1. Empathy and Understanding: The narrator recognizes the hardships and injustices that Jennie faces due to her race and socioeconomic status. She is sympathetic to Jennie's situation and the limitations imposed on her by the discriminatory society.
2. Guilt and Shame: The narrator feels a sense of guilt for her family's privileged position compared to that of Jennie. She is ashamed of the way her family treats Jennie, disregarding her as merely a servant and not acknowledging her humanity and dignity.
3. Unresolved Conflicts: The narrator experiences internal conflicts regarding her feelings for Jennie. On the one hand, she genuinely cares about Jennie's well-being and despises the racism that Jennie experiences. On the other hand, she is unable to challenge her family's prejudices directly due to her own societal conditioning and fear of ostracism.
4. Desire for Connection: Despite the barriers imposed by social norms and expectations, the narrator longs for a deeper connection with Jennie. She feels drawn to Jennie's strength and determination, recognizing that they both have common experiences as women.
5. Emotional Distance: The narrator maintains emotional distance from Jennie despite her empathy. This distance is a product of the cultural and racial divides of the time, which hinder any authentic interaction between them.
6. Realization of Injustice: As the story unfolds, the narrator's understanding of the unfairness of the societal structures becomes clearer. She starts questioning the unjust status quo, which leads to her eventual awakening and rejection of her family's racist mindset.
7. Growth and Transformation: Through her interactions with Jennie, the narrator undergoes a transformative journey. Her evolving feelings and perspectives pave the way for her to challenge her family's prejudices and develop a deeper sense of compassion, understanding, and solidarity.
Overall, the narrator's emotions towards Jennie are a complex blend of sympathy, guilt, desire for connection, and emotional distance. Her feelings mirror the larger social and racial tensions of the time and illustrate the difficulties individuals faced in navigating a society rife with inequality and injustice.