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"'Yes, it is enough. But if one day you didn't wish it. What should I do then? Suppose you took this happiness away when I wasn't looking…' 'And lose my own? Who'd be so foolish?' 'I am not used to happiness,' she said. 'It makes me afraid.'"
This quote, which comes from Part Two, reflects the impact that Antoinette’s isolated childhood has on her adult life. Used to being alone and forgotten from her days at Coulibri, she fears that Rochester will ultimately leave her like every other important figure in her life. Antoinette struggles to accept the initial happiness she feels as a result of being in a relationship, and this hesitation adds to the growing distance between her and Rochester.
“But I loved this place and you have made it into a place I hate. I used to think that if everything else went out of my life I would still have this, and now you have spoilt it. It’s just somewhere else where I have been unhappy, and all the other things are nothing to what has happened here. I hate it now like I hate you and before I die I will show you how much I hate you.”
As Antoinette unleashes her fury on Rochester in Part Two, she offers this assessment of how his presence has changed her life. The connection she makes between her ongoing resentment toward her husband and her newfound hatred of her home suggests that he is responsible for initiating downward spiral. Just like her mother reacts to Mr. Mason’s uncaring behavior, Antoinette lashes out in an attempt to reassert her voice in her oppressive relationship with Rochester.
"All of us except that girl who lives in her own darkness. I'll say one thing for her, she hasn't lost her spirit. She's still fierce. I don't turn my back on her when her eyes have that look. I know it."
Grace Poole delivers these lines at the beginning of Part Three, and her observation of Antoinette at Thornfield Hall suggests that captivity has only strengthened her resolve to make her voice heard. The notion of Antoinette’s fierce spirit reflects an unwavering, internal power which Rochester, throughout his narration, refuses to genuinely acknowledge. Grace’s more generous characterization of her charge, however, highlights the fact that suffering and strength can coexist. Antoinette embodies a resilience that ultimately enables her to leave her mark on Thornfield Hall once and for all.
