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What do you think would happen if the climax of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre changed?

I think most readers would agree that the dramatic climax of Jane Eyre occurs just before the most frequently quoted line from this novel; that is to say, "Reader, I married him." The scene just prior to this finds Jane going back to Thornfield to see Rochester, and discovering that he has been injured and blinded in a fire that was set by his wife Bertha. Since his wife has died, Rochester is now free to marry Jane, without worrying about social stigma. But it is here that Jane makes a crucial choice. She could decide not to marry Rochester, who is much older than she, and now also physically disabled. After fleeing Thornfield, becoming lost on the moors, and being taken in by strangers, Jane regains her focus and confidence and realizes that, regardless of whether it is right or wrong, she loves Rochester and must see him again. When she hears about the fire, her sympathy is aroused. It is tempting to think that Jane's decision to marry Rochester is one born of pity. But this crucial scene shows that the two are very much equals; intellectually and emotionally, if no longer physically. 


It's hard to imagine a different ending to this novel. However, it seems plausible that another possible outcome might have been that Jane would decide not to marry Rochester, but to remain his friend. Her deep loyalty to the few people in her life who have been kind to her helps justify the decision she ended up making. But Jane's independence is her most significant quality, and remaining unmarried would also have been a plausible outcome. And yet, her depth of passion and feeling are also strongly featured in this story, and it seems right for her to marry the man she loves in the end.

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