St. John's Relationship
In Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester is an emotionally intense and passionate man. In contrast, the Christian missionary St. John Rivers is cold and restrained. In life, where fire and ice are opposites of each other in many different ways, Rochester and St. John represent that relationship in their opposing features, motives, and reactions. One of the clearest examples of their fire-and-ice relationship is their individual motive for wanting to marry Jane. Rochester wanted to marry Jane for love, because he was “chained” to the lunatic Bertha. The way he declares his love is fiery and energetic, almost to the point of craziness. He states, “You – you strange – you almost unearthly thing! I love as my own flesh. You – poor and
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John does not have feelings for her, but instead wishes to bring her as an assistant on his missionary trip to India. He reasons that, to achieve her God-given mission, “[…] you [Jane] must have a coadjutor – not a brother, that is a loose tie, but a husband. I too, do not want a sister; a sister might any day be taken away from me. I want a wife; the sole help-meet I can influence efficiently in life, and retain absolutely till death” (Brontë 470). Another difference between Mr. Rochester and St. John is their appearance. Brontë writes that Rochester had “a massive head” and “great, dark eyes” (136-137), while St. John’s face was, “like a Greek face, very pure in outline; quite a straight, classic nose; quite like an Athenian mouth and chin” (400). St. John’s face is clearly defined, almost statue-like, and appears very cold and refined, just like the “ice” that he symbolizes in the story. Similarly to how John’s sophisticated features represent his iciness, Rochester’s unconventional features, such as his heavy brow and dark eyes, represent how primitive aspect of fire. Lastly, the way they react to being rejected by Jane also illustrates that they are opposites. When Jane refused to marry Rochester because he already had a wife, he blew up in
John does not have feelings for her, but instead wishes to bring her as an assistant on his missionary trip to India. He reasons that, to achieve her God-given mission, “[…] you [Jane] must have a coadjutor – not a brother, that is a loose tie, but a husband. I too, do not want a sister; a sister might any day be taken away from me. I want a wife; the sole help-meet I can influence efficiently in life, and retain absolutely till death” (Brontë 470). Another difference between Mr. Rochester and St. John is their appearance. Brontë writes that Rochester had “a massive head” and “great, dark eyes” (136-137), while St. John’s face was, “like a Greek face, very pure in outline; quite a straight, classic nose; quite like an Athenian mouth and chin” (400). St. John’s face is clearly defined, almost statue-like, and appears very cold and refined, just like the “ice” that he symbolizes in the story. Similarly to how John’s sophisticated features represent his iciness, Rochester’s unconventional features, such as his heavy brow and dark eyes, represent how primitive aspect of fire. Lastly, the way they react to being rejected by Jane also illustrates that they are opposites. When Jane refused to marry Rochester because he already had a wife, he blew up in