“Heart-weary and soul-withered, you come home after years of voluntary banishment; you make a new acquaintance—how or where no matter: you find in this stranger much of the good and bright qualities which you have sought for twenty years, and never before encountered; and they are all fresh, healthy, without soil and without taint […] you desire to recommence your life, and to spend what remains to you of days in a way more worthy of an immortal being. To attain this end, are you justified in overleaping an obstacle of custom—a mere conventional impediment, which neither your conscience sanctifies nor your judgement approves?” (219)
One thing that has really struck me in Jane Eyre is Brontë’s ability to depict sexual tension. Brontë captures a realistic attraction between Jane and Mr. Rochester, instead of presenting an idealized and distant portrayal of love (as in A Tale of Two Cities). In this passage, Mr. Rochester clearly is indirectly soliciting Jane to live as his mistress. Of course, Jane appears largely unconscious of his direct intentions in asking this question, but it demonstrates the deep level of attraction they both have for one another.
Although Jane does not initially see Mr. Rochester as handsome, her feelings for him develop as she begins to spend more time with him: “Every good, true, vigorous feeling I have, gathers impulsively around him” (179). The attraction she feels is not ethereal or romanticized; it is “impulsive” and breaks society’s class constructs. Moreover, her feelings develop in intensely intimate moments, such as when he takes her hand in his whilst they are both standing alone during the middle of the night, after Jane has doused him in water to save his life from a fire (156). Mr. Rochester tells her: “I knew, […] you would do me good in some way, at some time” (156). For Jane, this expressed sentiment causes her a great deal of inner turmoil and longing, since the next day she “wanted to hear his voice again, yet feared to meet his eye” (157). She knows that the interaction they had crossed lines of normal social respectability, but she also desires to have another one-on-one interaction.
Both Mr. Rochester and Jane recognize that there are barriers dividing them, and thus they must keep their desires separate. However, Mr. Rochester still finds ways to present to her both his attraction and his unspoken sexual dominance in their relationship. For example, in his indirect proposal above, he clearly has no reservations in expressing his feelings for Jane. He is a man with many flaws who is open with his sexuality and his desires in a frankness that Jane ultimately finds extremely appealing. Thus, he is not the image of the ideal man, but a realistic man with a great range of emotions and attractions. Perhaps, this realistic character is what has cemented him as a cultural romantic figure in literature throughout so many years.
Photo citation: Oh, Mr. Rochester…. 8tracksradio, http://8tracks.com/potatunes/oh-mr-rochester.
I love this reading of Jane and Rochester’s relationship. I couldn’t agree more. I think it could be interesting to put these observations in conversation with Poole’s article and measure how the fear of a governess’s unrestrained sexuality both coexists and exaggerates the lust/affection that Jane has towards Rochester. Poole also brings up male sexuality but only in passing. Perhaps, you could bring in another source that directly discusses male sexual desire/dominance. The three sources together could make an interesting paper.
I completely agree with you about how you were struck by Brontë’s ability to show sexual tension. That is one of the key components of what makes readers so drawn to the Mr. Rochester and Jane relationship despite the obvious skewed power dynamic between them. In my piece, I examined how Jane says that Mr. Rochester’s behavior towards her made her feel like a relation to him. This can also be used as evidence for your point on how frank he can behave towards her.
I think this is an interesting take on Mr. Rochester, especially given our class discussion last time about how after locking Bertha in the attic, Mr. Rochester definitely seemed to be in touch with his sexuality. We know of at least one other mistress besides Jane (Blanche Ingram) and presumably others, and I think it’s interesting how you noted that while it is noted that he is not particularly attractive physically, he has a way of drawing women in. That adds to the notion you brought up of him being not the ideal man, who would take the form of Prince Charming, but the more realistic man one is more likely to encounter in real life.
You are such a good writer, Hannah.
I love that you said: “Both Mr. Rochester and Jane recognize that there are barriers dividing them, and thus they must keep their desires separate. ” During this instance in the novel, I think you are absolutely right. Nevertheless, I love the way in which Brönte stands this notion on its head later in the novel.
Toward the end of the novel, when Jane returns to Mr. Rochester at Ferndean, she hears of what has happened: not only is Bertha Mason dead, but Mr. Rochester has lost a hand, is blind, and has even lost his home. In a way, Mr. Rochester is – physically speaking – Jane’s inferior. Additionally, Jane is now financially independent, more educated, etc. (How things change, right?)
However, in the end, Jane discovers that, by marrying Mr. Rochester, she really isn’t giving up anything. On another level, she is actually entering into a “bond” where both are equal – there is no “one person one-upping another.” In this sense, she has attained freedom: putting what she truly desires – passion and emotion – above societal principles.
I really like how you make mention of Brontë’s method of expressing sexual tension as I thought it was the only one who noticed it. I also really liked Brontë’s depiction of her jealousy over Blanche Ingram and how Jane becomes hyper-aware of her interactions with Mr. Rochester. When Mr. Rochester and Blanche are together, everyone else seems to disappear. In what seems rather uncharacteristic, given Jane’s usual control over herself, she finds herself analyzing Mr. Rochester’s actions and trying to interpret what they mean. Like sexual tension, this also seemed more realistic in terms of how the love process happens.