Jane Eyre is a novel written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847, it is written in first-person narrative. The plot follows Jane Eyre through her life from a young age and through the novel the reader sees Jane mature from a girl to adulthood, Jane also goes through many emotions and experiences and the book touches on many themes, for example love, social class and religion. Over the course of the novel Jane meets two important men and through these men she has two marriage proposals, one from Rochester who she loves and the other from her cousin St John Rivers. The two men are portrayed very differently, as are their marriage proposals. This essay will compare St John Rivers and Edward Rochester. Jane had a difficult childhood at the hands of her aunt, Mrs. Reed, and her cousins. She lived with the Reed family until she was ten years old and during these ten years she was bullied and unloved. Jane was then sent to Lowood School and seemed keen on leaving Gateshead, but once at Lowood she experienced more ridicule and a harsh school life. However she found friendship in Helen Burns, although this friendship was short-lived as Helen died during a typhoid epidemic, through their brief friendship Helen had shown Jane that life at Lowood could be bearable; she was also the first friend Jane ever really had. Despite Rochester's stern manner and unattractive appearance, Jane still finds herself falling in love with him. During her first meeting with Rochester Jane describes him "He had a dark face, with severe features and a heavy forehead..." Chapter 12. She goes on to describe his eyes and eyebrows gathered angrily, claiming that his eyes are angry and filled with wrath, he also describes it as if he had outgrown his y...... middle of paper ......he would have to sacrifice his passion for the sake of religious duty. On the other hand with Rochester, Jane would be forced to sacrifice her morality for the sake of her passion while Bertha was alive. When she learned of Bertha's death she realized that with Rochester she could live a happy and love-filled life. Rochester and St John Rivers both have passion, Rochester's is a passion for his love for Jane while St John Rivers is a passion for his missionary work, and allows this passion to quell his love for Miss Oliver. St John Rivers is ready to love Jane in time; however this is a sign of his lack of passion while Rochester truly loves Jane despite their differences, and his love for her is true love. For Jane it's a choice between a marriage of passion and a marriage of practicality, for Jane it's her passion and her heart that win in the end.