As this horse approached, and as I watched for it to appear through the dusk, I remembered certain of Bessie's tales, wherein figured a North-of-England spirit called a "Gytrash," which, in the form of horse, mule, or large dog, haunted solitary ways, and sometimes came upon belated travellers, as this horse was now coming upon me.
Chapter 12 · Narrator
Context
Sitting alone on the lane at dusk, Jane hears a horse approaching. The setting and her solitude remind her of Bessie's old folktales about a supernatural creature called a Gytrash.
Analysis
By filtering the present moment through 'Bessie's tales,' Jane reveals how her imagination is still shaped by childhood stories, even as an adult. The clause 'as this horse was now coming upon me' blurs the line between remembered story and present reality, as if the tale is bleeding into her actual experience. This frames her encounter with Rochester—before she even knows who he is—within the vocabulary of fairy tale and folklore, setting up their relationship as something outside ordinary social scripts.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Jane interprets her life through literary and mythic frameworks—by invoking the Gytrash here, she positions herself as a protagonist in a story rather than just a governess on an errand, claiming a narrative agency her social role denies her.