“I scorn your idea of love,” I could not help saying, as I rose up and stood before him, leaning my back against the rock. “I scorn the counterfeit sentiment you offer: yes, St. John, and I scorn you when you offer it.”
– Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre, Chapter 34. This is Jane’s unequivocal response after St. John insists they must be married going to India while Jane will only go as his sister. Her outburst against St. John is provoked by his attempts to dominate her and his demand that she choose divine love over human love. Theirs is a conflict between logic and passion, between reason and emotion. The rebel spirit of the fighting Jane comes to the fore as she stands up for what she desires. She does not wish for a loveless marriage. In the battle of wills between St. John with his logic and Jane and her passion, Jane’s strength prevails. Earlier when St. John listed out Jane’s credentials for the perfect missionary’s wife, he described her as “docile.” But Jane is far from docile, as St. John learns with her decisive rejection of his marriage proposal.