Final College App Essay- Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre Brooke McCormick Thomas

During my freshman year of high school, I fell in love.

My English teacher assigned Jane Eyre as our last reading of the year. Great, I thought, another pretentious novel about 19th century English society that the BBC adapts for television every five years. The book began negatively with abused children, draconian boarding schools, and tuberculosis. And then Edward Rochester fell off his horse and everything changed. He was tall, brooding, and a bit of a snob. He was also flirtatious, delightfully witty, and had an endearing soft streak that emerged only in rare vulnerable moments. From the moment he fell off of his horse, I knew. He was the love of my life.

Perhaps it was the way he rode around the English moors like a king. Maybe it was how he bossed Jane around with a playful tone in his voice. It could have been that although he was described as ugly, I could tell he would have been stunning. Nothing ceased my passion for him. When I learned he had been harboring his insane wife in the attic, I justified it by arguing that he was saving her from the ruthless asylums of the day. When he tragically lost his sight and his hand, I reassured myself that he was still beautiful on the inside.

As the chapters continued, I began to...