Mr. Rochester and St. John’s Greek and Roman Divisions
Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre details the life of the titular heroine, displaying a character that undergoes both immense physical and mental growth within the pages of the novel. Jane’s developing desire for love is realized when she finally becomes a young adult, as she forms a relationship with her pupil’s caretaker (and possible father) Mr. Rochester. The two intend to get married, yet horrors from Mr. Rochester’s past cause Jane to flee, and she finds herself in the strangely alluring presence of her cousin, St. John. Jane’s descriptions for each character differentiate the men very readily, using opposing references of ancient Greek and Roman society along with physical descriptions to highlight the disparities between the characters. …show more content…
It is seldom, indeed, an English face comes so near the antique models as did his” (Brontë 329). Unlike Mr. Rochester, in which the topic of religion seldom if ever is involved with Jane’s love for him, St. John’s religious power and magnetism is even seen in his physical appearance. Being described as having a perfect “Athenian” face, and likened to a Greek statue, St. John is the literal embodiment of a statue created to please and mimic an ancient God. His delicate Greek features fit the stereotypical male beauty standards of the time, and indicate his “pure” nature and appearance that were valued so highly. Yet Jane, as seen multiple times in the novel, is anything but a stereotypical woman for the time, therefore she would never choose a man displaying a stereotypically handsome appearance. She instead selects the man with the Roman features, proving her inability to commit to an entirely pure life or
Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre details the life of the titular heroine, displaying a character that undergoes both immense physical and mental growth within the pages of the novel. Jane’s developing desire for love is realized when she finally becomes a young adult, as she forms a relationship with her pupil’s caretaker (and possible father) Mr. Rochester. The two intend to get married, yet horrors from Mr. Rochester’s past cause Jane to flee, and she finds herself in the strangely alluring presence of her cousin, St. John. Jane’s descriptions for each character differentiate the men very readily, using opposing references of ancient Greek and Roman society along with physical descriptions to highlight the disparities between the characters. …show more content…
It is seldom, indeed, an English face comes so near the antique models as did his” (Brontë 329). Unlike Mr. Rochester, in which the topic of religion seldom if ever is involved with Jane’s love for him, St. John’s religious power and magnetism is even seen in his physical appearance. Being described as having a perfect “Athenian” face, and likened to a Greek statue, St. John is the literal embodiment of a statue created to please and mimic an ancient God. His delicate Greek features fit the stereotypical male beauty standards of the time, and indicate his “pure” nature and appearance that were valued so highly. Yet Jane, as seen multiple times in the novel, is anything but a stereotypical woman for the time, therefore she would never choose a man displaying a stereotypically handsome appearance. She instead selects the man with the Roman features, proving her inability to commit to an entirely pure life or