isolation—this banishment from my kind! Not only
the anchor of hope, but the footing of fortitude was
gone” (p. 321).
Upon arrival at Thornfield, Jane is greeted by
Mrs. Fairfax, a house servant, and her pupil Adele, a
French girl. She describes her work as "I was now at
last in safe haven" (p. 90). It is also a phrase based on
the conceptual metaphor "LIFE is a JOURNEY."
However, a blameless and easy life does not always
satisfy Jane:
"To spend the long winter evening with her, and
her only, was to quell wholly the faint excitement
wakened by my walk—to slip again over my faculties
the viewless fetters of a uniform and too still
existence; of an existence whose very privileges of
security and ease I was becoming incapable of
appreciating. What good it would have done me at
that time to have been tossed in the storms of an
uncertain struggling life, and to have been taught by
rough and bitter experience to long for the calm
amidst which I now repined!" (Chapter 12, 108).
The conceptual metaphor mentioned above is
activated again, and the journey once more consists
of sailing on the sea. The frame of the metaphor is
expanded by adding nodes like "small boat,"
“tossed,” “storm.” Tired of the easy life, the silence
in Thornfield, Jane imagines this life as a man
standing on his feet. Therefore, in combination, she
does not forget that such calmness should be
appreciated. Being in a temporary environment, in the
conditions of a sea voyage, a small boatman (Jane
imagines herself to be just like that) is not so pleased
to meet a storm and look for a way to navigate
through it.
Let's move on to the analysis of the following
passage:
"Yesterday I trusted well in Providence, and
believed that events were working together for your
good and mine: it was a fine day, if you recollect—
the calmness of the air and sky forbade apprehensions
respecting your safety or comfort on your journey. I
walked a little while on the pavement after tea,
thinking of you; and I beheld you in imagination so
near me, I scarcely missed your actual presence. I
thought of the life that lay before me—your life, sir—
an existence more expansive and stirring than my
own: as much more so as the depths of the sea to
which the brook runs are than the shallows of its own
strait channel." (Chapter 25, 267).
The month of hunting is over, and on one of the
fast days, Jane is going to marry Rochester. In
Rochester's absence, who has gone to find out the
news from small farms, Jane is worried and excited
about the expected changes in her life. Walking
through the park, she thinks about Rochester. Jane,
who compares her life to Rochester's, makes life look
like a river. At the same time, the directions of the
metaphorical mind take those manifestations that are
under them:
Depth of sea to which the brook runs → the depth
of Rochester's life;
Shallows of strait channel → the shallowness of
Jane's life;
Expansive and stirring → rich life experience,
exciting life experience.
In the conceptual framework of the metaphor,
Rochester's life is compared to the sea, through which
little fuel passes, while Jane's life is compared to
shallow water in the channel bed. This quality is a
metaphorical contradiction, which, on the one hand,
shows Jane's respect and passion for Rochester, and
on the other hand, signals her humility. A metaphor
of the same appearance, of course, informs the
inevitability of achieving the goal of marriage.
But it's not always easy to capture the dream.
After finding out that Rochester has another wife and
that this mad wife is locked in a house on the third
floor, Jane leaves Thornfield. But Jane, wandering
around the neighboring district of Whitcross, does not
despair, despite hunger and exhaustion. On the
contrary, she believes in Allah and expects
encouragement from him. Compare:
"Life, however, was yet in my possession, with all
its requirements, and pains, and responsibilities. The
burden must be carried; the want provided for; the
suffering endured; the responsibility fulfilled. I set
out." (Chapter 28, 311).
Rochester's metaphorical contemplative activity
is associated with a bitter, traumatic life experience.
In his youth, Bertha took care of Mason and married
him, which made Rochester dissatisfied with his life.
As a result, he got used to being ironic and cold to
others, despising the injustice of life and fate. Such a
life, without words, does not satisfy anyone.
Psychologists define "life trauma" as a means of
alienation from the beauty and life-giving landscapes
of the world (Janoff-Bulman 1992: 6). Mental trauma
affects a person's mood, activity, and worldview,
which manifests itself. An example of this is the
content of the metaphors that define Rochester's
attitude to life:
“I started, or rather (for like other defaulters, I like
to lay half the blame on ill fortune and adverse
circumstances) was thrust onto a wrong tack at the
age of one-and-twenty, and have never recovered the
right course since...” (Chapter 14, 126).
These lines are an example of a conversation
between Rochester and Jane. In response to Jane's
sarcasm, Rochester admits that there are no
deviations from reality in his behavior. In his
response, Rochester, commenting on his life
experience, claims that the path of life is not his
choice but dictated by God (bad luck). As you know,