I think (with deference be it spoken) the contrast could not be much greater between a sleek gander and a fierce falcon: between a meek sheep and the rough-coated keen-eyed dog, its guardian.
Chapter 18 · Narrator
Context
Jane compares the newly arrived Mr. Mason to Rochester, finding Mason weak and passive where Rochester is forceful and dynamic. She notes they claim to be old friends despite seeming total opposites.
Analysis
Jane deploys paired animal similes—"gander"/"falcon," "sheep"/"dog"—that contrast domesticated weakness with predatory or protective strength, aligning Mason with passive prey and Rochester with active power. The similes work through escalation: the first pair contrasts birds by their mobility and threat, the second mammals by their role (protected versus protector), building a cumulative case for Rochester's superiority. Jane's parenthetical "with deference be it spoken" performs a false modesty that actually draws attention to her judgmental authority, inviting readers to share her disdain for Mason's "sleek" ineffectuality.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Jane's attraction to Rochester is inseparable from his perceived masculine power—her valorization of the "fierce falcon" and "rough-coated keen-eyed dog" reveals that her conception of love requires male strength and dominance, complicating readings of her as a purely proto-feminist character.