Jane Eyre

So today I was talking with my coworker Laureen about our dating lives (a usual topic for us). At one point she declared we'd find our "Mr. Rochesters". I thought it was an interesting thing to say.

For those of you who have read Jane Eyre know that Mr. Rochester's relationship with Jane isn't really healthy. He is passionately in love with Jane but so determined to be with her that he deceives her and manipulates her emotions. Not really things I'd ever want for anyone in a relationship. Jane, being the virtuous and fantastic character that she is, leaves him but towards the end of the book she hears his voice cry for hers in a vision and returns to find out things have changed and they get married.

I guess Mr. Rochester learns his lesson of the mercy of God and is put in a position where he can be the sort of man you want him to be the entire book. However, one can't help but wonder what would have happened if Jane had met more men and dated around. Sure, she may not have met someone as violently in love with her as Mr. Rochester, but whose to say she couldn't? Just because her cousin wasn't in love with her doesn't mean she couldn't find someone else who could.

Well, I've got a positive blood culture. Back to work with me!