Well.....I guess it would depend.
Posted by Lynn on October 17, 1997 at 08:52:47:
In response to Ending with St John, written by Cheryl on October 16, 1997 at 11:00:12
] As promised, here is what Michael Mason worte in the introduction of the Penguin Classics edition about the ending of Jane Eyre. Anyone care to agree, disagree, argue? ;-)
so the problem posed by the fact that this is an ending (in other words, a point in the text important in itself) is compounded by the sheer weight of attention given to St John here. And on top of that comes the consideration that St John has been Jane's suitor. "Reader, I married him" is thus not only displaced, it is perhaps challenged in emotional significance. How would it be if Mansfield Park ended with two paragraphs on Henry Crawford, or Middlemarch with two paragraphs on Mr. Cassaubon?
I guess how you feel about it ending with St. John would depend on what you saw the novel to be about. Was it about a person's struggle in the world to be a Christian? If so, then ending with St. John would be appropriate. If it's a story about two lovers and how they finally came together, then it does seem a little odd.
I guess I kind of look at it as a love story, so it seemed a little weird to me, but I have always underregarded Jane's true love and respect for St. John, so perhaps it is not surprising that it ends this way. ( I don't mean her True Love in the way that she feels for Rochester, I just mean that she truly does love him and respect him ).
I am not totally sure what I am saying, but I thought I would try to get the ball rolling a little. I might come back tomorrow and totally disagree with everything I just said!! :-) Does that make me sound like I'm fickle? Hope not!
Lynn
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