In the light of St Johns proposal, discuss the importance in Jane Eyre of love and marriage.
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sandraxixv (student)
“It is not personal, but mental endowments they have given you: you are formed for labour, not for love...I claim you not for my pleasure, but for my Sovereign’s service.” In the light of St John’s proposal, discuss the importance in Jane Eyre of love and marriage.
In Jane Eyre love and marriage are important in different ways. In some relationships the two aspects are disconnected and in one they are eventually united. St John views marriage as a practical arrangement. ‘It is not personal’ shows that St John views marriage as separate from his emotions and love. This supported when he addresses his claim on her ‘for [his] Sovereign’s service.’ He feels that marrying Jane is something he has to do, and he is marrying her for the purpose of duty. This links to Victorian morality because marriage was generally viewed as something that was done for a purpose such as marrying for status, money or duty. The society would have frowned upon wild marriages based on love without a valid reason. Apart from St John’s loveless marriage principles, there are elements in the novel where love outweighs marriage, but eventually equalises which is reflected in Rochester and Jane’s relationship. There is also a passionate at first marriage which then becomes incomplete and loveless and this is shown through Bertha and Rochester’s marriage.
St John and Jane’s relationship is one which is more associated with friendship, and the fact that they are cousins, that Jane is in love with Rochester, and St John is in love with Rosamond Oliver means that there is never any romantic link between the two. There is no love and Jane identifies this. ‘We did not love each other as man and wife should…we ought not to marry’ Jane’s views are very individualistic as society would have not have approved of her ideas that marriage should be the product of true love and passion. Of course St John disagrees with this idea and in fact thinks the opposite so his ideas of love and marriage correspond with those of society. He tells Jane that ‘[she] is formed for labour, not for love’ which is important because it highlights the reason he is marrying her. ‘Labour’ shows that he thinks that Jane is someone who would be a good missionary’s wife and potential child bearer but it suggests a very mundane style of living which is not what Jane wants. In some ways it seems as if St John is using her because the marriage doesn’t benefit her in any way. The verb ‘formed’ suggests that it is Jane’s destiny and fate to be a missionary’s wife. St John’s potential marriage to Jane is a direct contrast to if he was to marry Rosamond Oliver. ‘I love Rosamond Oliver so wildly…she would not make me a good wife.’ He loves Rosamond Oliver and his feelings towards her are passionate; the connotations on the adverb ‘wildly’ suggest not only passionate intensity but also that marrying Rosamond would be a wild, reckless decision. However as much as he loves her, his definition of a good wife is not someone who he loves and cares about but someone who is appropriate for his duty. The use, therefore, of St John’s proposal to Jane is a way of showing that he viewed the role of marriage as more important than love.
In Jane Eyre love and marriage are important in different ways. In some relationships the two aspects are disconnected and in one they are eventually united. St John views marriage as a practical arrangement. ‘It is not personal’ shows that St John views marriage as separate from his emotions and love. This supported when he addresses his claim on her ‘for [his] Sovereign’s service.’ He feels that marrying Jane is something he has to do, and he is marrying her for the purpose of duty. This links to Victorian morality because marriage was generally viewed as something that was done for a purpose such as marrying for status, money or duty. The society would have frowned upon wild marriages based on love without a valid reason. Apart from St John’s loveless marriage principles, there are elements in the novel where love outweighs marriage, but eventually equalises which is reflected in Rochester and Jane’s relationship. There is also a passionate at first marriage which then becomes incomplete and loveless and this is shown through Bertha and Rochester’s marriage.
St John and Jane’s relationship is one which is more associated with friendship, and the fact that they are cousins, that Jane is in love with Rochester, and St John is in love with Rosamond Oliver means that there is never any romantic link between the two. There is no love and Jane identifies this. ‘We did not love each other as man and wife should…we ought not to marry’ Jane’s views are very individualistic as society would have not have approved of her ideas that marriage should be the product of true love and passion. Of course St John disagrees with this idea and in fact thinks the opposite so his ideas of love and marriage correspond with those of society. He tells Jane that ‘[she] is formed for labour, not for love’ which is important because it highlights the reason he is marrying her. ‘Labour’ shows that he thinks that Jane is someone who would be a good missionary’s wife and potential child bearer but it suggests a very mundane style of living which is not what Jane wants. In some ways it seems as if St John is using her because the marriage doesn’t benefit her in any way. The verb ‘formed’ suggests that it is Jane’s destiny and fate to be a missionary’s wife. St John’s potential marriage to Jane is a direct contrast to if he was to marry Rosamond Oliver. ‘I love Rosamond Oliver so wildly…she would not make me a good wife.’ He loves Rosamond Oliver and his feelings towards her are passionate; the connotations on the adverb ‘wildly’ suggest not only passionate intensity but also that marrying Rosamond would be a wild, reckless decision. However as much as he loves her, his definition of a good wife is not someone who he loves and cares about but someone who is appropriate for his duty. The use, therefore, of St John’s proposal to Jane is a way of showing that he viewed the role of marriage as more important than love.
