[Jane Eyre] After the Flames Die

Two years after the fire at Thornfield, Rochester dreams of the dead Bertha at Ferndean Manor.

She is still wearing that red dress, standing on the burning roof, but for the first time, she tells the story of her past in a clear voice: the sunshine of Jamaica, the lover her family had killed, and the marriage that had deceived them both.

Through fifteen years of hatred, they had each seen the other as the culprit. In truth, they were both sacrifices on their fathers' bargaining table.

In the dream, Rochester finally sees who the madwoman in the attic used to be. Bertha, too, finally understands that the husband who has hated her for half his life would still rush into a fire to save her without hesitation.

When the flames die, Bertha returns to Jamaica, Helen gets her name back, and Rochester sees the light once more.

A redemption and reconciliation story based on the original. Rochester and Jane are not vilified, and the pairing is still Rochester and Jane.

Theme: Only by truly seeing one another can hatred end and the soul be set free.