Harriet Martineau wrote “ All the female characters in all their thoughts and lives, are full of one thing, or are regarded in the light of that one thought, love ! It begins with the child of six years old, of the opening (a charming picture), and closes with it at the last page.”
“The characteristics of Charlotte's books are emotional force, the exaltation of passion over all the commonplace proprieties, the low -toned feelings, the semi-educated pedantries that are the characteristics of the people who surround Charlotte. “(1)
How are we to reconcile that when Charlotte had rejected four marriage proposals and after having experienced 'the Grand Passion', that she finds love (έρωτας) at forty years of age, in her marriage with the Rev. A. B. Nicholls? A marriage that she describes where “ trust the demands of both feeling and duty will be in some measure reconciled by the step in contemplation”.
When to Hager she wrote “If my master withdraws his friendship entirely from me I will be completely without hope – if he gives me a little – very – little – I will be content – happy, I will have reason for living – for working -
Monsieur, the poor do not need much to live – they only ask for the crumbs of bread which fall from the rich man's table – but if one refuses them these crumbs of bread – they die of hunger – Nor do I need much affection from those I love – I would not know what to do with absolute and complete friendship – I am not used to such a thing – but you once showed me a little interest when I was your pupil in Brussels – and I cling on to preserving that little interest – I cling on to it as I cling to life ...”(2)
The contrast in the emotional language is too great for a woman in love.
When she described Hager as “a little black, ugly being ....Tom-cat ... a delirious Hyena” and goes on to characterize her marriage as ' Mr Nicholls is a kind, considerate fellow : with all his masculine faults, he enters into my wishes about having the thing done quietly '. A marriage done quietly? A Charlotte who in Jane Eyre said “Sacrifice! What do I sacrifice? Famine for food, expectation for content. To be privileged to put my arms round what I value – to press my lips to what I love...” and “No woman was ever nearer to her mate than I am: ever more absolutely bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.”(3)
There is a contradiction in the above definitions of love and it is Charlotte's own words that gives us a clue “love ! It begins with the child of six years old ... and closes with it at the last page”. Charlotte was 5 years old when her mother died and she was deprived of the maternal love, of the security in love on which she could build her future relationships.
In closing the last page, Charlotte felt “Αγάπη ” - expresses the love of parents to children, between friends , for Nicholls but not “έρωτας ” - is more connected to the desire and the sudden and the giddiness of the feeling between lovers. I prefer using the Greek definitions of love, that avoids the English ambiguities, to try to understand what Charlotte meant.
References.
1.The Secret of Charlotte Bronte, Frederika MacDonald.
2.Letter, Charlotte to Monsieur Heger, January 1845.
3.Jane Eyre, chapters 37 and 38.