passage 1: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte “In what order you keep these rooms, Mrs. Fairfax!” said I. “No dust, no canvas coverings: except that the air feels chilly, one would think they were inhabited daily.” “Why, Miss Eyre, though Mr. Rochester’s visits here are rare, they are always sudden and unexpected; and as I observed that it put him out to find everything swathed up, and to have a bustle of arrangement on his arrival, I thought it best to keep the rooms in readiness.” “Is Mr. Rochester an exacting, fastidious sort of man?” “Not particularly so; but he has a gentleman’s tastes and habits, and he expects to have things managed in conformity to them.” “Do you like him? Is he generally liked?” “Oh, yes; the family have always been respected here. Almost all the land in this neighbourhood, as far as you can see, has belonged to the Rochesters time out of mind.” “Well, but, leaving his land out of the question, do you like him? Is he liked for himself?” “I have no cause to do otherwise than like him; and I believe he is considered a just and liberal landlord by his tenants: but he has never lived much amongst them.” “But has he no peculiarities? What, in short, is his character?” “Oh! his character is unimpeachable, I suppose. He is rather peculiar, perhaps: he has travelled a great deal, and seen a great deal of the world, I should think. I dare say he is clever, but I never had much conversation with him.” “In what way is he peculiar?” “I don’t know—it is not easy to describe—nothing striking, but you feel it when he speaks to you; you cannot be always sure whether he is in jest or earnest, whether he is pleased or the contrary; you don’t thoroughly understand him, in short—at least, I don’t: but it is of no consequence, he is a very good master.” This was all the account I got from Mrs. Fairfax of her employer and mine. There are people who seem to have no notion of sketching a character, or observing and describing salient points, either in persons or things: the good lady evidently belonged to this class; my queries puzzled, but did not draw her out. Mr. Rochester was Mr. Rochester in her eyes; a gentleman, a landed proprietor—nothing more: she inquired and searched no further, and evidently wondered at my wish to gain a more definite notion of his identity. Passage 2: Jane by April Lindner “For now, it’s just you, me, Benjamin, the grounds crew, and the housekeepers,” Lucia said. “Maddy has a playdate; she’ll be back this evening. Usually there’s a cook, but he’s on vacation. And Nico has a personal assistant who travels with him.” “He’s away?” Relief washed over me. “Off promoting his new album.” She cut a slice of bread and set it down on the edge of her plate. “Doing the Tonight Show and radio programs. I don’t know yet when he’ll be back. His manager keeps adding dates to his schedule.” It occurred to me that Lucia might answer my questions. “What’s it like? Working for . . . Nico?” I tried the name out; it sounded presumptuous coming from me. “Mr. Rathburn, I mean. What’s he like?” Lucia smiled cryptically. “Not what you would expect.” Not used to getting his own way? Not self-centered? Not given to temper tantrums, orgies, trashing hotel rooms, driving sports cars into swimming pools? “I don’t know what I expect.” I fibbed. “He’s more serious than you would think. Normal, like anyone else. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, believe me.” She smiled again. “But still, more serious than I expected when I first got here. He doesn’t like to be interrupted when he’s composing. He can be short-tempered. His work takes up a lot of his energy, especially lately. He doesn’t have time for foolishness. Not these days. And he can’t tolerate disloyalty. If one of his employees says so much as one word to the press . . .” Her voice trailed off. “I wouldn’t want to get him angry like that.” A whole new Mr. Rathburn began to take form in my imagination—less hedonistic, more driven but no less formidable. “Is he angry often?” I asked. Lucia speared a cherry tomato on the end of her fork, then appeared to inspect it closely. “I don’t mean to make him sound like an ogre,” she said. “He’s just . . . what’s the word? Exacting. He has certain expectations. But he’s generous; he pays us well, and he’s not unkind. I’ve had lots worse jobs, believe me.” I was able to get her talking about her own past. She regaled me with stories of the many petty and capricious bosses she’d had, the indignities she’d suffered as a salesgirl, a waitress, and a hotel chambermaid. “So after all that, Nico isn’t so hard to work for. Even with all the craziness that goes with the territory—fans somehow getting his number and calling in the middle of the night, the band tromping through here for rehearsals, all the hangers-on. You know what I mean.” Though of course I didn’t know. “It’s rarely dull,” she concluded.

Question

What is one noticeable difference between Mr. Rathburn and Mr. Rochester in the excerpts?
A. Mr. Rathburn seems to have more interaction with his staff.
B. Mr. Rochester spends more time at home than Mr. Rathburn.
C. Mr. Rathburn is friendlier than Mr. Rochester.
D. Mr. Rochester seems to be more clever than Mr. Rathburn.

Answer 1

A. Mr. Rathburn seems to have more interaction with his staff.

In passage 2, there are indications that Mr. Rathburn has a more engaged presence with his staff, as Lucia discusses his expectations and gives a personal account of her experiences working for him. In contrast, in passage 1, Mr. Rochester's interactions with his staff (specifically Mrs. Fairfax) are minimal, and he is described more in terms of his status than his character or interactions.