payment page
"And the woman is a stranger. Her pleading expression annoys me. I have not bought her, she has bought me, or so she thinks…I have sold my soul or you have sold it, and after all is it such a bad bargain? The girl is thought to be beautiful, she is beautiful. And yet…"
These lines, which appear at the beginning of Part Two, reflect Rochester’s attitude and financial position at the beginning of his marriage to Antoinette. He explains his relationship in transactional terms, and this word choice emphasizes his lack of emotional investment in his wife. Rochester’s references to the role that his father, or “you” in this quotation, played in arranging his marriage also evokes a degree of sympathy for him as he feels helpless much like Antoinette does.
"There was a bottle of wine on the round table. It was very late when I poured out two glasses and told her to drink to our happiness, to our love and the day without end which would be tomorrow. I was young then. A short youth mine was."
Rochester offers this reflection on his naivete in the early days of his marriage in Part Two, and the pessimistic tone of this moment highlights his frustration toward the performative nature of his relationship. He quickly grows tired of playing the part of a loving husband and develops a jaded perspective toward his entire experience in Jamaica as a result. By connecting the idea of happiness to youth and innocence, Rochester seems to suggest that joy is, in reality, unattainable.
"I said loudly and wildly, 'And do you think that I wanted all this? I would give my life to undo it. I would give my eyes never to have seen this abominable place.'"
At the height of his argument with Christophine near the end of Part Two, Rochester reveals just how desperately he wants to escape from Jamaica and his relationship with Antoinette. Not only does this moment reference the fate that will befall him at the end of Jane Eyre, it also highlights the extent of his anger and his own feelings of helplessness. Much like Antoinette, Rochester did not seek out their relationship on his own accord. Unlike his wife, however, he can have these “loud” and “wild” emotional outbursts without facing consequences for them. This disparity calls attention to Rochester’s inability to see past his own struggles and empathize with his wife.
