Monday, April 12, 2010

Bend but don't Break

Lately I've been reading one of Charlotte Bronte's greatest novels, Jane Eyre. I bought it because I thought the cover was pretty and elegant, and naturally I thought the story would unfold likewise. But I was wrong. Bronte tells a romance without the glittery fashion, dreamy Edward eyes, or butterflies. Instead, she gives you a very sober and honest situation between two stubborn, less-than-perfect individuals (i.e. Jane isn't your typical delicate beauty and the fancy Mr. Rochester is far from a handsome young prince). Hence with unattractive characters and 600 pages, what attracts readers to liken this novel so much? For me, it's their honest feelings for each other, the feeling of fear and love stirred together. Although Mr. Rochester may be old and stern, his heart for Jane has me crushing on him.

I would like to share this one dialogue between them:

Jane: I suppose your love will effervesce in six months, or less. I have observed in books written by men, that period assigned as the farthest to which a husband's ardour extends...
Mr. Rochester: Distasteful! I think I shall like you again and yet again: and I will make you confess I do not only like, but love you-- with truth, fervour, constancy.
Jane: Yet are you not capricious, sir?
Mr. R: To women who please me only by their faces, I am the very devil when I find out they have neither souls nor hearts...but to the clear eye and eloquent tongue, to the soul made of fire, and the character that bends but does not break, I am ever tender and true.
Jane: Have you ever experience of such a character, sir? Did you ever love such an one?
Mr. R: I love it now.


3 comments:

wordSunspoken said...

i am going to talk like him from now on

i shall exemplify with my eloquent tongue,

i will persist to converse in a manner such as this

Lisa said...

ergh. I LOVEEE jane eyre! i remember my grandpa making me read it when i was 9 and i didn't understand a thing. BUT later on it became just that more epic & emo. HAHA EMO!

Cindy said...

okay im convinced that im gonna read this book.