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Jane Eyre. The novel contains:. 176 biblical allusions 81 quotations and paraphrases from 23 books of the Old Testament 95 quotations and paraphrases from 15 books of the New Testament. Kings reference.
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The novel contains: • 176 biblical allusions • 81 quotations and paraphrases from 23 books of the Old Testament • 95 quotations and paraphrases from 15 books of the New Testament
Kings reference “And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
Wind/Earthquake/Fire/Voice Progression • Wind: the proposal, chestnut tree ruined • “A waft of wind came sweeping down the laurel walk, and trembled through the boughs of the chestnut” (216). • Earthquake: the wedding • when the wedding is stopped, “Mr. Rochester moved slightly, as if an earthquake had rolled under his feet” (246).
Wind/Earthquake/Fire/Voice Progression • Fire: Thornfield Hall • Voice: “telepathic” exchange between Mr. Rochester and Jane
Nebuchadnezzar and Tree Imagery • Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a “holy one” from heaven descending and crying, “Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth.”
Nebuchadnezzar and Tree Imagery • Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity • Rochester is “quite savage” (364)
Questions • Is Jane Eyre a “Christian feminist bildungsroman”? • Mr. Rochester’s punishments for attempted bigamy are severe. How does this reflect on the religious systems portrayed in this novel? • Not all critics see Jane and Rochester as ultimately submitting to God and being rewarded with a happy marriage. Sandra Gilbert, in her 1998 essay, argues that by rejecting St. John and returning to Rochester Jane “replac[es] a Christian theology of renunciation with a more hedonistic theology of love.” (She uses Jane’s experience before hearing Rochester’s voice on p.357.)