罗切斯特的性格分析 rochester in Jane Eyer

Rochester in Jane Eyre Abstract: Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte, one of the greatest realistic writers in 19th century, is regarded as Charlotte Brontes masterpiece. For generations, readers are impressed by Jane Eyre, the heroine in the novel, for her strong, rebellious, brave, wise character and to the contrary, Mr. Rochester seems to be rather not appealing. However, further reading reveals that Mr. Rochester is also attached a colorful life experience and complex characteristics. This paper focuses on the Mr. Rochesters character and psychological development. Key words: Jane Eyre; Rochester; love and marriage; god of fire; inferiority feeling. Introduction: Jane Eyre is Charlotte Brontes best-received novel, both for the characters and for the feminism it revealed. What is more, the novel is added with the personal life experience of the writer, which makes itself more vivid and touching. Charlotte Bronte is a well acknowledged as a female realistic novelist in 19th century. She was born in a poor country family in 1816 and in 1824, with her sisters-Maria, Elizabeth and Emily, she was sent to a charity school, where two of her sisters died of tuberculosis, the same disease in Jane Eyre Helen burns died of. After being governess for many years and being despised for many years, she finally gave up this kind of life and found a place to study French where she fell in love with a married man-Mr. Hegar in Jane Eyre she endowed the ideal hero Mr. Rochester with the affection for Mr. Hegar to memorize her fruitless love.Analysis:I. His attitude towards love and marriageThe 19th century was a time where male superiority was prevailing. The law said that when a woman married a man, her property would be the property of her husband. In the novel, the rule was well demonstrated by the marriage of Rochester and Bertha. Rochester was the second son in family, which meant he had no right to inherit the property. Having no choice, his father and older brother arranged for a marriage with a wife of a great deal of dowry to him. He kept his status and wealth, while at the same time he received an unhappy marriage. But it was far more an unhappy marriage, as Bertha came from a “mad family, idiots and maniacs through three generations”. When discovered the fact, it was too late to something to pull himself out from the fuss. Since Bertha was mad, divorce was impossible. Being deeply hearted, he kept his crazy wife in an attic of the Thornfield Hall and began his journey looking for a new wife.By what he done to Bertha, the writer reflected the male-dominated society, where male were superior and female were subordinate. Rochester was both an oppressor and a victim. During his journey, he indulged himself in profligate life, as he states “I have the right to get a pleasure out of life: and I will get it, cost what it may”. Once he was addicted to a French opera singer who in turn betrayed him and left him an offspring whose father is unclear. He felt disappointed towards this kind of women, who had nothing but a beautiful head. Then, Jane appeared, and until then, he made it out that it was a pure and beautiful soul that counted, rather than a pretty face with an empty brain. Jane, with a poor background and a plain face, was not attractive for Rochester at first, compared with other women in his life. But it was exactly the rebellious thoughts and strong will coming from the fertile mind that deeply drew his attention which since then, was never away from the girl. He wanted to talk to Jane, nearly about everything and wanted to listen to her words. Although sometimes they would argue on something, they had much in common in their characters. As Terry states, “Rochester would not of course find Jane attractive, if she were merely dull, but neither would he love her if, like Blanche Ingram, she were consciously after money.” Despite the difference from status and property, he was strongly fascinated to Jane, who also fell in love with him.II.The shining points in Mr. Rochester When reading the novel, Rochester gave readers a image of a cold-hearted middle- aged man, while after thinking about what he had done, we may found it not totally the truth. He brought Adela from France to Thornfield Hall and sent her to private school, even though the little was probably not his daughter and her mother had betrayed him. To Bertha, he first tolerated her profligacy and after her being mad, he did not give her up and kept her attended, though locking her in an attic was a little bit cruel. Being a victim of their poor marriage, his act showed enough kindness and mercy. Even when bertha tended to jump from the top of the burning building, he bent on his knees, begging her to come down. Even he was in fire, he did not just leave. He was not willing to see the woman die, though she ruined his life. III.Rochester and the god of fire In chapter 37, after hearing Janes description to St John, Rochester felt jealous, he said 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, and brown, broad-shouldered: and blind and lame into the bargain.And Jane responded, I never thought of it, before; but you certainly are rather like Vulcan, sir.At this time, he was burnt, losing an eye and an arm. He described himself as the god of fire, who was ugly and disabled. But actually, it is not the appearance but his love to Jane that is burning like fire. When he exposed his love to Jane, he said he would love her like his own flesh and when near Jane, he felt he was not willing to leave her even a mile. He said, “I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you- especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame.”(Chapter 23) He loved Jane for her strong mind and her clever brain and his love like the god of fire, was burning in the heart of Jane. New findings: Rochesters Inferiority feelingsWhen he found himself in love with Jane, he did not just expose his feelings to her. Instead, he pretended to care nothing about her, and invited Blanche Ingram to Thornfield Hall and pretended to be addicted to her, in order to make Jane jealous and to see what Jane felt about him. He also dressed himself as a Gypsies, approaching Jane, trying to make her expose her feelings. He did such things, as he knew that Jane was different, for she had a spirit of independence, which is distinct from women at that time. His status and property gave him not much confidence and only a sincere heart could win a sincere heart. Rochester was not handsome and he was 20 years older than Jane and he was afraid of being hated and turned down, so he had to do something to prove Janes love without revealing his feelings. After his eye being blinded and his arm being ruined, he felt himself an old, blind and disabled Vulcan, who was not fit for such a girl like Jane. His self-abased feeling must be growing. However, the love between them was stronger than Rochesters inferiority feeling