Blanche Ingram is, let’s be honest, not a beautiful girl. The daughter of one of Rochester’s distant neighbors, Blanche gets interested in him because of his fortune and because she thinks an ugly husband would be easy to dominate. She’s a beautiful, selfish snob with a severe attitude problem. Her name, ‘Blanche,’ clues us in a little bit—she’s related to the color white, which is pure and cold... but is also a blank, something with no real personality. Still, Rochester uses Blanche somewhat unfairly; he makes it look to everyone as though he’s going to marry her to make Jane jealous. He thinks leading Blanche on is okay because she was a gold-digger anyway, but Jane is frustrated with his behavior.
Blanche Ingram in the Essays
Author: Teresa Nelson