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 presence of her cousin St. John. St. John’s unwavering commitment to God attracts Jane in a way that is uncanny, and his power of suggestion over Jane is unnerving even to Jane herself. Jane’s descriptions for each character differentiate the men very readily, using the opposing
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Rochester attracts fiery, passionate love from Jane, her language describing him follows suit. While St. John is the icy, blue-eyed man of God that represents the “Greek” aspect of Jane’s love, Mr. Rochester is the exact opposite. He is smoldering, intense, passionate, dark-eyed, and is associated multiple times with Roman Gods and culture. St. John seems to effortlessly lure Jane to him in an almost supernatural way, but Mr. Rochester bursts at the seams with his love for Jane and does not shy away from showing it. The divide between the two is enormous, and Mr. Rochester himself highlights the separation when told of St. John. “‘The picture you have just drawn is suggestive of a rather too overwhelming contrast. Your words have delineated very prettily a graceful Apollo: he is present to your imagination-tall, fair, blue-eyed, and with a Grecian profile. Your eyes dwell on a Vulcan- a real blacksmith, brown, broad-shouldered; and blind and lame into the bargain.’” (422 Brontë) Mr. Rochester’s description of St. John as a “graceful Apollo” solidifies his stance regarding his Greek descriptions. His comparison to Apollo further distances himself from Mr. Rochester, as the blemish-free God of Music is nothing like the work-hardened blacksmith that is Vulcan. Vulcan itself is a Roman exclusive name, and the fact that Mr. Rochester uses it to characterize himself says a lot about the complexity of Jane’s attraction for him. The more rugged nature of Mr. Rochester’s character corresponds to the deity he uses to describe himself. He does not exactly exude stereotypical handsomeness, as he is tall, yet imposing, with a constricted face and a wider frame. Yet as with Vulcan to other Roman gods, Mr. Rochester’s real appeal to Jane is his character, and his boundless love for her. The parallels between him and Vulcan continue, as he says himself he is “blind and lame in the bargain.” Vulcan was also believed to be a God that carried a limp, portraying the character
Rochester attracts fiery, passionate love from Jane, her language describing him follows suit. While St. John is the icy, blue-eyed man of God that represents the “Greek” aspect of Jane’s love, Mr. Rochester is the exact opposite. He is smoldering, intense, passionate, dark-eyed, and is associated multiple times with Roman Gods and culture. St. John seems to effortlessly lure Jane to him in an almost supernatural way, but Mr. Rochester bursts at the seams with his love for Jane and does not shy away from showing it. The divide between the two is enormous, and Mr. Rochester himself highlights the separation when told of St. John. “‘The picture you have just drawn is suggestive of a rather too overwhelming contrast. Your words have delineated very prettily a graceful Apollo: he is present to your imagination-tall, fair, blue-eyed, and with a Grecian profile. Your eyes dwell on a Vulcan- a real blacksmith, brown, broad-shouldered; and blind and lame into the bargain.’” (422 Brontë) Mr. Rochester’s description of St. John as a “graceful Apollo” solidifies his stance regarding his Greek descriptions. His comparison to Apollo further distances himself from Mr. Rochester, as the blemish-free God of Music is nothing like the work-hardened blacksmith that is Vulcan. Vulcan itself is a Roman exclusive name, and the fact that Mr. Rochester uses it to characterize himself says a lot about the complexity of Jane’s attraction for him. The more rugged nature of Mr. Rochester’s character corresponds to the deity he uses to describe himself. He does not exactly exude stereotypical handsomeness, as he is tall, yet imposing, with a constricted face and a wider frame. Yet as with Vulcan to other Roman gods, Mr. Rochester’s real appeal to Jane is his character, and his boundless love for her. The parallels between him and Vulcan continue, as he says himself he is “blind and lame in the bargain.” Vulcan was also believed to be a God that carried a limp, portraying the character