#but also. sorry for the jane eyre 2006 bias im obsessed w ruth and toby’s dynamic as jane and rochester

[huntquinlan]

op this is beautifully explained and i hope you don’t mind if I add more analysis to it, because there are a number of other parallels and connections between Jane & Rochester’s love story, and Elain & Lucien’s love story.

• Mr. Rochester is injured in the fire that Bertha dies in, losing his vision and a hand trying to save her. He subsequently considers himself quite ugly and disfigured, which translates to what we could imagine as Lucien’s own insecurities over the scarring to his face and and loss of his eye (although we all think he’s devastatingly handsome).

“Am I hideous, Jane?"

“Very, sir; you always were, you know",

• When separated from Rochester following the first (failed) engagement Jane befriends two sisters Diana and Mary Rivers (revealed to be her cousins). This is not unlike how Elain has befriended Nuala and Cerridwen.

• It is during this time that she also meets St. John, and eventually rejects his proposal to marry him and leave to be a missionary with him (St John is devoutly religious). Along with StJohn’s proposal being one out of duty, Jane is a highly intuitive character and discovers that St John passionately loves Rosamund Oliver (so badly it scares him), who still loves him, but who he has rejected for complex reasons. St John and Rosamund Oliver also serve as a warning to Jane as to not pass up passion/devotion/love out of fear. This is perhaps reminiscent of the (now retconned) will-they-won’t-they unrequited love between Azriel and Mor. Of course a rejected mates scenario with Helion and the LoA would also be very fitting.

• While OP compares Jane and St. John’s relationship (and duty vs. love/passion) to that of Elain and Grayson’s, I think it is ultimately more fitting to consider that Azriel fits the role of St. John better. While there is some chemistry between Jane and St. John, they ultimately cannot be what the other person wants of them, and it is this realization that pushes Jane back towards Rochester. I believe the same could be said for Elain and Azriel. St. John’s marriage of duty reminds me terribly of the “three sisters three brothers” idea in its sentiments. It’s important to note that Jane maintains a friendly relationship with St. John even after rejecting his proposal, although he ultimately dies as a missionary abroad.

• Of note also, is the condition in which Jane returns to Rochester and marries him. In the time they were separated Jane grew immensely, both in confidence as a person, but also in stature, as during that time she inherited a great deal of money from a late uncle. Jane goes from a poor, orphaned governess, to a rich, independent heiress. She finds family in Diana and Mary Rivers (and St. John), who she shares her inheritance with. As much as possible of a female author in 1847 writing, Charlotte Brontë establishes Jane as Rochester’s equal. The separation serves not just for Jane to reconcile her desires and reconnect with her emotions, but for her to come into her own power, resolving a previous power imbalance between her and Rochester as governess and lord. (Mates are equally matched).

• I also wanted to touch briefly on the pearl symbolism. OP talks about how interesting it is that SJM has Lucien give Elain a pair of pearl earrings that she seemingly rejects like Jane left behind the pearl necklace Rochester had given her (symbolic of her status as his bride, and the wealth/riches he could have given her).

•Rochester actually wears the pearl necklace Jane left (although it is quite small, and thus is an uncomfortable pearl choker on him), a representation of his devotion to her. Only Jane is able to take it off.

• However I think we may see an inversion of this, with Elain having kept the gifts she has received from Lucien, including not just the pearl earrings, the gardening gloves, but also the coat, which he first put around her to protect and comfort her after she first came out of the cauldron. The revelation of this to Lucien could help reinforce to him that Elain cherishes and wants him (is devoted to him).

there are definitely more parallels that we could go back and forth forever on, and of course this is all my own interpretation not word of law but Jane & Rochester and Elain & Lucien forever.

Jane Eyre x Elucien Parallels (In-Depth Meta)

We've been told SJM loves the book Jane Eyre and we know that she has made some literary references to the novel in her own writing. For example, the most commonly known Elucien allusion is the one below:

Elain in ACOWAR:  “It felt… strange,” Elain breathed. “Like you pulled on a thread tied to a rib.”

Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre: “I have a strange feeling with regard to you. As if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in you. And if you were to leave I'm afraid that cord of communion would snap. And I have a notion that I'd take to bleeding inwardly. As for you, you'd forget me.”

This parallel is a HUGE clue. Now, let me explain why the story of Jane Eyre is very well a map for what Elucien's central themes are likely going to explore in their book.

Could SJM be using Jane Eyre as a model for Elain's character and hero journey? Yes, I do. Here is why.

Let me describe Jane in a nutshell for you: she was someone who came from a difficult and isolated childhood and who used her meekness and reserved nature to fit into circumstances. However, we learn she is a smart, witty, innocent, stubborn, and feminine female protagonist. Despite all the societal and religious pressures to marry a husband, Jane was insistent she would only marry for true love.

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will.” ― Jane in Jane Eyre “Shall I tend to my little garden forever?” When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can't have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”

....when I was reflecting on that, I was hit with a wow that is Elain Archeron if I have ever seen anything.

Jane Eyre is a story of Fate, Love, and Autonomy. Just like Elucien.

Without getting too wordy, let me summarize a few things for folks who never read the novel.

The connection described between Jane and Rochester is one of fate. Jane and Rochester fall in love from the start because he treats her as equal, but their marriage is thwarted because Rochester is still married to Bertha Mason (the madwoman in his attic).

Even though she loves him, she has complicated feelings about marriage. She is afraid of the restraints and expectations that will be placed on her if she were to marry.

She leaves him for some time and they endure a long period of separation. In that time she meets St John who will also propose to her, but is meant to represent dutiful marriage without true love and warmth. St John was described as a cold love, whereas Rochester was described as fire.

Eventually, she realizes she wants true love above all else, and returns to Rochester. He has lost his wife by then and it is only then that they are free to finally marry and live together as equals in love.

OKAY. That is definitely an oversimplification but I needed to lay it out for our road map. Let's compare now.

Elain and Lucien shared a fated connection created by the Mother with their mating bond. We also know that a long period of their relationship is defined by their separation where Lucien goes to find Vassa and maintains his distance from Elain out of respect of her feelings.

We know Elain likely has complicated feelings about the bond. She says to Feyre, "I don't want a mate. I don't want a male." She is resisting the bond with Lucien. While we don't have her POV yet, I imagine it has to do with resisting something that she doesn't understand, that is taking away her autonomy in love, and influencing her fate for her.

Elain is likely also going to have two marriage prospects, just as Jane did. We know of her engagement to Graysen, who was described as "kind enough" by Nesta and later rejected her horribly. This marriage would have been similar to St John - one more out of duty for status and safety and marked by coldness. Whereas we have Lucien, with fire in his blood, and a warm personality, which is what Jane described true love to be like.

What is keeping Elain and Lucien apart? Bertha Mason.

Bertha, Rochester's wife and mad woman in the attic, was a symbol of Jane's suppressed emotions and inner conflict in regards to Jane's marriage to Mr. Rochester. She represented what Jane feared the most of traditional marriage at that time--becoming trapped and isolated and mad by the female expectations of society and religion.

It was only once Bertha was gone that they could have their Happily Ever After. (It's important to note she perished in a fire.) Her absence was a physical representation of Jane losing her reservations about marriage and fully becoming sure of herself in confidence, status, and her DECISION to pick to true love.

Which tells me that Elain will return and love Lucien only after her own reservations of the mating bond are addressed. Maybe fire will even be involved/symbolic burning of their obstacles (which would be so fitting for our fireling). I think there is also an added layer that Elain wants more from life than what is expected of her by the Inner Circle, which is hinted at throughout ACOSF.

SJM told us herself in an interview:

“I’m not going to say if I am exploring it in future books or not, but it definitely offers a wealth of things to explore with this concept of freewill and what is true love. Is it something that’s destined? Or is it something that you make? Is it both?”

If she is truly influenced by Jane Eyre, we know the answer. When it comes to Elucien, it's both.

Other Symbols of Jane Eyre in Elucien

A few more interesting parallels I found:

Mr. Rochester gifts Jane a pearl necklace upon his first proposal. Jane refuses to wear it and even leaves it behind. "I left that; it was not mine: it was the visionary bride’s who had melted in air." Notice she rejected not because she doesn't like Rochester or the gift itself, but because what it symbolizes. A bride.

Lucien gave Elain pearl earrings for Solstice. She could barely thank him and we never know if she wears it. I am going to infer that Elain rejects the gift (with silence and indifference) because she is terrified of what it represents...of her accepting the bond between them. I found it so interesting SJM chose to use pearls and have them react very similarly.

Jane Eyre is filled with literary symbols of Fire vs Ice, with fire representing passion and true love, and ice representing duty and cold love.

Lucien could very well be a living symbol of fiery, passionate love ("Autumn Court males have fire in their blood—and they fuck like it, too" anyone??) Graysen and Azriel could also be symbols of that "icy, cold" love in comparison to Lucien.

We also cannot forget that Mr. Rochester waited and waited for Jane to return. Just as Lucien is waiting for Elain to be ready.

In Conclusion...

Let me leave you with one more piece of evidence to convince you. In Jane Eyre, Jane says this of Rochester once she has finally decided to be with him:

"All my heart is yours, sir; it belongs to you; and with you it would remain, were fate to exile the rest of me from your presence forever.”

In ACOWAR, we have this moment between Elain and Graysen:

"I belong to no one. But my heart belongs to you.” Graysen’s face hardened. “I don’t want it.”

Elain will eventually realize her heart belongs to Lucien Vanserra. And he will give her the true love, peace, and happiness she has always wished for her entire life.

“When I sleep,” she murmured, “I can hear your heart beating through the stone.” She angled her head, as if the city view held some answer. “Can you hear mine?" He wasn’t sure if she truly meant to address him, but he said, “No, lady. I cannot.”

Lucien's heart already belongs to Elain. Likely since the moment their bond snapped, which is why she can hear his heart.

In their book, Elain will give her heart to Lucien, as it belongs to him. And has likely always belonged to him.