“Shall I?” I said briefly; and I looked at his features, beautiful in their harmony, but strangely formidable in their still severity; at his brow, commanding, but not open; at his eyes, bright and deep and searching, but never soft; at his tall imposing figure; and fancied myself in idea his wife. Oh! it would never do! As his curate, his comrade, all would be right: I would cross oceans with him in that capacity; toil under Eastern suns, in Asian deserts with him in that office; admire and emulate his courage and devotion and vigour: accommodate quietly to his masterhood; smile undisturbed at his ineradicable ambition. . . . I should suffer often, no doubt, attached to him only in this capacity: my body would be under a rather stringent yoke, but my heart and mind would be free. I should still have my unblighted self to turn to: my natural unenslaved feelings with which to communicate in moments of loneliness. There would be recesses in my mind which would be only mine, to which he never came; and sentiments growing there, fresh and sheltered, which his austerity could never blight, nor his measured warrior-march trample down: but as his wife—at his side always, and always restrained, and always checked—forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital—this would be unendurable.”
-Jane Eyre, Chapter 34
In this passage, we see an inner conflict of Jane’s. St. John has just asked her to be his wife and to go and do missionary work in India. At first, Jane believes that going with him could be very beneficial, as it would allow her to go out into the world and perform helpful works for people. She ponders that this type of work would have much more of an impact than the typical female jobs she had, such as being a governess or schoolteacher. Jane also admits that it would be very hard work, but that her mind and heart would be free because she believes in the work she would be doing. However, Jane also realizes that although this work would be great and she believes in the cause, that she could not live her life with St. John oppressing her as her husband. Jane has always been a sort of “rebel”, so having a husband who tries to repress her free spirit is not something Jane can handle.
Question: In a situation where Jane is essentially picking the less of two evils, what is the correct choice to make? Should she go do work not typically available to women that she believes in but be “controlled” by St. John? Or should she work a job that she doesn’t believe in the cause of as much, but remain free from oppression by a husband who doesn’t really love her?
