do you find me handsome Jane answers truthfully No sir This shows that their love is not love at first sight It develops gradually through mutual respect and understanding Mutual Respect and Understanding Jane works as a governess for Adele at Thornfield Hall Rochester is the owner of Thornfield Hall As Jane and Rochester talk more and more mutual respect and understanding grow between them Rochester begins to tell her about his troubled past his mistakes and his unhappiness Jane listens with sympathy Though Jane falls in love with Rochester she maintains her self-respect Rochester on the other hand begins to see Jane as the one person who truly understands him Love Confession and Engagement One of the most emotional scenes comes when Rochester suddenly declares his love He tells Jane My bride is here because my equal is here and my likeness Jane will you marry me This line is important because it shows that he sees Jane not as a servant or dependent He sees her as his equal Jane at first doubts his seriousness but soon she accepts his proposal Their engagement seems like a dream come true But the dark secret of Thornfield is about to destroy it Dark Secret and Separation On their wedding day the shocking truth comes out Rochester already has a wife Bertha Mason Bertha is locked away in the attic because of her madness This revelation breaks Jane s heart She loves Rochester deeply but her sense of self-respect is stronger She refuses to stay with Rochester as his mistress With pain she leaves Thornfield at night saying I care for myself The more solitary the more friendless the more I will respect myself This is the tragic turning point in their relationship Her love is not destroyed But it is put to the test by separation And hardships soon follow Reunion After Suffering After leaving Thornfield Jane suffers from hunger poverty and loneliness After months of hardship Jane inherits money and becomes independent One night she hears Rochester s voice calling her name across the distance Soon she returns to Thornfield There she finds the hall burned down by Bertha who is also killed by fire Rochester has lost his sight and a hand in the fire Still Jane chooses him because she loves him Jane chooses him not because she is dependent on Rochester She chooses him because she loves her Jane says happily Reader I married him This final line shows her joy and equality In fine the relationship between Jane and Rochester is not a simple romance it is a journey of trials and growth From their first meeting on the icy road to their final marriage love is tested by secrets and separation Jane s strength and independence guide the relationship while Rochester learns humility and truth At last they meet as equals and marry