What happens in Chapter XXXIII of Jane Eyre?
On a night when heavy snow has blanketed the valley, St. John Rivers unexpectedly arrives at Jane's cottage, his cloak covered in white snow. After some awkward small talk, he takes charge of the conversation and recounts, in the third person, the tale of a poor curate who married a wealthy man's daughter against her family's wishes. Both parents passed away young, leaving an orphaned girl who was raised by Mrs. Reed of Gateshead, educated at Lowood School, and eventually became a governess for one of Mr. Rochester's wards—only to escape Thornfield Hall upon discovering that Rochester had a living wife. St. John reveals that a solicitor named Mr. Briggs has been searching for this governess. Jane presses him for news about Rochester, but St. John can only say that letters sent to Thornfield were answered by an "Alice Fairfax." He then pulls out a torn slip of paper—a margin from one of Jane's portrait covers—bearing her handwriting that reads "JANE EYRE," confirming her identity. He goes on to reveal that her uncle, Mr. Eyre from Madeira, has passed away and left her his entire fortune of twenty thousand pounds. Jane is shocked but quickly becomes even more excited by a second revelation: St. John's middle name is Eyre, and his mother was Jane's father's sister, making St. John, Diana, and Mary her cousins. Overjoyed at finding family, Jane immediately decides to split the twenty thousand pounds equally among the four of them—five thousand each. Despite St. John's objections, Jane stands firm, and the chapter concludes with her confirming she will keep her teaching position until a substitute is found, noting that the division is eventually resolved through arbitration.
Analysis
The chapter unfolds gradually in two parts: the inheritance and the kinship. St. John takes charge of the first part by narrating Jane's life story back to her in a detached third person. This technique creates dramatic irony as readers grasp the story before Jane fully realizes it. It also highlights St. John's character; his "chiselled marble" face and methodical manner sharply contrast with Jane's growing agitation, setting up the core tension of the scene.
Outside, a storm reflects the emotional chaos within. Snow imagery is prevalent—St. John arrives "all white as a glacier," a snow drift engulfs him "up to the waist," and his melting cloak creates a puddle on Jane's sanded floor. Here, the physical cold symbolizes his emotional distance, while the fire Jane tends symbolizes her warmth and emotions.
Jane's reactions to the two pieces of news are intentionally reversed: she receives the fortune with seriousness ("one begins to consider responsibilities") but reacts to the news of her cousins with pure joy—clapping her hands, pacing, with her pulse racing. This reversal forms the chapter's moral point: human connection is more valuable than material wealth. The metaphor of the "chain"—"the chain that had been lying hitherto a formless lump of links was drawn out straight"—captures how scattered facts suddenly coalesce into family identity.
In the chapter's final third, the dialogue becomes a clash of wills, with Jane's demand for equal division framed as both an ethical and emotional requirement. Her declaration "I am a hard woman,—impossible to put off" showcases her agency, balancing St. John's recognized hardness, and the chapter concludes with her triumphing in the argument through negotiation.
Key quotes from Chapter XXXIII
““And I am a hard woman,—impossible to put off.””
Jane says this to St. John when he tries to leave without explaining his connection to Mr. Briggs.
“This was wealth indeed!—wealth to the heart!—a mine of pure, genial affections.”
Jane's interior reflection immediately after St. John confirms they are cousins.
“the chain that had been lying hitherto a formless lump of links was drawn out straight,—every ring was perfect, the connection complete.”
Jane's narration describing the moment she grasps, before St. John speaks, that they must be related.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in Chapter XXXIII
- fraternisation
- The act of treating people as brothers or equals, especially across class or social boundaries. St. John uses it sarcastically to mock the idea that Jane, now wealthy, can claim equal brotherhood with him.