Love, especially in the context of romance and marriage, is a key theme in Jane Eyre and The Great Gatsby. There are many relationships in these novels that show us not only the necessity for love in marriages, but the role it plays. We can begin to understand this by analysing the conditions they existed under and their eventual outcomes.
One relationship that exemplifies that need for love in successful marriages is the marriage of Mr Rochester and Bertha Mason. We see this clearly when he describes her as “mad”. Bertha, in Rochester’s eyes, is not seen as an equal or even fully as a person; he locks her in the attic out of shame. If Rochester truly loved her, he would not have done this.
Another relationship that shows love as a necessary component to marriage is Jane and St. John’s. We see this when Jane states that it would be “unendurable” to be St. John’s wife. This shows us that Jane cannot go through with a marriage whilst she does not truly love the other person romantically, showing us the need for love in a marriage. …show more content…
This is shown when Myrtle is introduced as Tom’s “mistress”—Myrtle wishes to achieve the status and have the wealth of the East Eggers, and she will go to extremes to try and accomplish this, including going as far as to have an affair. Their marriage lacks love, or at least enough love to outweigh the allures of wealth, and this is why it falls apart. Furthermore, this affair prompts Daisy to hit Myrtle with Gatsby’s car, which then leads to the deaths of Gatsby and
One relationship that exemplifies that need for love in successful marriages is the marriage of Mr Rochester and Bertha Mason. We see this clearly when he describes her as “mad”. Bertha, in Rochester’s eyes, is not seen as an equal or even fully as a person; he locks her in the attic out of shame. If Rochester truly loved her, he would not have done this.
Another relationship that shows love as a necessary component to marriage is Jane and St. John’s. We see this when Jane states that it would be “unendurable” to be St. John’s wife. This shows us that Jane cannot go through with a marriage whilst she does not truly love the other person romantically, showing us the need for love in a marriage. …show more content…
This is shown when Myrtle is introduced as Tom’s “mistress”—Myrtle wishes to achieve the status and have the wealth of the East Eggers, and she will go to extremes to try and accomplish this, including going as far as to have an affair. Their marriage lacks love, or at least enough love to outweigh the allures of wealth, and this is why it falls apart. Furthermore, this affair prompts Daisy to hit Myrtle with Gatsby’s car, which then leads to the deaths of Gatsby and