Chapters 27-38

Summary:

After exhausting her money, Jane comes to live with the Rivers, she spends a while recovering and soon after converses with Hannah about Mr Rivers who died leaving them nothing after a business deal failed. Their uncle John also dies and leaves no inheritance for them as it has been passed on to another relative. Mary and Diana become fond of Jane however, St John remains distant. St John finds a managerial position for Jane in Morton, where she will be working in a school. In Morton she lives in a cottage belonging to wealthy heiress Rosamund Oliver. Rosamund and St John are clearly in love with each other and Jane, who confronts St John about this, scolds himself for his worldly desires assuming her to be a poor missionary wife. Jane is disappointed by her job and St John confesses that he had doubts about becoming a missionary. Jane is discovered to be Jane Eyre by St John. It comes out that Jane has been left a large sum of money by her uncle John who happens to be the river’s uncle. They are cousins. She divides the money between them all. Some time passes and following the engagement of Rosamund Oliver, St John proposes to Jane suggesting that they move to India to do mission work. He says that should she not accept she is denying her faith. Jane declines; stating that they are not in love. Following this incident, St John pressures Jane into changing her mind. She soon feels as if she should marry him but then she hears Rochester calling for her. Jan is disturbed by this and leaves for Thornfield. Upon arriving, she discovers that Thornfield Manor lies in ruins. It is revealed that Bertha Mason set it on fire months before and died after jumping form the rooftop. Rochester saved the servants and attempted to save his wife; in the fir he lost his hand and became blind. He afterward resided in a small house with servants. Jane goes to Rochester and he feels that it is her. She promises to never leave him. They marry quietly and writing from ten years of marriage to him, Jane reveals that Mary and Diana are married, St John moved to India as a missionary-explaining that she does not expect to hear from him again. She is happy and has a family and children.



Characters:

With a new environment comes new characters and after leaving Thornfield, Jane resides with the Rivers, Mary and Diana, two agreeable young ladies who are fond of Jane. They show themselves to be strong, capable women as they struggle silently through their hard situation. St John; pronounced Sinjin is also introduced. These characters are Jane’s cousins. He is at first an unlikable character who is distant, cold and strict with himself. He is love with a woman named Rosamund who is kind and obliging. However, St John controls himself as he sees her as a wanton desire and impractical for his way of life as a missionary. Rosamund Oliver reciprocates these feelings but after no attempt is made on St Johns part she agrees to marry someone else. St John, who has in the past doubted his call to God, is certain that e should move to India. This shows him to be committed to his cause but unromantic otherwise as there is no love between Jane and himself. The pressure he places on Jane after her denial shows his manipulative characteristics. He later leaves for India without a wife and Jane never expects to hear from him again.

Bertha is removed from the novel, her death proving her to be insane and unmanageable. Mr Rochester is re-introduced as a cripple somewhat different from the strong man he was earlier in the novel. His valiant efforts to save Bertha and his successful saviours of others make him out to be a strong, good man who has concern for others. He is now dependent on Jane. It is clear that he is still in love with Jane and this shows loyalty. He becomes a father and a husband once more. Jane has developed throughout the novel but it is only in the conclusion that she is truly happy and at ease without some foreboding feeling. She has family and relations. She is stable, both financially and emotionally. She remains kind, proven by her division of her inheritance. She is with the man she loves. She is married.


Themes:

Dependence: Examples of this are as follows; Jane’s dependence on the Rivers, The Rivers dependence on fiancé, and Rochester’s dependence on Jane. Which is a contradiction to the previous workings of the novel as it has always been Jane who is dependent on Rochester.
Family: Jane discovers trough the death of an uncle that she has cousins. Mary and Diana also form families, as we know they both marry. Jane gains yet more family after marrying Rochester and having children.
Submittance: Jane’s submittance to Rochester as his wife and carer and St John’s submittance to his duty, regardless of his love for Rosamund.
Co-incidence: The fact that the Rivers were Jane’s cousins. Something that may be seen as co-incidence or maybe something supernatural is Rochester’s call to Jane and Jane's hearing it and answering. To Rochester, it is a co-incidence that he called out to her and she retuned but to Jane who felt as if she heard him- it is supernatural.