Mr. Rochester aid in the power dynamic between them?
