Allusion (pt.2)

"'It is time some one undertook to rehumanize you,' I said, parting his thick and long uncut locks: 'for I see you are being metamorphosed into a lion, or something of that sort. You have a 'faux air' of Nebuchadnezzar in the fields about you, that is certain: your hair reminds me of eagles' feathers; whether your nails are grown like birds' claws or not I have not yet noticed"(443-44).

 While speaking to Mr. Rochester after returning to him, Jane relates Mr. Rochester's appearance to that of the biblical king, Nebuchadnezzar. In the biblical story of Nebuchadnezzar, God punishes Nebuchadnezzar after refusing to stop sinning by giving him the mindset of an animal, in response to a dream he had. After this dream, he spent seven years in the wilderness, until he was humbled and became a good king ("Nebuchadnezzar). Mr. Rochester's story parallels that of Nebuchadnezzar's because after the fire, he was reduced to a blind, decrepit man, who lost a great deal of his wealth in Thornfield Manor. He is no longer as arrogant as he used to be and seems to accept this loss of social status by marrying Jane quietly as planned.

Works Cited:
"Nebuchadnezzar." Aboutbibleprophecy.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 2 May 2013.

Allusions

"'Now, King Ahasuerus! What do I want with half your estate? Do you think I am a Jew-userer, seeking good investment in land? I would much rather have all your confidence. You will not exclude me from your confidence, if you admit me to your heart?'"(266). 

This quote alludes to the biblical story of King Ahasuerus, or King Xerxes, in the book of Esther. He was the king of Persia, who lives in relative splendor compared to the lives of the suffering Jews. In the bible, King Ahasuerus decides to marry another woman because his wife was disobedient, and corals all of the beautiful women of the area to his palace. Among them is Esther, a poor Jewish girl, who he picks as his wife ("Men of the Purim Story"). This allusion is relevant to the story of Jane and Mr. Rochester because they both the social differences between the two of them, however it is evident that Mr. Rochester doesn't care. Much like King Ahasuerus, Mr. Rochester is too deeply in love for social caste to matter.

Works Cited:
"Men of the Purim Story." About.com Judaism. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2013.