OH BOY were these some interesting chapters. We open on the morning of Jane and Mr. Rochester's wedding, with Jane rushing to get dressed and Rochester being quite impatient. As they enter the church, Jane notices two people lurking in a shadowed corner. Interesting. Just as the service begins, someone shouts from the few gathered to witness -- the ceremony is broken off, what could possibly be the cause? Oh. Mr. Rochester is married. He has a wife. Obviously, Rochester is not pleased with this interruption and he attempts to save the situation but fails miserably. He finally gives in and reveals that his wife, Bertha Mason (the sister of Mr. Mason) lives with him at Thornfield. We also discover now that Grace Poole is not the one making the spooky noises at night and the source of the ominous laughter, but instead, Poole is the caretaker of Rochester's wife. In his fumbled reasoning, he invites the accusers to Thornfield to see his "mad" wife. Upon entering Bertha's room for the visit, Rochester is almost immediately attacked by her, and he only subdues her by tying her to a chair. Resonably, Jane is not pleased with this overall discovery of her intended husband's secret wife. She stays calm in the moment but feels utterly betrayed and confused while grappling with her emotions. How could Rochester keep a secret of this importance from her? One should hope their partner tells you that they are presently married before the wedding day. Sitting in her room, Jane falls into a dream-like trance: she is swallowed by a river, sinking deeper and deeper into the waters. Hmm.
The plot thickens! After her long sleep, Jane wakes up in the afternoon with a realization: She has to leave Mr. Rochester. Jane wrestles with her inner monologue-- can she really leave? Does she have to tear herself away? Surprisingly, when Jane encounters Rochester after she ventures downstairs, she immediately forgives him. In turn, he states he is regretful for bringing Jane to Thornfield, and that he should have never done so. We then get even more tea on Rochester's past, and what haunts him so intensely that he keeps a secret from his own lover. We learn that he was tricked into marrying Bertha Mason, unaware of the state of her mental health. In their marriage, Rochester was filled with despair and hopelessness, until he had a vision. Oooooh. He saw hope, which told him a path to follow. He was told to return to Europe, bring Bertha with him, and keep her locked away in secrecy. Rochester took this amazing and ethical recommendation by the embodiment of hope and ran with it all the way to England. Rochester tries desperately to win Jane over and convince her to stay, but Jane stands her ground. He starts by trying to convince her straightforwardly. When this doesn't work, he tries guilt-tripping her by saying how depressed he will be without her. She says no, and plants her foot. Rochester then speaks of all the women he has tried to love but failed to stay with because they weren't enough for him. Sometimes sharing is not caring. He says that Jane is the only one he truly loves, and he shares all of the things he's noticed and admires about her. This is painful for Jane to hear, but she stays strong with her choice. His last attempt to convince her to stay is to rush at her and grab her waist and arm painfully tight... huh. As Rochester continues to beg Jane, she kisses him on the forehead, and she walks away from him for the last time. Just go Jane, just go.
That night, Jane dreams of her childhood and the red room. There is a spirit with her, gliding around the walls. It reinforces her decision to leave, however painful it may seem. She wakes and leaves without making a notice, avoiding any contact with Rochester she walks the halls of Thornfield for the last time, pausing for a good amount of time outside his bedroom door. She slips out the gates and gazes upon the outstretched road in front of her. Where will it lead her? What does her future hold? With great difficulty, Jane retreats from Thornfield and her love, but now, what comes next in her story?
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