Jane Eyre, a young and twenties-something woman, had gone through tragic ordeals through entire of her childhood and adolescence. She protected herself from others by remaining plain in clothing, speaking, nonverbal communication, and everything. She always stayed on guard. She set herself apart from others by wearing dull clothes (plain) and kept things to herself.
Mr. Rochester, forties-something man, was a father to a young girl. He was hungry for connection with a person. He was on emotional roller coaster, because his first wife had severe mental illness. He reached out through verbal constantly.
When Jane met Mr. Rochester, her body language reflected fear in Mr. Rochester's eyes. He attempted to converse with her, but she would not go pursue in-depth conversation. He read her eyes, body language, and clothing and was able to identify that Jane did not want to share her past with him.
To keep the story short and to the point, Jane and Mr. Rochester realized they were comfortable with each other based on the fact that she listened actively to him and he was able to read her. Naturally, they developed romantic feelings for one another.
As I watched the movie, I could "feel" their emotions and read their nonverbal communication before next event. I immediately knew these characters would bonded. It was clear throughout the movie. It was easy to observe the eye contacts, the body language, and a few dropped hints such as how Jane rub her hands when she's around Mr. Rochester, and how Mr. Rochester became upset when Jane did not attend his parties on a few occasions.
The more I paid attention to the communication cues, the more I recalled the moments of my life that I probably did not realize when others needed me or did not want me. Now I need to pay much more attention on what messages I am sending out to others and watch for a response from others. Perhaps, I will find a proper way to interact with others.
This is a great movie for this exercise because there is so much body language and facial expression between the two main characters! It's easy to see the emotion and comnnection they share. Good choice!
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