Marginalia: Death, Rebirth, and the End of Lowood

And so we move from life at Lowood, to death at Lowood, and finally to the end of Lowood. These chapters are a lot and a little all at once: disease, loss, moral lessons, and a surprising amount of quiet resilience.

✦ Resurgam — Latin for “I shall rise again.”

An interesting (and deliberate) choice to carve onto Helen’s grave. It’s simple but layered. It's both a Christian sentiment and a metaphor for Jane herself. Every time she’s crushed, she rises again. Still… poor Helen. Her calm acceptance of death hits harder than I remembered.

Word of the Day:  Dissipated

(of a person or way of life) overindulging in sensual pleasures.

(Looking at you, later chapters’ “gentlemen.”)

Bessie named her daughter after Jane! I did not remember that detail. What a lovely full-circle moment. Bessie was one of the only people in Jane’s early life who showed her any real affection, so this feels like a quiet little redemption for both of them.

And now, we’re finally stepping out of Lowood and into whatever comes next. Jane’s ready for a new life, and honestly, so am I. But this mention of a “Mr. Eyre,” the wine merchant… interesting. A random family connection or a bit of foreshadowing tucked in there? 👀