The Passage Of Jane's Comfortable Commitment to Rochester

Passage: page 150

"When dusk actually closed, and when Adele left me to go and play in the nursery with Sophie, I did most keenly desire it. I listened for the bell to ring below; I listened for Leah coming up with a message; I fancied sometimes I heard Mr. Rochester's own tread, and I turned to the door, expecting it to open and admit him. The door remained shut: darkness only came through the window. Still it was not late; he often sent for me at seven and eight o'clock, and it was yet but six. Surely I should not be wholly disappointed to-nigh, when I had so many things to say to him! I wanted to introduce the subject of Grace Poole, and to hear what he would answer; I wanted to ask him plainly if he really believed it was she who had made last night's hideous attempt; and if so, why he kept her wickedness a secret. It little mattered whether my curiosity irritated him.; I knew the pleasure of vexing  and soothing  him by turns; it was one I chiefly delighted in, and a sure instinct always prevented me from going to far; beyond the verge of provocation I never ventured; on the extreme brink I liked well to try my skill. Retaining every minute form of respect, every propriety of my station, I could meet him in argument without fear or uneasy restraint; this suited both me and him."

This passage is very important in context with the rest of the novel. It's in this passage that Jane's need for interaction with Mr. Rochester is displayed unabashedly. She "fancied" the "tread" of  "Mr.Rochester". She very much liked when she heard him coming to her. She wants the door to "admit him", which is a unique word choice because admit is to allow entrance so she is expecting the door to allow him in. However, in much disappointment, the door "remained shut". Because this has such a sad tone surrounding it, it is only appropriate that the next line says "darkness only came through the window". The darkness can symbolize her disappointment, because a the only thing coming through was ominous, and she really wanted it to be Rochester. She counts the hours, and is fixated on the schedule she has with him.

Jane also imagines her meeting with him and sort of practices what she would talk about. She has to "introduce" topics to him, such as Grace Poole, indicating that it is being brought up for the first time even though Grace has been a prominent presence before. In Jane's usual no-beating-around-the-bush fashion she plans to "plainly" ask Rochester about the mysterious incident. This passage also shows Jane's conscious and protectiveness over Rochester when she calls the act of burning him in bed "hideous". Jane is finally comfortable around Rochester, but this passage hints how it was not always that way in the past. Though "it little mattered whether [Jane's] curiosity irritated him", the fact that she assumes her questions about strange events would annoy him show how she was once very aware of keeping her curiosity at bay so as not to cause affliction.

Jane soon turns the passage to more positive words. She finds "pleasure of vexing and soothing" and is "chiefly delighted" that she possesses "a sure instinct" to "prevent [her] from going too far". She "liked" her "skill". Jane is happy to have found a "skill" and more the better that it is one that involves Rochester. Her "skill" gets her "respect" from Rochester and she "retains every minute". This demonstrates Jane's obvious affection for him because she remembers and soaks up all the time of mutual respect he is willing to give. Finally, this passage ends with a feeling of content and hope for Jane and Rochester as a pair because Jane can "meet him in argument without fear or uneasy restraint". For Jane to not be afraid or hold back is a major accomplishment that requires trust of the other person. Jane implies that her feelings are matched by Rochester because that "suited both [her] and him". Both people are receiving comfortable signals from the other.