Quote:

Passage from Chapter 23, pg. 350:

” I am sorry to grieve you”, pursued the widow; “but you are so young, and so little acquainted with men, I wished to put you on your guard. It is an an old saying that ‘all is not gold that glitters;’ and in this case I do fear there will be something found to be different to what either you or I expect.”

“Why? – am I a monster?” I said: “is it impossible that Mr. Rochester should have sincere affection for me”? 

Comment:

I thought this passage was interesting as it shows that Mrs. Fairfax is more in engaged with Mr. Rochesters behavior than she seems to let on. She states that Mr. Rochester does appear to show affection for her but she believes that there is something else going on (which we eventually learn). Jane displays anger against the comment because throughout her life she has never felt as respected and wanted as she does at Thornfield, and shown affection as Rochester does that of course she does not understand why Mrs. Fairfax would want to ruin those happy feelings of hers. It also stuck me as very interesting that Jane refers to herself as being a monster if nobody could ever love her. Without a sense of place in the world or love being shown towards her, Jane feels lost and alone, something that someone who is considered a monster must only be the ones who feel this. In connection to the creature of the novel Frankenstein, the want to be appreciated and loved are present also. Jane comes to understand Mrs. Fairfax’s warning to not give in so easily to Rochesters requests for her to marry him but I feel like she doesn’t fully heed her warning after the one month is up and reverting back to her want of affection from Rochester.

Question:

How could Jane, who has gone through a life w with many obstacles and people who have physically and mentally abused her, be so willing to marry a man, who from the time she arrived to Thornfield, been leading her on? Rochester states that he only did so to make her jealous and to make her love him as much as he loved her, but isn’t that something she should have taken caution to? Also with the lies that Rochester did withhold from Jane, will she fall now believe further into the idea of her being a monster as no one can truly love and appreciate her without some bad thing following?