God and nature intended you for a missionary's wife. It is not personal, but mental endowments they have given you: you are formed for labour, not for love.
Chapter 34 · St John Rivers
Context
St. John continues his proposal by explaining why he believes Jane is suited to be a missionary's wife, emphasizing her practical abilities rather than any romantic compatibility.
Analysis
The stark opposition 'formed for labour, not for love' redefines Jane's entire identity around usefulness, denying her capacity for passion. By crediting 'God and nature' with this design, St. John removes Jane's agency—she doesn't get to choose what she's 'for.' The phrase 'mental endowments' over 'personal' ones dismisses her emotions and desires as irrelevant, valuing only the parts of her that can be put to work.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that St. John's view of Jane exemplifies how patriarchal religion conscripts women's labor while denying their subjectivity—he wants her capacities but not her self.