I just don't get it, why did Jane leave Rochester if it was so awful for both of them? It is never really explained. Half the chapter is devoted to their pain at separation, and an explanation isn't given. I get that she is 'following her principles' but what are those principles? It's not very clear. What is she going to do now when she doesn't even have money to advertise for a new position?
It was obvious from the start they would never end up married, but I was still surprised at what happened. I thought it would be something worse, something that Rochester had done that had hurt someone. Yes, he doesn't treat Bertha too well, but that marriage was not entirely his fault, and there was much less knowledge and acceptance of mental illness' then. In this section I noticed that every time a major shift came, the weather changed accordingly.There is also much fire and ice, black and red, enclosure, and passion throughout. I have been surprised by how many references there are to the Bible, and people still thought this book was anti-Christian. What would a very religious book be like? It was also interesting how Bertha, who I assume is responsible for the mysterious laughs, was described as a "hyena" (p. 338), with their chilling cackles.
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A lot of astute observations packed into a relatively short post--the noting of the weather changes, the pertinent questions about the book's many Christian allusions, and how it could thus be considered 'anti-Christian', etc. As for the "why" of Jane's departure (and what principles she might be standing up for), take another look at her conversation with Rochester on pages 310 and 311 (we didn't quite get to these in class). Let me know what you think!
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