What happens in CONCLUSION of Jane Eyre?
The chapter begins with Jane’s well-known statement that she married Mr. Rochester in a small ceremony, attended only by the two of them, the parson, and the clerk. Back at the manor, Jane shares the news with the servants, Mary and John, who react with their usual composure; John mentions an overheard compliment that Jane will be a better match for Rochester than any high-born lady. Jane sends letters to Moor House and Cambridge to announce the marriage; both Diana and Mary Rivers respond positively right away, while St. John doesn’t address it directly but resumes a composed correspondence six months later.
Jane then visits Adèle, who is looking pale and unhappy at school. She takes her away, briefly attempts to return as her governess, but prioritizes her husband's needs, ultimately placing Adèle in a more nurturing school nearby, where she visits frequently. Adèle matures into a charming, principled companion.
Reflecting on ten years of marriage, Jane describes their relationship as one of perfect harmony and mutual support. Rochester was blind for the first two years; Jane became his eyes, reading to him and describing the world around them. One morning, he notices her gold watch-chain and pale blue dress—indications that his sight is improving. They visit London, where an oculist confirms partial recovery: Rochester regains vision in one eye, enough to see that their first-born son has inherited his striking black eyes.
The chapter concludes with brief updates on Diana and Mary Rivers, who are both happily married, and a more detailed tribute to St. John Rivers, who has gone to India as a missionary and is nearing a death that Jane foresees as glorious and fearless.
Analysis
The chapter unfolds like a gradual unwinding, with a narrator who has previously controlled her story now stepping back to reflect on the aftermath with a sense of calm authority. The opening line, "Reader, I married him," captures the resolution in its simplest form: subject, verb, object, directly addressing the reader Jane has confided in all along. This direct address sets the tone for the entire chapter, reappearing when Jane prompts, "You have not quite forgotten little Adèle, have you, reader?" This technique closes the gap between the narrator and the audience, making the reader a trusted confidant rather than a distant observer.
The domestic comedy between Mary and John — the suspended ladle, the playful tug of the forelock, the overheard dialect praise — offers a lighthearted contrast before the chapter delves deeper. The dialect itself ("She'll happen do better for him nor ony o' t' grand ladies") anchors the romantic resolution in straightforward, down-to-earth approval.
The passage detailing the ten-year marriage is crafted from a series of balanced, nearly liturgical phrases: "I am my husband's life as fully as he is mine," "bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh." This biblical language elevates their union from mere romance to a sacred covenant. Rochester's blindness during those first two years is expressed through a sensory build-up — "field, tree, town, river, cloud, sunbeam" — establishing Jane's role as his vision as the chapter’s key image of mutual dependence.
The chapter concludes not with Jane, but with St. John, whose portrayal shifts from admiration to elegy. The final quotation — "Amen; even so come, Lord Jesus!" — gives the last words of the novel to a man awaiting death, contrasting Jane's earthly happiness with a longing for otherworldly fulfillment.
Key quotes from CONCLUSION
“Reader, I married him.”
The opening sentence of the chapter, spoken by Jane as narrator, announcing her marriage to Mr. Rochester.
“our honeymoon will shine our life long: its beams will only fade over your grave or mine.”
Mr. Rochester's response when Jane reads him Diana's letter saying she will visit after the honeymoon.
“No fear of death will darken St. John’s last hour: his mind will be unclouded, his heart will be undaunted, his hope will be sure, his faith steadfast.”
Jane's reflection near the chapter's close as she anticipates the news of St. John's death.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in CONCLUSION
- impracticable
- Impossible to carry out in practice; not workable given the actual circumstances. Jane finds she cannot return to being a governess because her new responsibilities make it unworkable.