In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the protagonist, Jane, reveals what she is looking for in marriage through her opportunities to marry and her responses to each of them. Jane is an orphan who lives with her despicable cousins and aunt. After being sent away to a school steeped in hypocrisy and cruelty and upon completing her education, she finds work as a governess with the Byronic hero Mr. Rochester. As they get acquainted Jane and Mr. Rochester fall in love which leads the pair to get engaged. In the church, their marriage ceremony is interrupted and it is revealed to Jane that Mr. Rochester is currently married to Bertha who has with mental issues. Rather than stay to marry the love of her life, Jane chooses to run away from
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By refusing to marry Mr. Rochester the first time Jane shows how important a moral aspect in a relationship is to her. When she finds out that he is already married to another woman, Jane puts moral convictions over love and refuses to stay in the bigamous relationship with Mr. Rochester. Additionally, by rejecting St. John and passing over a loveless relationship, Jane demonstrates her need for passion in a marriage. Furthermore, her rejection of him also reveals that Jane looks for compatibility. She views marriage as a relationship where the two people complete each other and are partners. For St. John however, marriage is the opportunity to find a woman who is subservient to him, an idea anathema to Jane. While the relationship would be a moral one, Jane refuses to livea passionless life while being married. She also realizes the importance of the man and woman being in harmony when it comes to how they feel the relationship should be. Finally, when Jane marries Mr. Rochester after returning to him, she shows all that she desires from a marriage as well as showing that she refuses to settle for less. Charlotte Bronte uses Jane as a tool to exhibit basic dynamics women should strive for in a marriage. Through the opportunities that Jane has to marry and her responses to each of them, Jane reveals all the aspects she feels will make a marriage work and what she needs, and shows that she will not settle for anything
By refusing to marry Mr. Rochester the first time Jane shows how important a moral aspect in a relationship is to her. When she finds out that he is already married to another woman, Jane puts moral convictions over love and refuses to stay in the bigamous relationship with Mr. Rochester. Additionally, by rejecting St. John and passing over a loveless relationship, Jane demonstrates her need for passion in a marriage. Furthermore, her rejection of him also reveals that Jane looks for compatibility. She views marriage as a relationship where the two people complete each other and are partners. For St. John however, marriage is the opportunity to find a woman who is subservient to him, an idea anathema to Jane. While the relationship would be a moral one, Jane refuses to livea passionless life while being married. She also realizes the importance of the man and woman being in harmony when it comes to how they feel the relationship should be. Finally, when Jane marries Mr. Rochester after returning to him, she shows all that she desires from a marriage as well as showing that she refuses to settle for less. Charlotte Bronte uses Jane as a tool to exhibit basic dynamics women should strive for in a marriage. Through the opportunities that Jane has to marry and her responses to each of them, Jane reveals all the aspects she feels will make a marriage work and what she needs, and shows that she will not settle for anything