Jane Eyre - Chapter 17 Study Guide
This guide focuses on the key elements of Chapter 17, leading up to Jane’s wedding.
Themes / Big Ideas
- The Unknown & Foreboding: The chapter is steeped in a sense of unease and mystery. Jane's dreams, the strange woman, and Rochester’s evasiveness all contribute to a growing feeling that something is deeply wrong. This theme highlights the dangers of marrying without full knowledge and trust.
- Suppression & Secrets: Rochester actively hides information from Jane, dismissing her fears as “nervous” and promising explanations "when we have been married a year and a day." This illustrates the power imbalances in their relationship and the secrets that threaten to unravel it.
- Identity & Transformation: Jane is on the cusp of a major life change, becoming “Mrs. Rochester.” However, she resists fully embracing this new identity until she feels secure and understands the circumstances surrounding her marriage. The veil symbolizes this transformation, but also the uncertainty of it.
- Dreams & Intuition: Jane's vivid dreams serve as a warning system, reflecting her subconscious anxieties. While Rochester attempts to rationalize them away, they foreshadow the impending revelation of his secrets.
- Social Class & Expectations: The chapter touches on class anxieties through the mention of Rochester’s “princely extravagance” and his desire to elevate Jane. This highlights the societal pressures surrounding their unconventional relationship.
Vocabulary List
| Word | Part of Speech | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| D.V. | Abbreviation | Deo Volente – God willing |
| Corded | Adjective | Tied or bound with a cord. |
| Usurped | Adjective | Taken illegally or wrongfully; encroached upon. |
| Wraith-like | Adjective | Resembling a ghost or phantom; spectral. |
| Vaporous | Adjective | Misty, hazy, or indistinct; ethereal. |
| Enigma | Noun | A puzzle, mystery, or riddle. |
| Hypochondriac | Adjective | Excessively anxious about one's health. |
| Riven | Adjective | Split or cracked; deeply divided. |
| Idyl | Noun | A simple, picturesque scene or story; a romantic idealization. |
| Meridian | Noun | The highest point or peak; the culmination of something. |
| Inclement | Adjective | Severe or harsh (weather). |
| Fettered | Adjective | Restrained with chains or shackles; limited. |
| Inarticulate | Adjective | Unable to express oneself clearly or effectively. |
| Substantial | Adjective | Of considerable importance, size, or worth; real. |
| Phantom-like | Adjective | Resembling a ghost or illusion. |
| Precipitous | Adjective | Dangerously high or steep; extremely rapid. |
| Ledge | Noun | A shelf or projecting strip of rock. |
| Trooping | Verb | Moving in a crowd or procession. |
| Serene | Adjective | Calm, peaceful, and untroubled. |
Quotes to Look For
- “Mrs. Rochester! She did not exist: she would not be born till to-morrow, some time after eight o’clock A.M.; and I would wait to be assured she had come into the world alive before I assigned to her all that property.” – This quote reveals Jane’s hesitation and distrust, highlighting her need for certainty before fully embracing the role of “Mrs. Rochester.”
- “It was not only the hurry of preparation that made me feverish; not only the anticipation of the great change—the new life which was to commence to-morrow: both these circumstances had their share, doubtless, in producing that restless, excited mood which hurried me forth at this late hour into the darkening grounds: but a third cause influenced my mind more than they.” – This sets up the central mystery of the chapter and foreshadows the unsettling events to come.
- “You did right to hold fast to each other,” I said: as if the monster-splinters were living things, and could hear me. “I think, scathed as you look, and charred and scorched, there must be a little sense of life in you yet, rising out of that adhesion at the faithful, honest roots.” – The chestnut tree is a powerful symbol of Rochester and Jane’s relationship—damaged but still connected.
- “I have been over-excited, or over-fatigued.” – Rochester’s repeated dismissal of Jane's fears as stemming from her nerves is a key indicator of his deception.
- “It was not Sophie, it was not Leah, it was not Mrs. Fairfax: it was not—no, I was sure of it, and am still—it was not even that strange woman, Grace Poole.” – This is the core of Jane’s anxiety—the realization that a completely unknown entity was in her room.
- “The lips were swelled and dark; the brow furrowed: the black eyebrows widely raised over the bloodshot eyes. Shall I tell you of what it reminded me?” “Of the foul German spectre—the Vampyre.” – The description of the woman is deliberately terrifying, emphasizing Jane’s fear and sense of dread.
- “I saw the reflection of the visage and features quite distinctly in the dark oblong glass.” – The mirror image is a crucial detail, suggesting something unnatural or distorted about the woman.
- “It removed my veil from its gaunt head, rent it in two parts, and flinging both on the floor, trampled on them.” – This act is symbolic of the destruction of Jane’s hopes and her impending loss of innocence.
- “And since I cannot do it, Jane, it must have been unreal.” – Rochester’s insistence on a rational explanation despite the evidence to the contrary is deeply unsettling.
- “I did not indeed dream of sorrow, but as little did I dream of joy; for I never slept at all.” – This final line encapsulates the chapter’s overall tone of suspense and foreboding, hinting at the dark secrets that await Jane.