Jane Eyre And Marriage
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Perspectives of Marriage in Jane Eyre
Many novels speak of love and indulging in passion, but few speak of the dynamics that actually make a marriage work. Jane Eyre is one of these novels. It doesnt display the fleeing passions of a Romeo and Juliet. This is due entirely to Brontes views on marriage and love. The first exception to the traditional couple the reader is shown is Rochesters marriage to Bertha. This example shows the consequences of indulging in passion. The opposite side is shown through another unlikely would-be couple, Rosamund and St. John. Through this pair, Bronte reveals the consequences of indulging in duty. Another view of marriage is also present in the book, through the character Jane Eyre and her actions.
The first example of Brontes view on the role of passion is in Rochesters marriage to Bertha. This marriage is based entirely on passion. Rochester does nothing to either restrain or question his passion. Because of his impulsive passion, he entraps himself in an unfufilling marriage. He thought nothing of his duty and his consequence of this was he becomes the pride owner of a marriage based entirely on duty. Through Rochesters choices and consequences of those choices, the reader can see that Bronte asserts that marriage decisions based on passion and ignoring the role of duty will bring more than the loss of passion, it will bring an abundance of what you failed to factor into the decision, duty. People have to take care of responsibilities if they want to have fun and happiness later.
In case the reader failed to recognize the opportunity the Rochester marriage gives her to see Brontes views, she puts in the book the could-be St. John marriage. St. John decides not to marry Rosamund Oliver based on his passion for her. He completely shuns his passion, the opposite extreme of Rochester. In doing this and basing his marriage decision on his duty to God, he looses a genuine chance to gain true happiness. Through this example in Jane Eyre, Bronte is trying to show the reader that the opposite end of the spectrum is also wrong in making a marriage decision. A person will be unhappy if they shun passion and/or base marriage