Jane Eyre - Part 2

After hearing Rochester call her name from across the moor, Jane rushes to find him from her home with her newly discovered family. She reaches the village outside Thornfield only to learn that the manor has burned and vacated. Unable to understand how all this has happened, she coaxes the story from an innkeeper. She learns that Bertha, Rochester’s mad wife, set the place ablaze and then dove from the roof to her death. Her husband, meanwhile, hurried the servants out before trying to save his wife. Unsuccessful, he was trapped in the house but came out alive, blinded and crippled. Finally though, she hears that he has locked himself away in a country cottage. Coming to the cottage, the servants allow her to see him.

When she enters, she coyly reveals himself to him. Both are overjoyed and filled to overflowing with love for one another. Over the next few days, Jane nurtures Rochester to better health and they give accounts of their time since parting. Probably the most profound realization comes from Rochester as he describes God and his re-discovery of Him.

He sees not as man sees, but far clearer: judges not as man judges, but far more wisely. I did wrong: I would have sullied my innocent flower – breathed guilt on its purity: the Omnipotent snatched it from me. . . . Of late, Jane – only – only of late – I began to see and acknowledge the hand of God in my doom. I began to experience remorse, repentance, the wish for reconcilement to my Maker. (514-15)

Rochester resented Jane’s removal; he saw her as his salvation and she left him. He could not understand how God could take from what was his saving grace and leave him to wallow in his despair. Only after disaster struck did he begin to reflect on the purpose behind Jane’s leaving.

This is what I have heard called a severe mercy. God, in His infinite mercy, removes something dear from one’s life that has become a hindrance to the progress of one’s soul. Often, the one left behind feels betrayed and embittered towards God. However, it is only upon reflection that they realize the goodness of severance and how wise God was in His judgment. For Rochester, only after Jane left was he able to see what he would have done to her, that he was trying to pollute the purity that would save him. In this realization, he experiences remorse for his actions and repents to the Master that Jane obeyed against the love she bore her earthly one.