"Now, king Ahasuerus! What do I want with half your estate? Do you think I am a Jew-usurer, seeking good investment in land? I would much rather have all your confidence." (Bronte 263).
King Ahasuerus was a Persian king described in the Bible who owned a massive amount of land; twenty-seven provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. He was defensive about his land and tried to protect it, as Mr. Rochester seems to be doing when he suggests that perhaps Jane wants half of his estate. Here, the term "jew-usurer" is also used, which is another allusion to Christianity being the superior religion. "Jew-usurer" is a derogatory term suggesting that Jews were greedy and tried to take others money, as Mr. Rochester is jokingly accusing Jane of doing.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=967&letter=A
2 comments:
nice piece of research here
One other important and slightly more obvious detail about Ahasuerus- when Esther, his queen, asks to speak with him, he says he will grant her anything she wants, even half his kingdom. (Esther 5:3) So when Rochester makes a similar offer, Jane calls him King Ahasuerus.
It might also be significant that Esther becomes Ahasuerus's queen after his original wife, Vashti, is dismissed when she disrespectfully refuses to come when she is summoned. Jane in this chapter has extensively questioned whether Rochester's affection for her will last long after they are married, or whether his love will "effervesce after six months" and he could potentially dismiss or lose interest in her, so the allusion to Ahasuerus is even more appropriate.
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