Elemental Imagery in Jane Eyre
The use of elemental imagery in Jane Eyre, revealed throughout the novel both literally and metaphorically, is one of Charlotte Bronte's key stylistic devices. The opposition of the two elements, fire and water, highlights the need for the characters to find equilibrium between the two. Fire can describe passion and warmth, but it can also burn. Water can describe coolness and comfort, but it can also chill. Because of Charlotte Bronte's use of elemental imagery in her book, Jane Eyre, the reader can better comprehend what the characters of Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester, St. John Rivers, and Bertha Mason are feeling and thinking.Fire imagery helps the reader understand the strong feeling of passion in the character of Jane Eyre. At Gateshead, Jane is unable to control her passions and hits John Reed after he bullies her. As her punishment, Jane is locked up in the red-room. Fire imagery here, in the form of the red room, is Bronte's way of representing Jane's passion and fury. "A bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask" (20) is used by Bronte to represent, through physical manifestation, Jane's overly passionate nature. Also very significant is the direct use of fire. "This room was chill,
Bertha represents unleashed, untamed passion, without any control or reason. There was not a fire until Jane inhabited the room. John was "at the fireside a cold, cumbrous column, gloomy and out of place" (393), hinting the incompatibility of Jane and St. The reader can see the amount of passion that Jane feels, and the amount needed to extinguish her passion. Bronte portrays Rochester as fire itself. Immediately upon Rochester's return to Thornfield, fire imagery is used more by Bronte. as he put aside his snow wet hair from his forehead" (386). The flame between Jane and Rochester is too hot.
Common topics in this essay:
Jane Rochester,
John Reed,
Mason Bronte's,
Jane Rochester's,
Bertha Mason,
St John,
Charlotte Bronte's,
Jane Eyre,
St John's,
Rochester Jane,
st john,
water imagery,
jane eyre,
fire imagery,
elemental imagery,
jane rochester,
st john rivers,
imagery bronte,
john rivers,
fire describe,
bertha mason,
john rivers bertha,
rochester st john,
rivers bertha mason,
mason feeling thinking,
|
Acceptance Essays
