Alex Dilling Zachary Ressler Amy Rivera Nicole Nguyen Mackenzie Ostrom Jane Eyre Alex Dilling Zachary Ressler Amy Rivera Nicole Nguyen Mackenzie Ostrom

Prompt Compare the two marriage proposals of St. John Rivers and Rochester. Compare the rhetorical strategies – such as arguments, assumptions, attitudes, and diction – used by the men and comment on how Jane reacted to both proposals and why. What do you think Jane’s life might be like if she has chosen St. John? Compare three (almost) brides in Rochester’s life and how would life been for Rochester had his marriage to Bertha been successful or had Rochester chosen to marry Blanche Ingram. What would life be like for Blanche?

Meaning of Prompt The prompt is asking to analyze how St. John Rivers and Mr. Edward Rochester proposed to Jane in order to understand why Jane reacted in the way she did.  The difference in diction, assumptions, attitudes, and arguments presented leads one to fully understand the reason Jane reacts the way she does.

How the Prompt Relates to the Novel This prompt marks a pivotal moment in the novel as both proposals are a major conflicts that Jane faces that affect  the relationship between her and other characters as well as societal pressures. With Mr. Rochester's proposal, although it seemed positive at first, Jane faces societal conflicts such as marrying someone almost twice her age (as well as an already married man, although that detail is found out after the proposal has been made). With St. John's proposal, Jane has to decide if she must become a missionary wife and accompany him to India (which almost certainly results in a quick death for Jane), or rejecting him and facing a rift in their relationship on a platonic level.

2 Examples From the Text Rochester: "You, Jane, I must have you for my own–entirely my own. Will you be mine? Say yes quickly." In Rochester's proposal, his forthright and assertive diction serves to display his pleading attitude which shows he desperately wants Jane to say yes. He also includes a sense of charisma to his proposal to assert his love for Jane.  St. John: "I want a wife: the sole helpmeet I can influence efficiently in life and retain absolutely till death."                 "A part of me you must become." Unlike Rochester, St. John used more of a forceful tone to try and convince Jane to marry him. This is reflective of his dominant personality by which he wants to use to have full control over Jane.  These two quotes serve to show the polarization in the proposals Jane receives that are reflective of how Rochester and St. John are as characters. One being power- hungry and borderline abusive, the other being charismatic yet genuinely flawed. Furthermore, it can be assumed that if Jane had married St. John, she would be locked into a one-sided relationship where there is no room for Jane to completely express herself.  Remember to add citations to the citation slide if you use them

Rochester St. John

3 Literary Devices St. John: "God and nature intended you for a missionary's wife. It is not personal, but mental endowments they have given you: you are formed for labor, not for love. A missionary's wife you must – shall be. You shall be mine: I claim you – not for my pleasure, but for my Sovreign's service." (Pg. 384) - Allusion "There I, humble as I am, can give you the aid you want; I can from moment to moment. This I could do in the beginning: soon (for I know your powers) you would be as strong and apt as myself, and would not require my help." (Pg. 385) - Simile "Jane, you are docile, diligent, disinterested, faithful, constant, and courageous... your assistance will be to me invaluable." (Pg. 386) - Alliteration St. John's use of diction in his argument fuels how he only wishes to marry Jane as he finds her skills useful to him for his missionary work. He emphasizes how he does not want to marry her out of love – by him mentioning this marriage would be for his "Sovreign's service" and how her "assistance" would be valuable to him – which leads Jane to hesitate answering his proposal, even offering to go to India with him although not as a married couple mostly because Jane views marriage as something that should happen out of love rather than business. She wishes to help St. John but values marriage differently than he does.

3 Literary Devices (cont.) Mr. Rochester: "My bride is here…Because my equal is here, and my likeness. Jane, will you marry me?" (Pg. 241) "… You shall be convinced. What love have I for Miss Ingram? None; and that you know. What love has she for me? None..." (Pg. 241) "I love you as you are my own flesh." (Pg. 242) Mr. Rochester's proposal initially leads Jane to be skeptical of him as she was convinced he was going to marry Blanche Ingram. However, his use of diction to present his argument in how much he genuinely loves Jane (for her personality and being) brings Jane to accept his proposal as she and Mr. Rochester share the same feelings about each other.

Significant Moments Gateshead - Argument with Mrs. Reed – Established self-respect - “I will never come to see you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick, and that you treated me with miserable cruelty.” (Ch 4, pg. 30) Lowood – Religious classes and conversations with Helen Burns - Establishes high moral sense - “Heathens and savage tribes hold that doctrine; but Christians and civilized nations disown it.” “How? I don’t understand.” “It is not violence that best overcomes hate –nor vengeance that most certainly heals injury.” (Ch 6, pg.50)

Significant Moments (cont.) Thornfield - Intellectual romance with Rochester – Jane has found someone she clicks with -“ Your language is enigmatical, sir: but though I am bewildered, I am certainly not afraid.” “You are afraid – your self-love dreads a blunder.” “In that sense I do feel apprehensive–I have no wish to talk nonsense.” "If you did, it would be in such a grave, quiet manner, I should mistake it for sense.” (Ch 14, pg. 129) Moor House – Quest to find herself, hears Rochester calling for her – Realizes who fulfills her life, makes her the happiest - “I had heard it–where, or whence, forever impossible to know! And it was the voice of a human being –a known, loved, and well-remembered voice–that of Edward Fairfax Rochester; and it spoke in pain and woe, wildly, eerily, urgently.” (Ch 35, pg. 401)

Significant Moments (cont.) Ferndean – Reconciles with Rochester – Achieves a happy ending - “Absolutely sir! Oh, you need not be jealous! I wanted to tease you a little and make you less sad: I thought anger would be better than grief. But if you wish me to love you, could you but see how much I do love you, you would be proud and content.” (Ch 37, pg. 425) Gateshead Thornfield Lowood Ferndean Moor House

Possible Life with St. John If Jane had accepted the proposal of St. John she would've spent her life longing for so much more. She felt as though St. John was depicted as more brother like rather than someone she could call her lover.  "I regard you as a brother – you, me as a sister: so let us continue" (387)  She would've moved to India with a man who had no desire to actually love her or even care for her as more than merely a friend. The only benefit she would have gotten from the marriage would have been the opportunity to set foot in a new country to learn "He had held me in doubt" (388) Jane would have never gotten the chance to go back to Rochester and find out that he was who she belonged to, her life with St. John would've been bland and boring, and Jane herself would've know she could've had so much more.

Life with St. John   

Rochester’s 3 (almost brides) and Possible Successful Relationships with Bertha/Blanche If Rochester had a successful relationship with Bertha she would've remained sane throughout the whole story as she was at the beginning of their relationship. All the complications with the other women would have never occurred because Rochester would’ve lived happily in the wealth that came with Bertha and her name. Ideally Bertha would’ve never gone mad and they would’ve lived the life Rochester indented, but he wouldn't have loved her the same way he truly loved Jane. If Rochester and Blanche ended up getting married, their marriage would've been built on the idea that Blanche thought Rochester had more money than he really did. It was certain that Rochester was fond of Blanche but he had no intentions to love her, he was acing so fond in order to make Jane jealous. Their marriage would've been full of fluff and bling, Rochester bringing joy to Blanche through buying her things because his love couldn’t do the same. He also wouldn’t have the same passion with Blanche that he had with Jane.

AP Prompt and Analysis In the novel, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitude, or values of a character. Choose a character who must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Rochester is bound to his marriage with Bertha – despite her being mentally insane – which was forced/arranged. His marriage was both not only personal but also societal since he couldn't divorce her (due to mental illness not being a valid reason on grounds for divorce). His relationship to the past is a major conflict in his relationship with Jane, which leads her to leave Thornfield Hall to prevent being his mistress (and all of the societal issues against being one). Rochester's relationship with Jane is one of "Forbidden Love" which emphasizes their love for each other and the society disapproves, bringing the reader to sympathize with the characters.

Citations Slide 5: Pg. 242, 388,390 Slide 6: Pg. 384, 385, 386 Google Search, Google, www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b- 1&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=sJ5SWqv4PIWzmwGUqJvgDA&q=jane%2Beyre%2Bclipart&oq=jane%2Beyre%2Bcl&gs_l=psy- ab.3.0.0l3j0i8i30k1l7.1723.3650.0.5007.5.4.0.1.1.0.76.279.4.4.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.5.287....0.a7Z3qbCfpSE#imgrc=b5b8w-kazMO3jM: “Jane Eyre - Sample Script.” Theater Scripts, www.theaterscript.com/product/jane-eyre-sample-script/. “Conspiracy Keanu.” Imgflip, imgflip.com/i/mvuup. “ALL DAY EYRE DAY.” Quickmeme, www.quickmeme.com/meme/3r76cc. “Jane Eyre: Historical Background& Literary Context - Lessons - Tes Teach.” Tes Teach with Blendspace, www.tes.com/lessons/ETj7rMbDCgKwPw/jane-eyre-historical-background-literary-context. Giphy. “Jennifer Aniston Friends GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY.” GIPHY, GIPHY, 20 Aug. 2015, giphy.com/gifs/friends-phoebe-buffay-jane-eyre- SJVg3sOQwRI40. “Growing Up With Jane.” Pinterest, 5 Jan. 2014, www.pinterest.com/pin/126593439502860468/. “Pleaseguy - Please ... Be Mine?” Memegenerator.net, memegenerator.net/instance/24544406/pleaseguy-please-be-mine.