Why did Rochester...


...screw up the drawing that Jane had done of him? He seemed kind of angry abot it...was it because she had done a true portrait of him rather than exagerrating his looks to be more aesthetically pleasing?
Although, it is clever how the picture is miraculously uncrumbled later in the film, though I suppose it is possible Jane made a copy of it for Adele, to replace the damaged one..
Clare

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Perhaps because Zefirelli wanted to tell the viewer that Rochester is a misunderstood tortured soul. Thus, a Rochester tearing a picture without any apparent reason is more authentic in his role of "abrupt and changeful master" :)

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I thought it may be that Rochester recognised that Jane had captured something other than superficial looks in the portrait, which he suggests when he says 'you have me utterly'. I think Rochester may have been momentarily disarmed, which manifested itself with his 'violent' reaction!!

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Until he started to love Jane, he really didn't like himself very much. She caught his true nature in the picture, much more than just his face, and he was uncomfortable that somebody could see right through him.

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Rochester, though terribly conceited, really had no love for himself. That Jane would portray him so candidly was bold-- after all, he <i>was</i> her employer.

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