Reader, I Married Him

Last  night I saw the movie Jane Eyre. Just so we are clear, I've never read the book. I have read some books, but not that book. I think I would like it. I loved Wuthering Heights and they seem similar with the soul mates and the heather and the whatnot. I had to read Wuthering Heights in high school over Christmas break when I was a senior. I got chicken pox that year. My affliction was severe but I was dedicated so my memories of Wuthering Heights are restless and fever-stricken AS THEY SHOULD BE.

Here's a picture my mom took of me at that time with Heathcliff. 

So I'll spare you my sharp, expansive, literary criticism of Jane Eyre and just tell you how I liked the movie: I liked it. At first I was all, "This is way more boring than Thor." But I was quickly drawn in and by the end I found Jane Eyre very satisfying. Maybe even more satisfying than Thor which was (recall) pretty satisfying. I bet you wish I would stop talking about satisfaction. OK. I will.

In many ways the love story between Jane and Mr. Rochester is the exact opposite of the romance in Thor between Thor and, as luck would have it for this comparison, Jane. Basically the Jane in Thor is into Thor because he has a good body. But they don't really have interesting conversations and other than coyly spurning him for bad manners, Jane doesn't seem to have much of a hold on Thor--who can blame him, he is a God.  At first Thor comes across as a disheveled, homeless man who is out of his wits. As he gets further away from this image, Jane likes him more. But the opposite happens in Jane Eyre. It is into the arms of a disheveled homeless man that Jane [SPOILER] returns. Did not see that coming. It's such a great ending.

I guess Jane Eyre is supposedly no great beauty. But Mr. Rochester wants her anyway.  He loves her mind, cares what she thinks, and craves her soul. Do I love that idea because I am ugly and I want to be appreciated for my remarkable soul? Do I love that idea because I am beautiful and I want to be appreciated for my intriguing mind? Hard to say.

But you have to wonder about this Jane Eyre character. In the movie she meets two men and they are both strongly drawn to her soul. Is she just really passionate and awesome?  I have a hypothesis that there is a personality type that is good at making people feel like they have found their soul mate. I think Rashida Jones might be like that which would explain why some guy is keeping her on Parks and Recreation even though she is decidedly unfunny.

Mr. Rochester was kind of mean to Jane Eyre sometimes. I'm glad he went blind. I probably would have still married him though. It certainly don't hurt that he's Magneto!