What a proposal!

I really wanted to talk about Mr. Rochester's proposal to Jane. One of the things I have always wondered throughout the book is why Rochester feels the need to provoke Jane to get a reaction. He is actually quite convincing when he says that he is sending Jane to Ireland. The "joke/ploy" Rochester makes would affect a reader greatly during Bronte's time, as a position in an Irish household would be held in low esteem. Despite Jane's outward demeanor, I think that Bronte gives the reader a clue that the marriage is doomed for the time being. Right after Jane and Mr. Rochester vow to love one another, lightening strikes where the spot where the couple were sitting. The division of the chestnut tree into two halves is a dark, foreboding sign; however, I wonder if the sign also is a symbol for future hope? Jane goes on to note that although the two halves are no longer living, they were still a part of each other and will remain so despite the physical change.