Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
– Philippians 4:8 (The Message)
Unpleasant, violent, vicious, untrustworthy, hard, tough, cursed, enslaved, hopeless. This is how Mr. Rochester describes himself to Jane Eyre. He is trapped by his past – his own decisions and the choices others made for him.
Bullied, betrayed, poor, of no value, plain, unforgiving, unseen.This is how Jane Eyre describes herself. Likewise, her past and her victimization has left a mark.
So how do the two profoundly injured people have any hope for happiness? The hope springs from a small piece of bread.
Helen Burns comes into Jane’s life with an offering of bread. Her friendship and kindness toward Jane put her in the position to speak words of truth, encouraging Jane to believe that she is loved and watched over by God. Helen shows Jane the tool that unlocks the door to moving forward out of pain: forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a major theme in Jane Eyre. But for it to do its work, first a light must shine into the dark places of hidden pain and shame. Edward Rochester believes that by hiding his past he can move on with his life and make up for his sins. But what is hidden cannot be healed. As Jane comes into his life, she begins to see past his facade to someone who is loving and noble and gracious. Truly, these qualities have put him into his current dilemma. He could have renounced all responsibilities and no one would have been the wiser, but instead, he chose to show pity. However, acting out of duty and not genuine affection has resulted in bitterness over his lot in life taking over his identity, leading him to speak curses over himself.
So, can honesty and forgiveness cut through the power of despair and darkness? Helen Burns believes it can, singing: Forgiveness is the mightiest sword, forgiveness of those you hate will be your highest reward.
The WordPlayers presents
Jane Eyre, The Musical
July 20-22, 2018
at The Bijou Theatre
(Click here for details.)