Antoinette and Rochester are now married. Just like in Jane Eyre, the marriage transaction of $30,000 is still valid. On the way to their honeymoon in Granbois they are caught in a rain shower and shelters under a mango tree. Sounds familiar (rain, tree, A&R)? As he begins to spend more time with his wife, he becomes lustful of her and her beauty. After touching the rose he comments on how beautiful things have short lives. I mention this because I feel as though it may be of importance for the latter half of the novel. This novel, yet again, continues to repeatedly have scenes that involve fire such as the candle on the table that burned a couple of insects to death while they ate. At one point Rochester begins to believe that everyone knew about Antoinette's family history of lunatics and that was he was tricked into marrying her. As with the fire, the Bible is also being brought up in connection to Daniel and Rochester still has his horse. He also starts calling her Bertha which is who we know her as in Jane Eyre.
I find Antoinette and Jane similar because they are both marginalized in society. Jane was rejected from the wealthy and the poor as Antoinette is rejected from the blacks and the English. I think it is now also safe to say that Mrs. Temple was to Jane Eyre as Christophine was to Antoinette. Let's not forget to mention that part 2 of this novel is told through Rochester's point of view. Rhys may have done this to balance out the novel by giving us perspective through both Antoinette and Rochester's eyes. This helps me, as a reader, to get a better understanding of the two and where they stand as far as the marriage is concerned. It seems as though when Antoinette begins sharing with Rochester her life story, signs of a mental illness becomes a bit visible (her laughing).
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