In her youth and again as a governess, Jane must depend on others for support, The wealthy master of Thornfield Hall and, A parson with two sisters at Moor House, and, The mysterious servant at Thornfield who watches over, The parson and hypocritical overseer of Lowood Institution. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. He's cold and deeply repressed; Rochester is anything but. Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Jane Eyre Literary Context, Analysis & Devices, The Character of Jane Eyre: Analysis & Quotes, Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre: Character Analysis & Concept, Bertha Mason in Jane Eyre: Character Analysis & Quotes, St. John Rivers in Jane Eyre: Character Analysis & Quotes, Helen Burns in Jane Eyre: Character Analysis & Quotes, The Reed Family in Jane Eyre: Character Analysis & Quotes, Minor Characters in Jane Eyre: Analysis & Quotes, Short Stories for Kids: Guide for Teachers & Parents, Are You There God? Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Jane Eyre | 23 Exquisite Quotes of Love You Must Read. Renews March 8, 2023 Why does Jane decline St. John Rivers marriage proposal? Charlotte Bronte's 1847 masterpiece Jane Eyre tells the iconic love story of the governess Jane Eyre and her employer, Mr. Rochester. Helen Burns. $24.99 Previous While Rochester vents his passions, St. John represses his. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. For St. John, everything must give way to the unyielding demands of the soul, which means that he must mercilessly scour away his own desires. Although he "flushes" and "kindles" at the sight of her, St. John would rather turn himself into "an automaton" than succumb to Rosamond's beauty or fortune. The. Charlotte Bronts novel Jane Eyre 1847 has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations.1 This 1973 four-hour literary version was. But it is not his celibacy which renders him so pathetic as the fact that his glorious sun hastens to its setting. St. John comes home one night to find a poor young woman begging on the doorstep of Moor House; he invites her in and lets his sisters give her something to eat and a bed for the night. . The novel charts the growth of Jane Eyre, the first-person narrator, from her unhappy childhood with her nasty relatives, the Reeds, to her blissful marriage to Rochester at Ferndean. Jane Eyre Study Guide : Summary and Analysis of Volume 12Pages Struggling with distance learning? Jane, like Cinderella, is an orphan who lives with a less-than-loving extended family. Sometimes it can end up there. St. John leaves Moor House and goes to Cambridge for two weeks to say goodbye to friends before leaving for India. And St. John basically turns into Jell-O every time he sees her. Before returning to school, you will need to read Jane Eyre and complete the assignment below. Jane will only enter into marriage with Rochester after she has gained a fortune and a family, and after she has been on the verge of abandoning passion altogether. St. John comes home one night to find a poor young woman begging on the doorstep of Moor House; he invites her in and lets his sisters . Jane's psychic abilities aren't merely imaginary: her dreams and visions have a real impact on her life. LitCharts Teacher Editions. But Jane's "heart is mute." She recognizes that she could never be happy as St. John's wife. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. But St. John renders help and succour to Jane as soon as he witnesses her sad plight. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. All rights reserved. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% She distinguishes herself at Lowood School because of her hard work and strong intellectual abilities. and spends a happy Christmas with Mary and Diana, who have returned from their jobs. John's declaration that Jane is formed for "labour, not for love" emphasizes his belief that love and passion have no place in a moral life. Much like Jane, St. John is a restless character, searching for a place and purpose in life. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. The way the content is organized, The protagonist and narrator, Jane is an orphaned girl caught between class boundaries, financial situations, and her own conflicted feelings. St John comes from a good family, but his father lost most of the family money after a bad business decision. St. John returns to Moor House only to find that Jane is gone. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Jane meets St. John Rivers and his sisters, Diana and Mary, after she discovers Mr. Rochester was married. A companionless lonely man, his life is now drawing to its close. Complete your free account to request a guide. Jane notices that St. John is in love with Rosamond Oliver, but he supresses his feelings for her. Wed love to have you back! Stoical, cold, and strictly devoted to Christianity, St. John's religion is far too detached for Jane. Sample A+ Essay: Is the Novel a Criticism of Victorian Class Prejudices? At the end, we are told that St. John remains unmarried, and that he has decided never to marry. brief visit, St. John-who knows Jane only as Jane Elliott-looks 1-0 Leavis, Introduction to Jane Eyre, p. 16. St. John Rivers is a foil to Edward Rochester. While St. John shows an unusual persistence in asking her to marry him, she displays an equally unusual firmness in declining his proposal. Much like Jane, St. John is a restless character, searching for a place and purpose in life. Discount, Discount Code But there is one thing he hasnt been able to stop himself from wanting: Miss Rosamond Oliver, the local, wealthy beauty. Although artistic and educational pursuits are essential elements of Jane's personality, she also feels a need to assert her identity through rebellion. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. He may be handsome, blonde, and blue-eyed, but he might as well be "no longer flesh, but marble"like some kind of Greek statue of Apollo. and any corresponding bookmarks? An "earthly angel" in white suddenly appears at the side of St. John Rivers. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. Actually there are only two principal or leading characters and they are Jane Eyre herself and Mr. Rochester. By falling in love with Rochester, she implicitly mutinies against the dictates of class boundaries that relegate her, as a governess, to a lower status than her "master." Complete your free account to request a guide. St. John is the foil of Mr. Rochester. Just as shes about to give in, something changes her attitude and she resists. Once Jane realizes that hes the natural end-point of that philosophy, she goes running back to her true love, Rochester, as fast as she canBertha or no Bertha.Remember, Jane Eyre ends with St. John Rivers; hes the last character we think about, alone out there in India, missionary-ing and stuff. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Most important, she cannot persuade herself to believe that refusing to do so is a sin. Though Terri Beth loves books and writing of all kinds, her heart lies especially with British Victorian and Modernist literature, as well as the novels of Virginia Woolf, George Eliot, the Bronte sisters, and, to mix things up a bit, Salman Rushdie! John." jobs as governesses in wealthy households. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs He talks very little, and he thinks much more than he talks. The evangelist who takes Jane in at Moor House, brother to Diana and Mary and, it turns out, cousin to Jane. Like Mr. Rochester, St. John has a commanding personality, but the two men contrast in their range of feelings. St. John is living at Moor House with his sisters Diana and Mary; he works as the clergyman in the nearby town of Morton while preparing to go to India on a missionary trip. 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St. John goes to India and undertakes his missionary work. This is the conflict between duty and passion that plays such a vital role in this novel. Jane Eyre has a fair number of characters who are polar opposites. But Charlotte Brontes intention was to give the novel a happy ending: and Janes life had to be saved so that she could ultimately be united with the man whom she had never ceased to love, and who himself had never ceased to love her. and any corresponding bookmarks? Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs As Jane prepares to leave to go to Thornfield, Jane updates Rochester about her new wealth and leads him on about. St. John's argument of ownership also highlights his view of Jane as a subservient companion, not a woman with independent thoughts. To say the least, Jane Eyre is a controversial character. I scorn the weakness. bookmarked pages associated with this title. However, in this connection it may also be pointed out that St. John has a greater inner strength than she has because a stare comes when he acquires a strong hold upon her mind and personality, and when she herself becomes aware of his having acquired that hold upon her. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. His reserve and brooding suggest a troubled nature, and his zealous Christianity offers him neither serenity nor solace. LitCharts Teacher Editions. St. Instant PDF downloads. She waits until she is not unduly influenced by her own poverty, loneliness, psychological vulnerability, or passion. Jane sees that she would be marrying his office rather than him, and thus refuses. Jane feels that no fear of death would darken St. Johns last hour: his mind at that time would be unclouded, his heart would be undaunted, and his faith would be steadfast. Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre tells the love story of Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. Jane finds the whole thing disgusting, and so do we.The strange thing about St. John is that he might at first seem like an obsessive-compulsive, cold-blooded freak, but actually he is what Janes been trying to become: someone who makes relationship decisions based only on logic and practicality. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. I looked at the blank wall: it seemed a sky thick with ascending stars,every one lit me to a purpose or delight. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. St. John Rivers Character Analysis. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. St. John Rivers Timeline and Summary. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. for a customized plan. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Rochester's wife, suffering from mental illness, had been hidden in a locked attic in Rochester's family estate. Whereas Rochester is passionate, St. John is austere and ambitious. St. John Rivers is a key character in the novel Jane Eyre. creating and saving your own notes as you read. It is impossible to love such a man, while Mr. Rochester, even in his stern moods is preferable to this inexorable priest. Jane's personality balances social awareness with spiritual power. His ambition cuts St. John off from all deep human emotions. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. read analysis of Edward Fairfax Rochester. Helen Burns, Jane's friend at Lowood School, serves as a foil to Mr. Brocklehurst as well as to Jane. Ugh. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. He had not imagined that a woman would dare to speak so to a man. There tends to be a lot of emphasis on endings in literature, so thats probably important. After a long period of labor, he becomes sick in the extreme climate of India and expects to die soon. The humblest individual exerts some influence, 3Pages Character Analysis Women, she argues, need active pursuits and intellectual stimulation, just as men do. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. St. John, no doubt, would have given the world to follow, recall, retain her, when she thus left him; but he would not give one chance of heaven, nor relinquish, for the elysium of her love, one hope of the true, eternal Paradise. Dive into this love story, a character analysis of Jane's two suitors, and quotes from St. John Rivers. He lives with his two sisters, Diana and Mary, at Moor House. from your Reading List will also remove any Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Character Analysis Jane Eyre The novel charts the growth of Jane Eyre, the first-person narrator, from her unhappy childhood with her nasty relatives, the Reeds, to her blissful marriage to Rochester at Ferndean. She feels blessed beyond anything language can express, because she and Rochester love each other absolutely. reader that Diana and Mary both have married respectable and caring husbands and visit regularly. After having fled Thornfield, Jane throws herself entirely upon the mercy of God, praying that He will send someone to her who will have mercy on her situation. Drop me a line anytime, whether its about any queries or demands or just to share your well-being. Charlotte Bront and Jane Eyre Background. reader that Diana and Mary both have married respectable and caring husbands and visit regularly. He hates the passionate love he feels for Rosamond, seeing it as a failing, a mortal temptation to be rebuked, a sinful distraction that would deflect his soul from its divine course. Most of Jane's rebellions target the inequities of society, but much of her personality is fairly conventional. I could never rest in communication with strong, discreet, and refined minds, whether male or female, till I had passed the outworks of conventional reserve, and crossed the threshold of confidence, and won a place by their heart's very hearthstone. That is just as fixed as a rock, firm set in the depths of a restless sea. He has Rochester's sternness but none of his humor or humanness. succeed. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Mary, as well as Diana, exemplifies the kind of woman Jane desires to become; and transforms into throughout the course of the novel. 3/11/13
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