Okay, this is for the Sociology major! Is St. John passive aggressive
or what?! He wants Jane to be his wife because he needs a companion to
accompany him on his trip to India, and it seems like that is his only motive
for getting her to become his wife. What
he needs is Dr. Phil to show him how to woo the fairer sex. I just don’t
understand how he expects to gain the affections of Jane when he uses pick-up
lines like telling Jane she is “formed for labour—not for love,” and that she is a “useful tool” (354).
Nice St. John, Nice. When St. John does not get his way he uses the silent treatment
to make Jane feel bad (the passive aggressive behavior). He finally talks to
Jane again and has this idea that she only needs to pray for a resolution to
the question of whether or not to marry him. Jane does decide that she needs to
listen carefully for the answer to her prayer. Unfortunately for St. John, Jane
does hear a voice, but the “voice” is Mr. Rochester telling her to return to
Thornfield! Did anyone else feel vindicated?!
Ann,
ReplyDeleteI think that "we" the fairer sex see St. John proposals as cold and irrational is feel to be the opposite of the time. With the againing of time and female position men now have to woo and try. Back then it was " Hey baby, I have a farm and 3 goats, want to get hitched and I will give your Dad one of my goats and pick of next season's corn crop." That was the way! So for St.John to be so coldly rational is an example of the time and the lack of options that a lady of Jane's standing could only wish for. Now with that being said St.John is a prick, pardon the language. St. John under values Jane and that's what he is really missing out on.
I agree, that was the way it was with marriage at the time. And you are so right about Jane. Her romantic ideals would have never let her get married to St. John, he is a prick. Whether you like Rochester or not, he is Jane's Prince Charming.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you Anne. I think that part of St. John's problem is that he lacks emotion. In many ways, St. John and Mr. Rochester are alike, as they both are determined to fulfill their dreams and to marry Jane. The difference between the two is that Mr. Rochester knows how to use langauge as a tool to convey emotion, whereas St. John sees language as a means to assert authority. I cannot help but feel that there is a part of Jane that would consider going with St. John to India. Unfortunately for St. John, however, he doesn't know how to use the charm that so deeply inspires Jane to act. It's interesting to think that someone who is as beautiful as St. John is so ugly with language and someone who is as ugly as Mr. Rochester is so clever with language. Talk about addressing a double standard . . . wouldn't that be quite a satirical statement if you were judging women?
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, St. John isn't trying to woo Jane by any conventional romantic standards. He is--explicitly--trying to compel her to accept her duty. And ugh. That is why (I think) we do feel vindicated when she hears Rochester's voice and goes back to him.
ReplyDeleteMaria's point about how the two men use language is very smart! But again, it isn't so much that St. John doesn't know how to use that language--he doesn't think it's necessary.