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1)When Jane first arrives at Thornfield Hall, she finds it rather gloomy and eerily unwelcoming.  She first mentions it is as "cozy and agreeable" (139) but later on says "..And in some measure effaced the eerie impression made by that wide hall, that dark and spacious staircase."  This same conflict soon presents itself again when Jane meets Mr. Rochester.  She finds him intriguingly harsh, but then feels welcomed by him oddly when he discusses her paintings with her by the fireside.

2)My answer to the question above begins in chapter 11 and continues until around chapter 17.  Because it is fairly broad, my answer spans across several chapters.  I am comparing an experience that Jane had early on in the book up until she starts to fall in love with Mr. Rochester which is wedged farther in the story.

3)Thornfield Hall’s macrocosm of Mr. Rochester helps me better understand the whole novel by presenting this significant character in a bigger, more understandable perspective.  If one does not fully understand the meaning of either Thornfield Hall or Mr. Rochester, it helps to have a smaller, or in this case, larger metaphor of the character or setting.

How is Thornfield Hall a macrocosm of Rochester?

What is your answer?

Both Rochester and his home were each hiding something.  Rochester hid from Jane that he had married Bertha, keeping her on the third floor of his house.  Rochester’s house conceals the same thing, on a different level.  Rochester keeps Bertha locked away in his mind, just like Bertha is locked away on the third floor of his home.  Eventually, both have their secrets revealed; Mr. Mason reveals Rochester’s marriage to Bertha at the wedding.  Both even suffer similarly towards the end of the book.  Rochester’s house is burned down by Bertha, while Rochester is blinded and loses his hand in the same fire.

Where in the novel is your proof?

Most of these events occur towards the end of the novel; Rochester holds on to his secret until it is revealed at his and Jane’s wedding.  Jane leaves Rochester once she learns of his previous marriage, and later, Rochester’s house is lit on fire by Bertha.  The destruction of R ochester’s house can be tied to the destruction of his potential marriage to Jane, as well as the loss of his eyesight and hand use.

How does this help you better understand the novel?

The novel is focused around an unconventional love story between Rochester and Jane.  They are supposed to be together, but something stands in the way – Bertha.  This helps us to understand what initially keeps Jane and Rochester apart.  It can also be used to portray Rochester as a tragic figure.  He loses his love, his home, his eyesight, and his hand – because of Bertha.  Despite all of this, Rochester and Jane manage to marry at the end of the book.  Throughout the book, Bertha stood in the way of Rochester’s happiness, and once she was killed in the fire, Ro chester’s mind was freed and his love restored.

Explain how one character confronts his/her "other within".

Jane Eyre confronts her "other within" in the beginning of the book.  This novel covers Jane Eyre’s entire life, starting when she was 10.  She is sent to the Lowood School because Mr. Lloyd claims she needs some schooling.  Mrs. Reed snaps, "I will indeed send her to school soon" (35), which means, although she thinks Mr. Lloyd might feel it a necessity for Jane to attend school, she does not find it beneficial for Jane.  Jane spends eight years at Lowood, being both being a student and a teacher.  Towards the end of her time there, she decides to start a new chapter in her life by venturing out to find a job.  This is one time when she confronts that person inside herself.  Jane started out a timid child but evolves into an independent young woman.  She takes the challenge of being a governess by stating, "I mounted the vehicle which was to bear me to new duties and a new life in the unknown environs of Millcote" (96).  This is the exact point where she confronts herself within.  She has crossed over from the world of being a little girl to being a mature woman capable of making responsible decisions.

How is Thornfield Hall a macrocosm of Rochester?

What is your Answer?

In the novel, both Thornfield and Rochester have secrets.  The third floor of Thornfield represents Rochesters secret wife.  When it burns down, the third floor is no longer there and neither is Rochesters wife.

Where in the novel is your proof?

When Jane meets Rochester and moves to Thornfield, when Jane finds out about Rochesters wife, and when Thornfield hall burns down is when the connection becomes evident.

So?How does your analysis help you understand the whole novel?

It shows how things are connected and how in the blink of an eye things can change.

Explain how one charcacter confronts his/her "other within".

What is your answer?

    Rochester is living with the secret that he is married to a lunatic woman of whom he does not love. Meanwhile, he is falling in love with Jane and decides that he wants to marry her. When Jane and Rochester go to the church to get married, Rochester is confronted with the fact that he already has a wife. He is forced to realize he cannot live a secret life, and must confess to not only Jane, but he, himself has to finally deal with his situation.

Where in the novel is your proof?

    At the end of chapter 25 Jane is telling Rochester how she woke up to find a strange looking woman in her room tearing up her wedding veil. Rochester tells Jane it was Grace Poole, and that a year and a day after they are married he will tell her the full truth. Rochester is fighting an inner battle with himself in that he is unable to be truthful about who the woman really is. The truth will ruin his and Jane's relationship, but he is unable to face reality.

So? How does your analysis help you understand the whole novel?

    Throughout Jane Eyre many characters face an inner struggle or an "other within". Rochester must battle his struggle between reality and fantasy. If things were perfect for him, Jane would never know about Bertha, and he can go on living his ideal life. However, the scene in the novel where the wedding is called off changed the entire story line. It also triggers Jane's mind that she needs to fight her "other within" and explore the world beyond Thornfield as an independent. It helped me understand the novel because the truth about each character was becoming unguarded and it was now possible to see how each character truly felt.