Jane Eyre (pages 325-453: Ch. 22-30)

Jane's Kindness/Forgiveness [why sudden change?]
-visits her dying aunt that was so cruel to her
-stayed with Georgiana to keep her company (325)
-stayed with Eliza to take care of the house (325)
-forgives Rochester for attempting bigamy (388)
-"I blamed none of those who repulsed me." [when begging] (420)

Eliza's transition
-money lover as a child (88)
-"...Eliza would have sold the hair on her head if she could have made a handsome profit thereby." (88)
-adult Eliza wants to join a nunnery; business and money are no longer of major importance; gave her money to the Church (326)
-adult Eliza is prim and proper; has strict time schedule for everyday life
-Why the change?

Jane Walking
-why does she so often reject carriages?
-symbolic?
-walks from Inn to Thornfield upon her return from visiting Aunt Reed (327)
-walks to meet Rochester the night after seeing Bertha (365)
-left Thornfield (412)

Reference to the Supernatural
-Jane's rhetoric:
"Well, he is not a ghost" (328)
"You, sir, are the most phantom-like of all" (366)

-Rochester's words/actions [is his fairy-like depiction of her simply a pet name or something more?]:
"...come clattering over street and road like a common mortal, but to steal into the vicinage of your home along with twilight just as if you were a dream or a shade." (329)
"She comes from another world..." (329)
"If I dared, I'd touch you, to see if you are substance or shadow, you elf!" (329)
"Tell me now, fairy as you are,--can't you give me a charm, or a philter..." (330)
"You--you strange--you almost unearthly thing!" (339)
"Is this my Mustard-Seed?" (343)
"...and load these fairy-like fingers with rings." (344)
"I am going to take mademoiselle to the moon, and there I shall seek a cave in one of the white valleys among the volcano tops..." (352)
"It was a fairy, and come from Elf-land..." (353)
"Yes, you are dripping like a mermaid;" (365)
"How well you read me, you witch!" (368)

-Actually strange things:
-Chestnut tree splits in half after being struck by lightning (341) symbolic of Jane and Rochester reaching for each other but being torn apart?  Omen?  "...form one tree--a ruin; but an entire ruin" (363)  Jane and Rochester are one, but their love is ruined?
-"Vampyre" putting on and ripping Jane's veil (371)
-Married a lunatic (381)

Why so many references to the supernatural?  What does this mean?
Is there some otherworldly force acting or are these references only in the minds of the characters?


Proposal
-Jane's sad he's getting married; she cries; he asks her to marry him (339)
-Men didn't know how to propose during the times of these writers, did they?
-suddenly starts addressing her as beautiful and tries to buy her gifts, which of course she rejects...
-I don't doubt that he loves her, but if this were to occur in my life, I would be a bit skeptical
-Refuses to allow herself complete satisfaction until she is actually married. (362) "She did not exist..."
^ this ^ probably helps to cope with the disappointment of finding out he is already married
-her honor is so important to her (even though she hasn't any family to dishonor) that she rejects love in order to respect herself; I guess love can't conquer all.
-still calls him "master" (366)

Phrenology
-during the proposal (340)
-Meeting Diana (430)
-St. John (439)

Dreams (meanings?)
-holding a child on a rainy road and couldn't reach Rochester [foreshadowing what is to come?  she's getting farther away from him?  Child represents innocence??]
-Thornfield Hall was a ruin and full of bats and owls; carrying the same child but arms were tired; heard horse, knew it was Rochester leaving for many years, and so hurried to climb a wall to see him; she falls off the wall and the child falls too [will lose her innocence, not in the sense of virginity but in the sense of goodness and honesty after they part?]
-red-room; white human form talked to her, telling her to flee temptation (410)


General Thoughts
-Why doesn't Jane want jewels and presents?  Does she feel closer to God this way?  Does she think it makes her humble?  Is she simply used to not having these items?  Does she want to be "Miss Independent?"
-Why does she prefer the rudeness and "fierce favors" over flattery and tenderness? (361)  So as to prolong the relationship...so they don't bore each other?  Because she is not used to tenderness?
-It's interesting that during the wedding fuss Jane doesn't explain what she was thinking or feeling, but rather tells what happened.  She only explains her thoughts afterwards as she is in her room alone.
-"Will you hear reason?  because, if you won't, I'll try violence" (392)  threatening her??? and she thinks it's kind of romantic??  She does enjoy being submissive and accepting his demands... perhaps that turns her on?
-Rochester doesn't think it bad that he hired mistresses, but rather that he live familiarly with inferiors. (403)
-It's impressive that she's able to resist staying with him...I mean, if it's true love.  I love my boyfriend, and I don't think I could hold to "my principles" in this situation and resist temptation. (408)