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I knew it was too good to be true.
awesome
(no, really)
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Now apart from all that, let's throw back to that lightning-struck tree from chapter 23, because I think we've got all the pieces now. See if you agree with me:
- The shepherd in the picture is, in this case, a secret shepherd and in the form of one, and to this point much maligned, Grace Poole;
- of course, if Grace Poole is the shepherd, then that would perforce render the lamb the wholly impure (or is she innocent by insanity? -- does it matter?) Bertha Mason;
- the tree in the picture here is struck by lightning, of course, and by strain of metaphor and imagery, we have in the book a tree split by lightning, which tree is a likely metaphor for the otherwise perfect (perfect as in "complete" and, in this case, would-be seamless) union of Jane and Rochester;
- the lamb is also the lightning. Maybe.
But we run into a couple problems. Is the tree truly irreparable? Is it even dead? And here again is the comparison to The Lord of the Rings, whose White Tree of Gondor represents the unity of a kingdom under rightfully inherited and ordained monarchy. In the books the tree is dead, and Aragorn must solve the problem of no white tree, which, of course, he does. Is there a solution to the dissolution of the Rochester kingdom?
The symbolism of trees generally is big, and nearly every culture in the world has some mythological application for them. In Western culture (that's us) there are the obvious trees of Life and Knowledge; move Northward (and if we stick with proper name-bearing trees) and there is also Ygdrassil; more than that there all the various tree spirits and nymphs and a metaphors of strength and worship and so on from around the globe--at least wherever there are trees. I think the most important piece of imagery here in Jane Eyre is that this tree, a chestnut and rooted as deeply in the earth as the Rochester line is rooted in the English countryside, and once reaching worshipfully into heaven, indeed represents not just the current Lord but the Rochester line. This being the case, it can in no wise be Mrs. Bertha Mason Rochester who struck the tree, but Mr. Rochester who is the lightning, and not most importantly by the fall and death of the tree, but by the tree's dispirited failure to maintain devoted and worshipful arms extended to Heaven and God. Mr. Rochester, as he admits in the chapel, has offended God with his presumption. Is he without religious reverence?
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Finally, and about Jane now, is she still in love with Mr. Rochester?
- "I should fear even to cross his path now: my view must be hateful to him."
- "Be not far from me, [God,] for trouble is near: there is none to help."
Why didn't Mr. Rochester just tell the truth from the start? Isn't that always better?
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If you're at all interested in more tree symbolism, check THIS out, specifically about the chestnut tree.
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If you're at all interested in more tree symbolism, check THIS out, specifically about the chestnut tree.
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| chestnut tree |
Interesting on the tree. I don't know that we can assume that Bronte had all this in mind, but it's certainly a working analogy.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the feeling that Mr. Rochester has ever been particularly reverent. I've brought this up several times, but every time there's a scene with him, you can bet dollars to doughnuts that there will be some sort of word related to hell. And we've never exactly seen Rochester singing in the choir so far. In fact, I think that the first time we see him with religion at all is in this infernal (ahh too clever, James) wedding.
Yeah, I think she's still in love with him, but a bit appalled A)by him, and B)that she IS still in love with him. "My view MUST be hateful to him" (emphasis mine). We last saw this type of construction, I believe, with Mr. Rochester saying that he "must" marry Miss Ingram. On an unrelated note, but to the second phrase, Psalm 22 is powerful stuff, one of the best. Also, it's the one most closely identified with the crucifixion, so I think that Bronte is trying to use that imagery to describe the innocent suffering through which Jane is going right now.
Well, it's easy to say that now, but from his point of view, he almost got away with it. What are the chances really that Mason would find out and get there in time to break up the marriage that Rochester so quickly ordered? Not likely, unless it were a divine act, which I think that we are supposed to believe that it was.
Neat link. It reminded me a bit of (and I'm sure that Bronte knew nothing of this because she was dead before it was written) "1984".
ReplyDelete"Under the spreading chestnut tree
I sold you and you sold me
There lie they, and here lie we
Under the spreading chestnut tree"
I agree that Rochester's never been reverent, and it's not like he could "go before a justice of the peace" for his wedding, so the church it is. However, he does represent a supposedly (and only supposedly so because so were all aristocratic families, if not in believe then by political facade) reverent family. I saw this as a final straw.
ReplyDeleteI like what you say that she is appalled by the fact that her love yet abides. But, hey, that's love!
I knew I hadn't done due diligence! I recognized the words, but didn't mentally place it in the Bible. Thanks for the citation. And, yes, indeed this couches Jane's scene perfectly.
I'm taking to task a bit on this last one: I think it's impossible to say that Rochester almost won. Even if he got away with the wedding, there are too many factors--that is, too many people and available sources of information--involved in the secrecy of his estranged and strange (ahh too clever, Joe) first wife. If we believe at all that if something bad can happen it likely will (at least for the ungodly (at this point) Mr.R), especially in such a situation where God yet holds sway, then she would have found out. Over time, and regardless of almighty interference, she'd have discovered the woman, if not her true identity.
That's a great excerpt. That, in turn, reminds me of the song "Hanging Tree" from "The Hunger Games" books (which, if you haven't read them, are excellent, by the way -- though this is a rare, beautiful, and truly "literary" moment):
ReplyDeleteAre you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run, so we’d both be free.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Right, well, he was even going to tell her a year and a day from the wedding. I think that he believed that if he could get her married, she would stay married. And there might be some truth to this logic. It's not like women had a ton of power at the time.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that considered, he could have told her the minute after they married. Why wait all that time?
ReplyDeleteNeat poem, although obviously a little bit unnerving.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, you're right, but I really don't think that Rochester is an idiot, no matter what else you can say about him, so I'm sure that there's a reason for this.
Worst, I like him! Even now. And if I'm not the only one who feels this way about the man, then this is a seriously big accomplishment by Bronte. I really want him to come out best in the end.
ReplyDeleteAnd seriously, read "The Hunger Games;" I was resistant at first, but so was I before I finally bit the bullet and bought a Potter book. And, yes, they're that good (she's a more skilled writer than Rowling, though the story is less "epic").