Haha, yep! I first read Jane Eyre when I was about 12, I think, and I...did not have a particularly idiosyncratic reading. I think I was just all "OOOH HOW ROMANTIC", as silly teenage girls often do over romances they don't realize might be problematic. (upon reread, years later, I was kind of horrified that I'd found it romantic, because it seemed clear to me that Rochester was SUCH A CREEP.)
I shared this post of yours with my sister, who also loves Jane Eyre, and she says that she wonders to what extent, maybe not intentionally, a person might form opinions/feelings about a character when you're young, and as you grow up and understand the deeper things at play, you come up with justifications for your feelings. Which is an interesting thought! I know I've definitely done it for other works I loved as a kid, and I think it possible that the only reason Jane Eyre escaped this treatment from me is because when I read it as a preteen I was far more interested in Jane than Rochester and so he left no lasting impression on me.
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I shared this post of yours with my sister, who also loves Jane Eyre, and she says that she wonders to what extent, maybe not intentionally, a person might form opinions/feelings about a character when you're young, and as you grow up and understand the deeper things at play, you come up with justifications for your feelings. Which is an interesting thought! I know I've definitely done it for other works I loved as a kid, and I think it possible that the only reason Jane Eyre escaped this treatment from me is because when I read it as a preteen I was far more interested in Jane than Rochester and so he left no lasting impression on me.