I truly can't decide whether I like the first person point of view or not. Jane does a great job describing what is going on, providing immense detail; however, the readers are only informed of what she knows, never about something that she did not experience. This has run me into much anger...I want to know what Mr. Rochester thinks!!!! One particular instance that I wish the reader was given more information about is when Jane is asking Mr. Rochester permission to leave Thornfield to see her dying aunt. After a lengthy conversation in which Mr. Rochester implies he doesn't want Jane to leave, I really thought he was going to finally tell Jane he loves her! But I was terribly annoyed when "The dinner bell rang, and suddenly he bolted, without another syllable." Jane didn't see him again before she left and the readers are left hanging, wondering what his feelings truly are! It is really aggravating to be left with doubts!
Luckily, Jane is a curious person and easily gets people to reveal what they are thinking, so the reader is finally told how Mr. Rochester feels later on. If this wasn't the case, I would go crazy and would definitely dislike this book. Do I enjoy being left hanging and having to wonder about his feelings? I really can't decide. It's extremely annoying at the time, but when we are told later on, I feel very relieved and blissful. It's extremely bittersweet.
I am currently reading the section where St. John has revealed Jane's true identity and Jane is longing to know what became of Mr. Rochester. While I desperately want to know if Mr. Rochester is brooding over Jane's absence or has already moved on, I believe that Jane, in time, will seek the answers. So I am forced to read on in suspense and find out later!
I like your discussion of the frustration that a first person narrator can bring. It definitely is annoying to the reader because they only know as much as the narrator knows, but it also can provide an entirely different story than if the narrator was all knowing. The suspense can be annoying, but in the end, sometimes the agony is worth it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I understand your frustration with the novel being narrated in a first person format and providing little information about other characters' viewpoints, I do believe that this point of view is necessary for the readers to understand and feel Jane's own emotions. Jane's emotions are more essential to the plot of the story than other characters'. While having the luxury of knowing what others are thinking is nice, I think it's more important that we know what Jane is thinking, since she is central to the entire book.
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