Mr. Brocklehurst is a reverend, a position often taken by men who practise what they preach, but Mr. Brocklehurst does not do this (his reverend status shows him in a positive light, but in truth, he is unjust and iniquitous).
Mr. Brocklehurst teaches the young girls at Lowood School to “clothe themselves with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with braided hair and costly apparel”. However, in reality, he lets his own daughters’ attire in “velvet, silk and furs…and grey beaver hats, then in fashion, with ostrich plumes” with their hair “a false front of French curls”.
Mr. Brocklehurst is perhaps one of the biggest hypocrites in the novel for this.
Lowood School is also a symbol of appearance versus reality, as on the outside it appears harsh and foreboding, but in reality Jane was happy there – she had unity and an education at Lowood, not to mention made some good friends, whose opinions and ethics affected her life later on, as an adult.
Jane Eyre is ‘tricked’ into accepting her position of governess at Thornfield Hall by appearance versus reality. She accepts, because the letter she receives inviting her to Thornfield is from Mrs. Fairfax, and Jane believes that her employer will be a woman, but in reality, her employer is a man: Mr. Rochester. If Jane had known this at the time, she probably would have declined the employment.
Mr. Rochester is probably the most important character in the novel, excluding Jane herself. Mr. Rochester often deceives people to hide his true emotions, as well as to find out theirs.
When Jane first meets Mr. Rochester he is brisk and curt with her, she does not know who he is and mistakes him for a traveller.
Mr. Rochester gives the appearance to the guests of his house that he loves and wished to marry Miss Blanche Ingram. Miss Blanche Ingram also gives the impression that she loves Mr. Rochester. However, Blanche is putting on a façade and only wishes to marry Mr. Rochester for his wealth, and Mr. Rochester does not truly love Blanch, he is putting on a façade to make Jane feel jealousy, and to try and ‘persuade’ Jane’s true feelings out of her (Jane is not letting her feelings known – appearance versus reality).
Mr. Rochester also goes away for a day when his guests are staying, and comes back in the evening pretending to be a gypsy, and refuses to leave until everyone has had their fortunes read. He uses appearance versus reality for his own personal gain, to find out what people truly think about him (and in Miss Ingram’s case, his fortune).
Furthermore, Mr. Rochester appears to be a bachelor, and looking for a wife – hence the party and the attempted marriage with Jane – but in reality he is already married.
Mr. Rochester’s wife (Bertha Mason) is another occurrence of appearance versus reality in Jane Eyre.
Before Mr. Rochester’s marriage with her, they are kept separate and rarely see each other. Bertha appears to be a beautiful, normal woman.
After the marriage, Mr. Rochester discovers that the Mason family has a history of insanity, and that in reality, Bertha is not normal, but also turning insane. Mr. Rochester is tricked by appearance versus reality.
However, despite Mr. Rochester’s appearance as a cold, gruff person (which most who do not know him well would perceive him to have), he takes his vows seriously and looks after Bertha, keeping her safe in the “North Tower” of Thornfield Hall.
Grace Poole can be used as yet another example of not being all she seems. All the nightly wanderings and malicious laughter of the insane Bertha Mason is blamed on Grace Poole, whereas in reality it is not her.
St. John is Jane Eyre’s half cousin, and appears nice, warm and friendly, but in reality suppresses his true feelings.
He wants to marry Jane because he thinks her a useful tool, and not because he loves her.
The woman he truly loves, Rosamund Oliver, he hides his feelings for because he believes she will not make a suitable wife of a missionary.
St. John cannot see what Jane Eyre really is, because of her own appearance versus reality. He does not really see that she is so compassionate that she could never leave someone she loves so dearly as Mr. Rochester behind and travel to India.
