Don't address me as if I were a beauty; I am your plain, Quakerish governess.
Chapter 24 · Jane Eyre
Context
As Rochester praises her beauty, Jane interrupts to insist he stop addressing her as if she were beautiful and remember she is merely his plain, Quakerish governess.
Analysis
Jane's self-description as 'your plain, Quakerish governess' is grammatically possessive—she is 'your' governess—anchoring her identity in her employment relationship to Rochester even as they discuss marriage. The adjective 'Quakerish' codes both her plain dress and her moral seriousness, claiming an identity rooted in religious plainness rather than economic constraint, yet she cannot escape the fact that 'governess' remains the noun.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Jane resists Rochester's romantic rhetoric by insisting on the employment relationship—calling herself 'your governess' reminds him (and herself) that their bond is contractual and hierarchical, not the meeting of equals his love language pretends.