Rochester in the Eyes of Jane

Passage:
"The ease of his manner freed me from painful restraint: the friendly frankness, as correct as cordial, with which he treated me, drew me to him. I felt at times as if he were my relation rather than my master: yet he was imperious sometimes still; but I did not mind that; I saw it was his way. So happy, so gratified did I become with this new interest added to life, that I ceased to pine after kindred: my thin crescent-destiny seemed to enlarge; the blanks of existence were filled up; my bodily health improved; I gathered flesh and strength.
And was Mr Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude, and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire. Yet I had not forgotten his faults; indeed, I could not, for he brought them frequently before me. He was proud, sardonic, harsh to inferiority of every description: in my secret soul I knew that his great kindness to me was balanced by unjust severity to many others." (Page 138)


This passage demonstrates Jane's views on Mr Rochester before a relationship develops between them. The characterization for both Jane and for Mr Rochester is quite strong and reveals a lot about how they are seen by each other at the time. Jane views Rochester as more of a friend than an employer and seems to know the type of person Rochester is. Jane and Rochester feel comfortable together, something that not all people can feel with others, which guides their relationship to grow.
Jane claims that "the ease of his manner freed [her] from painful restraint," implying that she could relax and be herself around Rochester. This statement in itself is interesting and contradicting to how most others feel towards Rochester. Previously in the story, when Jane asks Mrs Fairfax what Rochester is like, she explains that he is a peculiar individual that not many people know well. For Jane and Rochester to get along as well as they do in such a short time frame is odd and surprising; it certainly foreshadows that they may share some form of a relationship in the future. Jane also states that she felt Rochester to be her "relation rather than  [her] master," further emphasizing this friendly bond and dynamic present between them rather than the worker-boss dynamic that characters like Mrs Fairfax experienced with him.
In addition, Jane claims that she feels physically and emotionally happier with Rochester being present and their newfound friendship being developed; she feels as though she as a purpose. This new "interest" essentially consumes her thoughts when she is near Rochester and makes her happy to be working with Adele and to simply be alive. It was not common that Jane felt like her life served a purpose so when she finally did have this feeling, she soaked it up. In addition, this was not something that Rochester had knowledge of, it was purely for Jane and her mental, physical, and emotional improvement.
As the passage continues, Jane moves her thoughts to Rochester's physical appearance and how it related to her views of him. She states that his "gratitude, and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object [she] best liked to see," implying that his looks didn't truly affect her views on him. Rochester was kind and pleasant to be around which made his physical appearance trivial in the overall judgement of him as an individual. Jane states that he was the person she always wanted to see; the one she liked and enjoyed most. She continues by comparing Rochester's presence in a room to a fire and states that it was more exciting and cheerful than any fire. Rochester made everything exciting and inviting to Jane and to others; he was the life of every gathering which made him even more attractive to Jane.
To finish the passage, Jane reminds the reader and herself that Rochester has many faults that come along with these attractive traits. She claims that he's "proud, sardonic, harsh to inferiority of every description," all traits that would typically make someone appear less intriguing and more cruel. Interestingly, Rochester is not harsh to Jane, despite her being inferior to him. It is clear that it was not only Jane that recognized a difference in their relationship. Jane explains that although he has this attributes, they are not what compose his entire personality. Rochester is still a good person in the eyes of Jane; she sees everything he does but still chooses to support and love him.
This passage provides foreshadowing into the relationship that develops between Jane and Rochester. Jane sees only the good in Rochester while Rochester takes advantage of this and continues to believe that Jane will always forgive him and forget the bad he does. However, this is not the case on the day of the attempted wedding. This passage does a good job of setting up their relationship and how Jane views Rochester as a person. These views will carry on into their relationship and certainly affect decisions made and actions taken by her.