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Analysis Of Charlotte Bronte 's Jane Eyre

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Women have never been considered equal to men. They have not been since the beginning and although we say they are now, many would probably disagree. Charlotte Brontë was no exception to this rule- she knew that society expected women to fit into a specific category rather than be their own individuals and she expressed her frustration towards this in Jane Eyre. Within this brief passage, Charlotte Brontë elegantly employs symbolism, allusions, and diction in order to assert Jane’s determination to stay true to herself, despite the pressures exerted on her by society.
To be honest, the amount of symbolism within the passage is actually quite minor in comparison to the rest of the novel, where it can be found in scores. However, the particular symbol Brontë uses is a part of her rather prevalent symbolic pair of fire and ice. Brontë has the tendency to link Jane to these two elements, subtly revealing the sharpness of the two contrasting boxes the world demands Jane to fit herself in: religion and secularity. Society views religious women as cold and devoted to labor, loving only towards God. On the other hand, more secular women are viewed as wild and passionate, although they walk a thin line between madness and sanity. To this end, examine the very example of the fire in Jane that the passage provides: “They have a worth—so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane—quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart beating

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