I second this. All the way! I never thought of the comparison being to show Rochester listens and respects Jane in a way that St John doesn't. But Mr Perfect Christian is always right, right? Right?!

I rather like the entire St John storyline, mainly because it does show more that Jane is not going to follow someone blindly. Yes, the family cares for her and helps when she is left with nothing, but that doesn't mean she's going to turn missionary with St John.

I think it shows a lot of Jane's depth. Though she ran from Rochester because of her moral code and the pushy way he insisted on being with her despite the secret in the attic, she ends up in a similar situation with St John.

Many victorian romances would have her running off to be a missionary and forgetting about Rochester.

Though I agree that the religious tone in volume 3 is a sharp left, I think it's her faith is the only thing she has left when she is forced by that moral code to abandon her great love. She leans on it because without it, she is utterly alone. Again.

Just my two cents. Jane Eyre is one of my absolute favorite books!