Chapter 31

In her new role Jane now teaches 20 students in St. John’s parish school. She is committed to the cause of education for all, but is demotivated by what she sees as the students’ lack of interest and ability. The parish also does not seem to offer much scope for individual progress. She is nonetheless thankful to God for guiding her away from life as Rochester’s mistress. St. John assures her that the way to higher purpose is by following the difficult path and doing God’s work. He shares that he had also been unsure about being a priest in the beginning, but having continued in the path, he has realized that his true calling is to be a missionary in India.

Jane finds out that the school is financed by Rosamond Oliver, a woman Jane finds deeply beautiful. She also notices that Rosamond and St. John are in love.

Chapter 32

With time, Jane becomes a valuable asset to the community, and she also improves the state of education for the poor children. She is happy with her position. However, she is regularly haunted by dreams of Rochester.

Rosamond’s visit to the school coincides with St. John’s. She visibly affects St. John with her presence. Jane, noticing this, makes a portrait of Rosamond and gifts it to St. John at their home. St. John is moved and enraptured by the portrait. Jane then suggests that he should marry Rosamond. He agrees that he is in love with Rosamond, but cannot marry her as she would not suit his missionary life. He points out that he should not get trapped in earthly pleasures while doing God’s work. Suddenly, St. John spots something at the edge of Jane’s portrait, tears that part, and goes out in a hurry. Jane does not think too much about it.

Chapter 33

On the next snowy night, St. John visits Jane with an important story. It turns out to be a story about her own life: she learns that she had been gifted her uncle’s inheritance of 20,000 pounds. This message had reached Thornfield only after she had left.

St. John tells her that notices have been posted everywhere in the hope of locating Jane. He also reveals he is Jane’s cousin. He had found out when noticed that Rosamond’s portrait was signed “Jane Eyre.”

Jane is overcome with joy that the Rivers sisters and St. John are her family. She decides to equally divide the fortune between them all, thus hoping to make her cousins financially independent and hopes that they can all live together.

Chapter 34

Jane closes her school during the winter holiday season and spends it with the Rivers sisters who are home for holidays. St. John grows more aloof and informs the women that his beloved Rosamond has married a wealthy aristocrat.

He suggests that Jane learn “Hindostanee” (Hindustani) instead of German, the language that he is currently learning for his missionary work in India. Jane agrees, and also realizes that St. John wields considerable influence over her and that she is growing increasingly dispassionate as a result.

On a summer walk in the hill, St. John proposes marriage to Jane and requests that she accompany him to India in his missionary work. He says he admires her qualities. Jane is stunned and says that she would accompany him only as his sister and tells him that she could never be happy as his wife. St. John reprimands Jane; he adds that by rejecting his proposal she is rejecting a call to serve God.

Chapter 35

St. John continues to persuade Jane to join him in India. Jane contemplates what her life in India might look like. She believes that the heat and hard work would soon claim her life. She is not, however, afraid of death but wants to experience true love. St. John’s sister also argues that Jane shouldn’t go: she says her brother only views Jane as a tool for achieving his work in India. However, one evening when St. John reads the prayer with great passion and faith, Jane is moved to accept his marriage proposal.

Just as she is about to let him know that she has accepted his proposal, Jane hears a cry of help from Rochester. He seems to be calling out to her, pleading to be saved. She pledges to go find Rochester and rescue him.

Analysis of Chapter 31 – Chapter 35

Jane is initially taken aback by the state of education in the parish school; she doesn’t see much room for growth either for her or the students. She had left her job at her earlier school to be a governess in order to explore the possibilities available to educated women. However, she feels constrained by the new job.

Rosamond is a symbol for worldly temptations. The mutual affection that St. John and Rosamond share but cannot fulfill stands as an ideal of Christian purity. Even though St. John seems to be moved by Rosamond’s beauty, he has to overcome the test by choosing God and his work over the worldly pleasure of a woman’s love.

The dreams Jane has in the night are full of desire and passion, and Rochester often features in these dreams. Despite having begun a new life, Jane is still hopelessly in love with Rochester.

In a moment of coincidence, Jane’s unconscious choice to sign her portrait of Rosamond with her real name drives the narrative. St. John recognizes the truth, which enables Jane to claim her wealth and divide it amongst her siblings. In doing so, she comes across as not just an educated and intelligent woman but also as a gracious woman with good conscience.

St. John’s proposal to Jane seems bereft of passion. This proposal is similar to Rochester and Bertha’s marriage in that it may be legally and religiously legitimate but lacks camaraderie or passion.

The holiday scene where the Rivers sisters and Jane come together stands in sharp contrast to the early life that Jane led in the Reeds household where she was reminded of her orphanhood often and treated miserably for it. Here, the family is of her choosing and they are all warmly accepting of each other, even though St. John is going through a crisis after learning that Rosamond has married another man for wealth. Another instance of Jane’s bond with the sisters is when Diana Rivers warns Jane against marrying St. John.

The moment where St. John’s ardent faith almost moves Jane to accept his proposal shows St. John’s overwhelming piety. This instance also builds up the narrative tension, which reaches a crescendo with Rochester’s call to Jane. This call is symbolic of the spiritual connection between two people in love.