Chapter 26.2 Flashcards
(5 cards)
Voice / narrative perspective:
All internal monologue - shows her isolation in this moment and how disconnected from Rochester she feels after finding out about Bertha.
Jane references herself in third person frequently
“Jane Eyre, who had been an ardent, expectant woman”
“Jane Eyre of yesterday”
-could show how separated she feel from her own identity and how suddenly this has happened.
Loss of Janes own voice-all words of bible.
-all Janes identity lost-faith of god only thing that remains .
Character:
At this point Jane feels as though she has lost everything:
Higher social rank - she was about to marry Rochester and therefore become a more respected woman in society but she cannot now “almost a bride”.
In this moment Jane takes a moment to reflect on the days events “now, i thought.” - Unusual for her character who usually gets swept away in the action - shows development.
- Jane’s reaction to the wedding shows her strong morals.
- She is morally resolute (firm in her values).
- “I looked at Mr. Rochester: I made him look at me. His whole face was colourless rock: his eye was both spark and flint.”
- Jane doesn’t panic or faint which would be typical of a Victorian heroine.
-“I stood silent. He came towards me: the old lightning in his eyes.”
- “I stood silent” shows Janes amazing ability to suppress emotion- could be learnt from Lowood.
Structure:
- Locks herself in her room at Thornfield
“I shut myself in” - contrasts to the red-room when she resists being shut away “I struggled all the way”, now she willingly traps herself. - This could link to the bird motif and how now she has been put in this metaphorical cage of confusion and uncertainty about love.
- There is also the motif of ice as pathetic fallacy which juxtaposes the themes of passion and fire that are seen in the previous chapter,
“blood red moon” and “wild wind” now the weather reflects the lack of energy and hope “frozen shroud”, “untrodden snow” - at this moment the winter feels permanent. - Motif of confinement- Bertha, locked in the attic, continues the motif of female entrapment — this ties back to Jane’s sense of confinement at Gateshead, Lowood, and Thornfield.
- Possible motif of wedding veil? -torn veil is physical foreshadowing of the ruined wedding- could symbolise destruction of Jane’s innocence or happiness?
Genre:
Elements of gothic literature as there are references to death - “chill,livid corpses”
“longing to be dead”
along with lexical field of “cold” - Bronte
presents the dark atmosphere in this chapter after Jane learns the truth.
Disrupts romance genre
-wedding is ultimate romance symbol but doesnt go traditionally at all.
Bildungsroman
- conflict between Jane’s love for Rochester and Jane’s own moral values
- ”from his presence i must go; that i perceived well”
- Jane’s transition into adulthood.
She is no longer defined by external authority (Mr. Brocklehurst, Aunt Reed, maybe Rochester) — she becomes her own authority.
Context:
Victorian readership would see Rochester as the villain as he goes against societal norms in order to pursue his own personal desires
- but also feels sympathy for him.
Marriage in Victorian times.
Marriage was seen as a sacred, legally binding contract — breaking it was not only a moral failing but a legal offense - the act of bigamy was strictly frowned upon.
