Jane Eyre Chapters 15-28

This read-along is being hosted by  

A Night’s Dream of Books 

and Babbling Books 

I am back!!!! As much as I loved being in Italy, it's so good to be back and talk about books! 

Since I've missed a few discussions for Jane Eyre, I figured that I will ask two questions from each week that I missed while I was gone:

Chapters 15-19


 Rochester seems a very strong personality. Is it surprising that he would become enamored with someone like Céline Varens?

It was not surprising to me since strong characters/people could easily fall for someone like Celine Varens. Strong people tend to be attracted to those who are "lesser" than he/she are. It could be because the strong person wants to continue feeling powerful and being with someone weaker would continue to make them feel mighty. So it is very believable that Mr. Rochester fell for Ms. Varens.


At one point Jane rebukes her self as a result of her attraction for Rochester and resolves to suppress that attraction. Is this a realistic reaction of a person falling in love? Do people act this way in the real world and the present day?

Usually people who are falling in love do not try to suppress their feelings. However it does happen because he or she might not want to have feelings for a certain person for many reasons. So are Jane's feelings of attraction to Mr. Rochester realistic? Yes, because I've witnessed some people go through the same thing. Is it smart? Perhaps not. The harder Jane fights her feelings, though, the harder she's going to fall for Mr. Rochester.


Chapters 20-23

What do you think of Eliza and Georgina as adults?

It's interesting how Eliza and Georgina grew up to be as adults. They are completely opposite of each other yet are the same. One is religious while the other one seems to be bitter with everything. However, they absolutely dislike one another It's not surprising that they hate each other since their malicious behavior was encouraged instead of rebuked when they were younger. Their mother spoiled them and now these two are unhappy adults as a result.

A terrible storm suddenly springs up, as Chapter 23 draws to a close. During the night, lightning strikes the horse-chestnut tree, at the base of which Jane and Rochester had sat earlier. The tree is split in two. Do you think this is a bad omen? If so, what do you think it means? 

Man, I remember having to answer this question back in high school. The splintering of the tree from the lighting foreshadows that something drastic is going to happen with Jane and Mr. Rochester's relationship. The split shows that these two are going to separate and it will happen in the most unfortunate circumstances.


Chapters 20-23

In chapter 25 Jane relates to Rochester several of her dreams. What do you make of them?

Jane has two dreams that involve Rochester: one with a barrier between her and Rochester and another with Thornfield being in ruins. Both of these foreshadow what will happen to the two lovers and the mansion in the future. The barrier represents how even though they are madly in love with each other, Jane and Mr. Rochester do not fully know each other. Mr. Rochester is hiding many secrets from Jane while Jane is restraining herself from admitting all of her feelings to this strange man. Eventually, their relationship will suffer. Next, the fall of Thornfield represents that something bad is going to happen in/to the mansion and it will most likely bring an end to all the wickedness that hides in the shadows of the mansion.

Rochester is revealed to have perpetrated a major deception upon Jane in regards to his first marriage. What does this say about Rochester?

Hiding his first marriage shows what a despicable man Mr. Rochester is. I remember I was shocked when I first read this as a teenager and I found myself feeling sorry for Mr. Rochester in being married to a mad woman. Now as a more confident woman, this revelation sickens me. Yes, it's sad that Rochester was tricked into marrying a sick woman, but the fact that he was going to hide this from Jane shows that he does not respect Jane at all. Rochester is only thinking about himself and craves for something that is NOT his wife, and he would do anything to get that. He might be madly in love with Jane, but deceiving her is absolutely wrong. He does not consider what marrying Jane with this terrible secret would do to Jane in the future when the truth would have been revealed, eventually. 

Even though I did not answer all of the questions, I feel great that I was able to contribute a little bit. 

Now on to the next discussion!