"He is stone-blind," he said at last. "Yes, he is stone-blind, is Mr. Edward." I had dreaded worse. I had dreaded he was mad. I summoned strength to ask what had caused this calamity.
Chapter 36 · Narrator
Context
The innkeeper has finally revealed that Rochester is blind. Jane's immediate response is relief: she had feared something worse—that he had gone mad.
Analysis
Jane's confession 'I had dreaded worse' reframes blindness as a tolerable outcome, which is a startling value judgment. That she feared madness more than blindness or death suggests Jane's romantic vision depends on Rochester retaining his mind—his personality, his ability to recognize and love her—even if his body is destroyed. The repetition of 'stone-blind' (the innkeeper's blunt phrasing) in indirect discourse shows Jane absorbing the news without euphemism; she doesn't soften it, which implies she's already moved past shock into planning mode, thinking about what this means for their future rather than pitying him.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Jane's reaction to Rochester's injury is pragmatic rather than sentimental—her relief that he is 'only' blind reveals she has been calculating all along what version of Rochester she could still build a life with, which complicates the novel's romance plot with a note of strategic self-interest.