Romcoms and Jane Eyre
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester’s relationship to be very reminiscent of, if not, an “anti-romantic comedy.” (I am already sensing some not so pleasant reactions to this and Bronte is probably rolling over in her grave somewhere R.I.P.) I quickly searched on Google to see if I could find a more appropriate, and already established, genre but came up short. So I will briefly try to define what I mean by “anti-romantic comedy.” Like romantic comedies, it follows the lives of two “destined” lovers through their initial meeting, their trials and tribulations as a couple, inevitable separation, and then resolution leading to a happily ever after. However, it is “anti-romantic comedy” in the sense that unlike romcoms, Jane Eyre is hardly light-hearted but is much more dramatic. When I think of Jane Eyre as a “love story,” the words dark, gothic, grim, and somber accompany my thoughts.
The specific scene that I will discuss is Eyre’s and Rochester’s “meet-cute,” and the immediate events/days that followed the incident. Wikipedia defines a “meet-cute” as “the contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, a comic situation contrived by the filmmakers entirely in order to bring them together. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create a humorous sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation.” For the two characters, their meet cute was the slipping of Rochester’s horse on an ice puddle.
This scene furthers the reader’s perception of gender roles with regards to Mr. Rochester’s actions, but challenges them when it comes to Jane.
Mr. Rochester depicts his “manliness” by refusing to have Jane call for help and also by his insistence of Jane to leave him after he had gotten back on his feet, despite the fact that he was in great pain when he tried to move. He continues to assert his power/dominance (characteristics typical of masculinity as defined by society) during his first conversations with Jane and even prior to their conversation after their initial meeting. With regards to his “daughter,” despite having assumed the role of guardian of Adele, it is obvious that he is not interested in raising her at all, past providing a roof, food, and any other necessities. His only demonstration of “sensitivity” is his giving of ‘cadeaus’ to her, but what he gives further perpetuates his beliefs of gifts appropriate to her gender, delicate items of “porcelain… ivory, and waxen contents.” (156) Finally, the way he treats Jane initially in their beginning conversations appears more of apathy and out of entertainment, not necessarily respect. He tells her what to do, in such a way that could be seen as aggressive and dominant.
On the other hand, Jane subtly disrupts her gender roles from a contemporary perspective. The fact that Jane remains truthful and stands her ground during her interrogation is evidence to this. Her bluntness when Rochester “attacks” is also an exemplification as she refuses to succumb to his dominant and aggressive demeanor.
In this day and age, it is easy to overlook the great progress that Feminism and Women’s Rights have achieved in terms of equality, and therefore it is easy to miss Jane’s subtle rebellions against what was expected of her. (Despite the immense progress, women still aren’t held at the same level as men, but that’s an entirely different discourse.)
You’re blog was very interesting to read, partly because now I have new terms to describe romantic situations in books/ movies that I have never heard before! I like the whole explanation on the ‘anti-romantic comedy’ and the ‘meet cute’ that you used to start your blog on Rochester and Jane. I believe these terms were great adjectives to help show what the relationship between the two characters is like. I agree that Jane and Rochester have a very ‘anti-romantic comedy’ air about them, which just makes the book all the more fun to read.
I also agree that Mr. Rochester asserts his dominance a lot. More than he needs to, in my opinion, (then again, if he were to drop some manly qualities, I don’t think I would take him seriously.) I also agree that Jane does a lot to cross the line of her gender role. She stands up for herself, is independent, and is rather blunt and truthful for a woman of her time. Its rather interesting to watch the two sit there, with Rochester trying to show his dominance over her, and then watch Jane stand her ground and refuse to let him intimidate her.
I like your interpretation, that you placed the story in the terms of a movie format. In a way it is an anti-romantic comedy, or perhaps it could be put into the romantic drama category? Movie catagorizingg can be a bit subjective can’t it? I hadn’t really thought about it but I think you are right, the meeting between Rochester and Jane is the meet-cute of the story. I love that reference. It is the classic movie meeting, and novels meeting of two characters. The 1st character as a mishap and the second character comes to the aid of the first. Unlike the classic version however, and what is very atypical is that were it is traditionally a woman in distress and a man who comes to her aid, in Jane Eyre the roles are reversed. What is also very forward thinking of Bronte to write is that although Rochester does exhibit the stereotypical, “manly” response, Jane responds in anything but a stereotypical way. She is bold and assertive, she tries to help Rochester with out regard to the social situation or Rochester insistence that he is alright. The fact that a woman was supposed to be docile and meek is ignored, or rather pointedly opposed.
I noticed how you mention that her actions as a feminist are subtle. This is something that I knew right from the beginning and I wasn't sure if anyone else caught on. I know I am probably biased because I live in this world where women are free to do these things but at the same time I know that her intentions did not show through her actions as much as she would have liked. Her assertiveness and other uncommon traits for women of her time were not these big bold outbursts where everyone was paying attention to her. Sometimes she did things that just weren't normal but under some sort of her own control. Some people might have thought of her as difficult but not downright crazy. She knew how to maneuver in her surroundings and behave within reason. Her thoughts are the most confusing because she is so hard on herself. She thinks about acting out or completing an action so much that you can imagine her carrying it out and I think that most of the time her intentions and actions seem interchangeable but they are not. She does stay within her boundaries for most of the time, yet on another note she does make these simple changes that completely make her an independent and self-respecting person. It is very complex indeed her role as a governess and woman in this society.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. You have a very creative way of explaining the “subtle” ways that Jane breaks through the standard of being a typical woman. I liked the fact that you put Jane Eyre into an “anti-romantic comedy” genre. Jane and Mr. Rochester’s romance is, in my eyes, a bit strange and confusing at times. I think that the genre that you provided shed a perfect light upon their winding paths and upon the way in which Jane expresses her love for him. I loved the scene that you chose to use to show gender roles in society. As I read that scene I felt like there was so much typical male roles in play and yet Jane steps out against what the standard woman would do. She is, as you said, truthful and blunt. In my opinion, these are the very things that drew Mr. Rochester to a deep admiration for Jane. She wasn’t like everybody else, she stood out among the women of her time. I think it’s also important to recognize the fact that Mr. Rochester is very controlling and dominant towards Jane in the beginning. As time goes on, he develops a respect for Jane that in turn creates his love for her. Which I think is such a beautiful picture of love.