Marriage

Written approximately thirty years after Mansfield Park, Jane Eyre seems to propagate similar ideals about marriage. The roles of morality and gender within the marriage, however, are vastly different.

The appropriate method of class ascension continues to be marriage for female protagonists. However, morality seems to be the characteristic associated with the women of the household. It is perfectly reasonable of Mr. Rochester to suggest he live with Jane “in the south of France in a white-washed villa”, claiming he does not wish to make her his mistress. Although, how that is possible is beyond me (and Jane apparently: “I should then be your mistress…to say otherwise is false”).

It is the female who is expected to uphold morality. In fact, it is Jane who must ensure that Rochester not commit (further) adultery. Nothing says Christian morality better than your conscience quoting the Old Testament in a dream: “you shall tear yourself away… yourself, pluck out your right eye: yourself cut off your right hand: your right heart shall be the victim; and you, the priest, to transfix it”.

What Jane calls “living in sin” is referred to as “pledge of fidelity” by Rochester [oh, the irony]. It is fairly obvious that the institution of marriage holds no meaning to Rochester. It seems then, that even faith is not something expected from a man who has had an unfortunate past.

Moreover, Rochester’s years spent with “English ladies, French countesses, Italian signoras and German gräfinnen”, despite having a wife are not condemned. Nor is his (possible) lovechild of any significance other than depicting foreign immorality.

While Rochester may have been a victim as he believes, tricked by his own family as well as the Masons, it is unclear why an end to this unhappy marriage, either divorce or annulment, is never considered an option. Divorce may be taboo, but probably not more so than adultery in mid-nineteenth century English society. For a man who claims his marriage means nothing he is unwilling to let go of it.