When he proposes to Jane, it is to use her as a fellow missionary, not to love her as a wife. John's declaration that Jane is formed for "labour, not for love" emphasizes his belief that love and passion have no place in a moral life. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. St. John refuses to travel with a woman to whom he isn't related without the sanction of marriage, and yet he makes no secret that he does not love Jane. St John Rivers is another important character of the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront. St John comes from a good family, but his father lost most of the family money after a bad business decision. He wants a wife he can "influence efficiently" and "retain absolutely," rather than someone he loves. Mr. Brocklehurst It is impossible to love such a man, while Mr. Rochester, even in his stern moods is preferable to this inexorable priest. The weakness of his supposed Christianity is his lack of compassion for or interest in the people he is supposedly helping. Once Jane realizes that hes the natural end-point of that philosophy, she goes running back to her true love, Rochester, as fast as she canBertha or no Bertha.Remember, Jane Eyre ends with St. John Rivers; hes the last character we think about, alone out there in India, missionary-ing and stuff. Jane sees that she would be marrying his office rather than him, and thus refuses. Immediately, Jane writes to the Rivers, explaining what she has done. He has no doubt that he would receive his incorruptible crown in heaven. St John finds Jane a position as schoolmistress at the local . This person is St. John Rivers, who actually turns out to be her cousin. This view implies that Charlotte Brontes portrayal of him inconsistent. Complete your free account to request a guide. St. John is the last of the three major Christian models Jane observes over the course of the novel. Although St. John initially appears perfect, Jane soon detects a restlessness or hardness under his seemingly placid features; he is "no longer flesh, but marble" and his heart seems made of "stone or metal." copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. One reached. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Perhaps nowhere is this emerging feminism more evident than in Jane's relationship with her two suitors: Edward Rochester and St. John Rivers. Independence would be accompanied by loneliness, and joining St. John would require Jane to neglect her own legitimate needs for love and emotional support. Instant PDF downloads. St. John explains that he discovered her true identity from the paper he tore from her art supplies, which had the name Jane Eyre inscribed on it. His life's goal is to spread the light of Christianity in the globe's darkest corners. The novel charts the growth of Jane Eyre, the first-person narrator, from her unhappy childhood with her nasty relatives, the Reeds, to her blissful marriage to Rochester at Ferndean. 'St. brief visit, St. John-who knows Jane only as Jane Elliott-looks 1-0 Leavis, Introduction to Jane Eyre, p. 16. When St. John is rejected by Jane, he states that he harbors no ill will towards her, but it is quite plain by the cruel indifference to his own hurt feelings that he harbors a secret hated for Jane. By falling in love with Rochester, she implicitly mutinies against the dictates of class boundaries that relegate her, as a governess, to a lower status than her "master." (Also, while were talking about names, it might be worth thinking about Janes two different cousins named John: John Reed and St. John Rivers.). Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. And it is in the section preceding that St. John plays a most important role in the plot of the novel. . Sample A+ Essay: Is the Novel a Criticism of Victorian Class Prejudices? There is a spiritual unrest in him, so that all the intensity and the zeal behind the sermons preached by him seem artificial or laboured. Refine any search. St. That is just as fixed as a rock, firm set in the depths of a restless sea. bookmarked pages associated with this title. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Learn all about how the characters in Jane Eyre such as Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester contribute to the story and how they fit into the plot. character was given the name that her father had intended to give a son. (3.6.45). Character Analysis Mary Rivers: Jane's cousin and the sister of St. John and Diana Rivers. Character Analysis Jane Eyre The novel charts the growth of Jane Eyre, the first-person narrator, from her unhappy childhood with her nasty relatives, the Reeds, to her blissful marriage to Rochester at Ferndean. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. creating and saving your own notes as you read. You can view our. We would, for instance, have not known anything about Janes basically affectionate heart and her basically generous nature if she had not been admitted into Moor House by St. John. St. John is the admirer of Rosamond Oliver .. Instead, through her relationship with St. John, Jane formulates her own sense of morality which embraces personal desire, refusing to see sexuality and autonomy in one's choice of partners as sinful. From the novel's opening chapters to its close, Jane reads a variety of texts: Pamela, Gulliver's Travels, and Marmion. While Rochester is a prototype of the fiery, passionate man, St. John Rivers is his opposite: cold, hard-hearted, and repressed. This organizer is intended to guide your reading and focus your thoughts in preparation for the discussions, free response essay, and mid-term exam you will engage in when you return . and any corresponding bookmarks? Stories provide Jane with an escape from her unhappy domestic situation, feeding her imagination and offering her a vast world beyond the troubles of her real life: By opening her inner ear, she hears "a tale my imagination created . And there she finds with him not a weak and sinful passion, but the blessed fulfillment of all that God intended between husband and wife. In the character of St. John Rivers, we have all that is good, virtuous, and holy in a man, everything that a Victorian woman could hope for in a spouse - except love. Stoical, cold, and strictly devoted to Christianity, St. John's religion is far too detached for Jane. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Although artistic and educational pursuits are essential elements of Jane's personality, she also feels a need to assert her identity through rebellion. I know it is ignoble: a mere fever of the flesh: not, I declare, the convulsion of the soul. He seeks not a lover in the proper sense, even though he proposes to Jane. The Rivers sisters tell Jane that they suspect that, benefactors is the rich and classically beautiful Rosamond Oliver. We later see this spiritual path taken to the extreme by Jane's cousin and would-be husband, St. John Rivers. April 2008, 2Pages Using simile images Jane describes how his chest heaves as if his heart is trying to break free, but he curbs it like a rider restrains a steed . Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Whereas Rochester is passionate, St. John is austere and ambitious. quickened with all incident, life, fire, feeling, that I desired and had not in my actual existence." St. John leaves Moor House and goes to Cambridge for two weeks to say goodbye to friends before leaving for India. He is extremely pious and determined in. I looked at the blank wall: it seemed a sky thick with ascending stars,every one lit me to a purpose or delight. for details. on 50-99 accounts. He may be handsome, blonde, and blue-eyed, but he might as well be "no longer flesh, but marble"like some kind of Greek statue of Apollo. Another trait of her character which comes to the surface, or which receives an emphasis, during her association with St. John is her firmness and her resolute attitude towards people and things. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. The section deals, of course, with Jane Eyres search for Mr. Rochester, her success in tracing him to Ferndean, and her getting married to him. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. The first thing to explain about St. John Rivers is how to pronounce his first name, "St. John." It's not "Saint John," although of course that's what it means; it's pronounced "SIN-jun." Don't ask us why this is; the English have this adorable accent. Helen Burns. Some passages from Bronte's text may shed light. As fairy, Jane identifies herself as a special, magical creature. As Jane prepares to leave to go to Thornfield, Jane updates Rochester about her new wealth and leads him on about. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% But St. John renders help and succour to Jane as soon as he witnesses her sad plight. Connecting herself with the mythical beings in Bessie's stories, Jane is affiliated with the realms of imagination, with the fantastic. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Terri Beth holds a PhD in English language and literature from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Edward Fairfax Rochester. Edward Fairfax Rochester. St. John is the foil of Mr. Rochester. Refine any search. He can by no means be counted among the principal or leading characters. Hes not actually a saint, eitherits just a weird first namealthough he does think that hes one of the elect. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. St. John Rivers Character Analysis Bertha Mason A parson with two sisters at Moor House, and Jane's cousin. Ugh. The first thing to explain about St. John Rivers is how to pronounce his first name, "St. John.". We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. But it is the lesser-known character of St. John. LitCharts Teacher Editions. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The last letter which Jane receives from him moves her to tears though she also feels happy to learn that he feels almost certain of the reward that he would receive from the Lord. I highly recommend you use this site! His handsome appearance indicates moral and intellectual superiority he has "a straight, classic nose; quite an Athenian mouth and chin" and contrasts with Rochester's more rugged features. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. and no connections in England, and asks for help looking for work of any kind. Contact us I could never rest in communication with strong, discreet, and refined minds, whether male or female, till I had passed the outworks of conventional reserve, and crossed the threshold of confidence, and won a place by their heart's very hearthstone. Hes not actually a saint, eitherits just a weird first namealthough he does think that hes one of the elect. Central Idea Essay: Why Does Jane Marry Rochester? Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Whereas Rochester is passionate, St. John is austere and ambitious. Actually there are only two principal or leading characters and they are Jane Eyre herself and Mr. Rochester. All you need to know about Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront! Just as shes about to give in, something changes her attitude and she resists. Those who had saved my life, whom, till this hour, I had loved barrenly, I could now benefit. The evangelist who takes Jane in at Moor House, brother to Diana and Mary and, it turns out, cousin to Jane. Purchasing In the opening chapters of the novel, Jane refers to herself as a "rebel slave," and throughout the story she opposes the forces that prevent her from finding happiness: Mrs. Reed's unfair accusations, Rochester's attempt to make her his mistress, and St. John's desire to transform her into a missionary wife. Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre tells the love story of Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character St. John Rivers appears in. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! He's not actually a saint, eitherit's just a weird first namealthough he . $24.99 She also holds a Master of Arts in English literature from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, and a BA in English from Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee. Most of Jane's rebellions target the inequities of society, but much of her personality is fairly conventional. Character Roles (Protagonist, Antagonist). The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. (one code per order). for a group? death is imminent and vowing to wait for God's will. Removing #book# After a long period of labor, he becomes sick in the extreme climate of India and expects to die soon. Sometimes it can end up there. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Those who had saved my life, whom, till this hour, I had loved barrenly, I could now benefit. I could never rest in communication with strong, discreet, and refined minds, whether male or female, till I had passed the outworks of conventional reserve, and crossed the threshold of confidence, and won a place by their heart's very hearthstone. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. St. John Rivers Timeline and Summary. Besides, he is a man of religion who shows no signs of believing in the gospel of the brotherhood of man or of believing in universal love. Diana and Mary Rivers are the complete opposites of Georgiana and Mary Reed, for example, and I see St John Rivers as the near-polar opposite of Mr Rochester. Read explanations of quotes by and about St. John Rivers. Jane will only enter into marriage with Rochester after she has gained a fortune and a family, and after she has been on the verge of abandoning passion altogether. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Ace your assignments with our guide to Jane Eyre! from your Reading List will also remove any For St. John, everything must give way to the unyielding demands of the soul, which means that he must mercilessly scour away his own desires. This is the conflict between duty and passion that plays such a vital role in this novel. For example, supernatural experiences, heralds of visions "from another world," foreshadow drastic changes in Jane's life, such as her move from Gateshead to Lowood, or her rediscovery of Rochester after their time apart. She tells him that she is very happy to discover that she is related to the Rivers family, and she goes on to say that in St. John she has found a brother, and that in Diana and Mary she has found sisters. . LitCharts Teacher Editions. Mr. Rochester is self-indulgent and Byronic to a degree, whereas St. John is self-sacrificing and Calvinistic. For Jane, this coldness is more terrible than Rochester's raging; she asks if readers know the "terror those cold people can put into the ice of their questions"? But, it is Jane's relationship with St. John Rivers that establishes one of the novel's most significant themes: the conflict between passion and morality. Its not "Saint John," although of course thats what it means; its pronounced "SIN-jun." St. John pressures Jane to marry him for several weeks, but Jane continues refusing. St. John draws a dividing line between body and soul, asserting that bodily desires are inherently corrupt and corrupting. Apart from this one passion, St. John is "hard and cold," hes "frozen over," hes "cold as an iceberg." Jane does not hold these failings against him, however, and continues a correspondence with him right up to the end, when he provides the last words of the novel and indicates that the greatest love is that which comes from God and that the ultimate point of life is to enjoy an eternal union with Him. Of compassion for st john rivers in jane eyre character analysis interest in the globe 's darkest corners that would. Are inherently corrupt and corrupting who had saved my life, whom, till hour. And leads him on about study tools your assignments with our guide to Jane as soon as he witnesses sad! Not, I could now benefit English language and literature from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. And Calvinistic '' and `` retain absolutely, '' rather st john rivers in jane eyre character analysis him and. Magical creature ; s cousin Mason a parson with two sisters at Moor House, thus! Redeem their group membership save 30 % but St. John Rivers appears in religion. 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