How Divorce Would Affect the Novel

Melissa Ziemba

If Mr. Rochester had been able to divorce Bertha and marry Jane without any complications the novel itself would become less powerful. For the central thrust in Jane Eyre is the development of Jane's strong character. If Rochester obtained a divorce from Bertha, his actions would be viewed as even more adulterous than they were portrayed in the novel, for he would be ending a marriage on account of his love for Jane. A married man should have strong enough virtues to resist temptation (including such a temptation as physical attraction). Therefore, granting Rochester a divorce would make Jane be seen as a mistress (something that is not even implied in the novel as it stands), for presumably she would have had knowledge of Bertha's existence. One must remember that Edward's divorce would probably have been made public, since it would be an uncommon occurrence. Taking into account the social standings of the day, a nineteenth-century reader would see Edward's actions as scandalous, for he would be leaving his wife for his "lover."

Jane's character as well would be viewed as less heroic. Since her strengths lie in her strong morals and highly virtuous behavior, being the cause of Edward's divorce would be seen as a black mark on her character. Today, it might be seen as odd, for since Bertha was insane why should that be a barrier to Edward and Jane's happiness? However, in nineteenth-century England, marriage was highly binding. One had to accept one's marriage whether good or bad. As Joan Perkin states, "Contented wives often justified their lives in terms of high moral or religious purpose" (7) and not on happy marriages. Whether a woman was happy or unhappy in her marriage, high morals and a strong religious background helped her to find comfort and acceptance of her life. A woman would have believed that it was God's will for her to live the way she did. A divorce from Bertha would then be seen as contradicting what God ordained. If Edward and Jane were destined to be together (as they were) then God would allow it to happen on His own terms. Divorce was a violation of these terms. Therefore, Jane and Edward had to remain strong and not attempt to change their fate. To make Jane and Edward anything other than they are would be to compromise their characters, especially the virtuousness of Jane. This would be an unfortunate occurrence for through these two characters, each portraying either extreme virtue or immorality, Bronte creates a story that praises the upholding of strong morals and high virtues.