Emily Dickinson’s poem, “The Soul selects her own Society,” can be used to analyze the scene of Chapter 27 in, Jane Eyre. In this chapter, Jane listens to Mr. Rochester’s reasonings and at the end, reluctantly, leave him for good.

Part of Dickinson’s first stanza talks about how the “The Soul selects her own Society.” This gives the connotation that “society” means family, love or even divine beings, and that after choosing the “society,” the mind or “the soul” of the person is not open to other contradictory beings or beliefs any longer. In the case of Jane Eyre, I can see that Jane at the start of Chapter 27 had chosen two “societies.” One was God, Himself, as Jane was a devoted Christian and strongly held Christian beliefs. Second, was Mr. Rochester, to whom she had decided to devote her happiness towards. She was able to choose two “societies” as they were, initially, not in conflict against one another.

Second stanza talks about how “the soul” or the mind is “unmoved” even toward those beings of high class status, as depicted by the line: “Unmoved–an Emperor be kneeling/ Upon her Mat–.” This illustration was explicit when Mr. Rochester was trying to justify his act of locking Bertha up and his desire for wanting a new bride. In this scene, Jane was battling between the two “societies” she had chosen, as both, unlike before, were now in conflict. As Jane had found out that Mr. Rochester was a married man, the choices left to her was either let God go and commit bigamy or let Mr. Rochester go and devote herself to her Christian beliefs. As her dedication towards God was more dominant, she decided to let her other “society,” Mr. Rochester, go. This was accomplished through Jane’s unmoved-ness towards Mr. Rochester’s affection. First instance was when Mr. Rochester had tried to kiss Jane but Jane moved away: “he stooped toward me as if to kiss me; but I remembered caresses were now forbidden. I turned my face away, and put his aside.” Another instance was when Mr. Rochester opened his arms wide for Jane’s embrace after Jane had kissed him; however, Jane denied Mr. Rochester the embrace and left him there: “he held his arms out, but I evaded the embrace and at once quitted the room.”

Later half of first stanza and the third stanza talks about how once decision made, by the “soul” or the mind, it’s decisions are inflexible, finalized and there will be no going back: “Choose One–/Then–close the Valves of her attention–/Like Stone–.” This illustration was clearly executed when Jane decided to leave Mr. Rochester no matter how much he pleaded with Jane and how much she loved him. Just like the “closing of the valves of her attention like stone,” Jane persisted in her decision made and went as far away as she could, from Thornfield and more importantly, from Mr. Rochester, choosing the “society” of God rather than that of Mr. Rochester.

-Tun