Boy, and we think Darcy's first proposal to Lizzy was bad! St. John blows Darcy out of the water!The World's Worst Proposal
Posted by Cheryl on October 07, 1997 at 02:16:29:
Boy, and we think Darcy's first proposal to Lizzy was bad! St. John blows Darcy out of the water!
"You are formed for labour, not for love."
"...do not forget that if you reject it, it is not me you deny, but God."
Jane is spirited in her refusal:
"I scorn your idea of love...and I scorn you when you offer it."
"Oh! I will give me heart to God. You do not want it."
But after it is all over, Jane lays no blame, she finds no fault in his behaviour towards her, even though she says that he is killing her...
"Not that St. John harboured a spirit of unchristian vindictiveness--not that he would have injured a hair on my head, if it had been fully in his power to do so. Both by nature and and principle, he was superior to the mean gratification of vengeance: he had forgiven me..."
What an infuriating, complex, vile, inspiring and frightening character Bronte has created in St. John! (shudder!)
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