re. Rochester
Posted by Sherry on October 14, 1997 at 15:13:34:
In response to but are the Rochester types really so harmless?, written by Kate on October 14, 1997 at 13:25:00
I have always had difficulty with Rochester for this very reason. I think he treats Jane abominably early in the story - while he is trying to make her jealous. I read somewhere that the only reason he can submit to her in the end is because he has basically been emasculated - he is able to be helped by her only because he is no longer a whole man.
I think early on Rochester connects to Janes soul. The reader realizes this but Jane at first doesn't so that we do get peeved at Rochester for putting her through the ringer as it were. I don't feel though that he would not have leaned on her or appreciated her any less had he not been disfigured. No this is the real thing, right from the start.
I felt mostly sad for him and when he makes his indecent proposal to Jane to go away together, I'll admit I was thinking Go for it Jane! Of course that was wrong but by that time I so wanted them to be together that I didn't care and in that instance I was very heavily identifying with Rochester.
Just a quick comment off the subject. I love the line when Rochester is looking at her artwork and asks where the idea came from and she says her head and he says "That head, I see sitting on those shoulders" {not exact but you know the line}
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