Jean the Deceiver
After confessing his love to Jean Muir, Gerald addresses her saying, “Jean, I think you are a witch. Scotland is the home of weird, uncanny creatures, who take lovely shapes for the bewilderment of poor weak souls. Are you one of those fair deceivers?” Ironically, Gerald’s words describe Jean to such a point of accuracy and truthfulness he could have never imagined at that point of the story. In truth, she was a deceiver who had assumed a lovely shape and disguise to bewilder him and the other men in the family in order to reach her goal.
Jeans’ Warning
Answering Gerald’s advances, Jean tells him, “one day my disguise will drop away and you will see me as I am, old, ugly, bad and lost. Beware of me in time. I’ve warned you. Now love me at your peril.”
The irony in this passage lays in the fact that Jean was been truthful and honest with Gerald. She told him her truth openly and frankly, and yet he would not see it because he was still under the spell of her deception; the deception she had just confessed openly to him.
The Real Act
Jean and Gerald played the roles of lovers in a play acted at the hall. To most eyes, this was nothing but an act. To the pair, however, the act was enfolding real romance and tension. When Bella met her brother afterwards, she asked of him, “play the lover as charmingly as you did an hour ago. I never thought you had so much warmth in you.” This is ironical because little did Bella, or anyone else, for that matter, know that Gerald was not acting and that his warmth was not simulated. The reason behind the success of his role-play lays in the fact that he was not acting at all, and that he was experiencing such tender feelings towards Jean Muir for real.
The Uncanny Conqueror
Upon their first meeting, Gerald declares that Jean Muir is far from pretty and is, “a most uncanny little specimen”. His words at this point signify that she is far from making a favorable impression on him. Later on in the book, however, Gerald uses similar words to convey a totally different opinion. He tells the governess that she belongs to Scotland, “the home of weird uncanny creatures, who take lovely shapes for the bewilderment of poor weak souls”. The irony of these words lay in their representation of Jean’s conquest of Gerald’s heart. She made him use the same words, he had previously used to undermine her beauty, with the novel design of praising her looks and charms.
Gerald Deceived
At one point of the story, Gerald nurtures some doubt concerning Jean’s intentions in regard of his uncle. Accordingly, he decides to surprise the pair at his uncle’s house by going thither unannounced. Once there, however, he is deceived by Jean’s perfect acting skills and tells himself, “Poor girl! I did her great injustice; she has no thought of captivating the old man, but amuses him for simple kindness”. This is ironic because Gerald is led completely astray by Jean’s acting skills. Her one and only motive all along was, in fact, to secure the old man for a husband.
