1. I thought St. John stood for the cultural ideal of goodness, everything your average poor Victorian governess should find romantic and fascinating and appealing. Like how Frank Churchill is your average regency novel hero. The author is playing with cultural tropes and the issues with the social ideals of masculinity.

2. Rochester’s sins were bigamy and/or not being honest with someone you want to marry. I don’t think there marrying for money or the age gap are considered sins per se.

3. I think Brontë is way more into the vibes and the characters growth and inner lives than the actual romance of it all tbh. The happy ending is only tangentially relevant. But I’m sure that’s good fan fiction out there (and if not you should write it!).

Having loved it in high school, I decided to re-read it, 30 years later. This book was lost on young me. I also forget much of it. I forgot about the opening screens at the aunts house and about the missionary all together. I also thought that she away from her "Master" for a long time but it was actually not long at all.

Questions:
1. What did Sinjin stand for? He's obviously not meant to be read as just a man. Did I read it right that he's going to die about 40 given that he exerted himself doing missionary work?
2. Rochester is punished at the end, for his sins. Marrying for money the first time, not for love? Loving a girl 20 yrs younger? I thought those were common among men at that time.
3. Why did Bronte spend so little time on the reunion? She didn't want to wallow in the happy ending?

The lyrical writing too was lost on young me. I"m so glad that I reread it.