Examples Of Ice In Jane Eyre

Throughout Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, the symbols of fire and water shape the novel and support the novel’s main theme. Jane Eyre continually struggles to find a middle ground between ‘fire’ and ‘water,’ as she is both aggressive and submissive. In Eric Solomon’s critical analysis, “The Symbolism of Fire and Water in Jane Eyre” Solomon accurately describes this struggle. It is important to note that Jane conflicts with authority, defeats the struggle by her inner confidence, and progresses into separation. Although Solomon clearly describes Jane’s struggles in her journey to find an equal balance between ‘fire’ and ‘water,’ other examples highlight crucial moments in the novel, by adding symbolism that enhances the struggles that Jane faces.

Furthermore, this demeaning and negative attitude Jane is exposed to is further instigated when her cousin, John Reed, expresses her situation by saying: "You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen's children like us". The truth of Jane's unfortunate situation is expressed against her which results in her feeling no true support from this family and confides only in her childhood nursemaid- Bessie, who although behaves inconsistently and has “a capricious and hasty temper”, is the closest mother figure to her. Furthermore, the friction between Jane and John is further emphasised when the first physical aspect of violence is introduced to the reader through a graphic portrayal, further showing the ultimate rejection Jane experienced

The first type of abuse that Jane experiences is physical abuse. This is caused by John Reed. John is first introduced to the reader in the very first chapter of the book. He immediately shows dominance over Jane and treats her with disrespect. Pushed by his savage personality, John bullies Jane. For instance, in this chapter, John throws a book at Jane, causing her to fall and cut her head. This brutal behavior affects Jane and helps her to stand up for herself. Even though she does stands up for herself, John continues to bully her. Since Jane is considered nothing but a nuisance to the Reed’s, John blames his mistakes on Jane, and because of this, John’s punishments pass over to Jane. Although Bronte’s dynamic character, Jane, is changed from abuse displayed by the infamous John Reed, She continues to stand strong as best as she can. Eventually, Mrs. Reed sends Jane to a

In the first few opening chapters Jane Eyre is seen as a mentally and physically abused child, during her years at Gateshead Hall. John Reed displays violence towards Jane in the first chapter. He punishes and bullies Jane; it is not known why the Reed family resent her so much. Her situation is seen as desperate within the first few paragraphs. Her cousins and Aunt make her life impossible and unbearable, she is not seen as a member of the family. Jane is simply seen as ‘’less than a servant’’ as she does ‘’nothing for her keep’’.

In the early chapters of the novel Jane Eyre, our heroine resides at Gateshead and Lowood school; her character immediately inspires pity from the readers. She is an outcast within her own family, the Reeds, and is considered less than a servant. John Reed bullies her to the extent that she fears him, introducing weakness as one of her character flaws. Jane is somewhat jealous of her cousins’ lack of punishment and condemnation, although she believes they were “not fit to associate with [her]” (Bronte, 35). She feels wrongly accused, leading to a growing bitterness towards those who have treated her so harshly.

In life, a person can be constrained and imprisoned both physically, and mentally. In the novel Jane Eyre, an orphan girl by the name of Jane experiences both of those methods of constraint and imprisonment. The author communicates this to the reader through the implementation of diction and imagery. In the beginning of the text, the author's employment of diction helps to illustrate how the unfavorable weather confines jane into staying indoors.

The only time that a member of the Reed family speaks to Jane is when they are belittling her, hoping to further assert their elite dominance over the lower class. In one particular quarrel, John Reed, the oppressive “Roman emperor” and “slave driver,” throws a book at Jane’s head to physically proclaim his dominance over her, to which Jane responds by verbally firing back at his elitist oppression. (Brontë 13) The battle between the social classes concludes with Jane being banished to the horrifying red-room as punishment for attempting to overthrow the elite power, John Reed, even though John was the clear instigator of the scuffle. Jane is later condemned by the house servants for her attempt to overthrow her “young master.” Jane and John are both children, but due to the wealth and status of his parents, John is allowed to rule over Jane, making Jane, as the Gateshead servants would describe, “‘less than a servant’” because she does nothing for her keep. (Brontë 15) Jane continuously faces this maltreatment at Gateshead until an outburst directed towards Mrs. Reed causes her to be sent away to Lowood school, a place where Mrs. Reed hopes Jane will perhaps be taught to conform to the societal norm of how a young girl like Jane should act in

The way she is treated is denounced. Jane is not from the working class, nor is she a servant. Being an orphan who has been given a roof from her aunt and late uncle, the little girl whom we meet in the beginning of the novel is furious at the idea of being treated less than the others around her.

Jane moved into her new schoolroom in Morton and has a class of twenty students with only a few who can read. The rest of the class can not read or write and have no will to learn. Jane feels degraded with the work she is doing, however she wishes to change that feeling. It seems like Jane feels like she has fallen down the social ladder by taking this position, although she seems happy having friends, a job and a home. St. John’s personality is described in this chapter when he says that he wanted to be a politician or an orator rather than a clergyman where he has no power. Later in the chapter He decides to become a missionary and work with the pagans in India.

By saying that her blood has never experienced fire or ice before, shows both verity and irony. Jane has great fire and to say her blood has not felt frost shows how hot she is. Her power cannot be frozen. It is ironic when she also says her blood has never felt fire; she is oblivious to just how strong she actually is. This is perfect in representing how she feels.

The Reeds assert their power over Jane as a result of her being an orphan and coming from a family of lower class; she is viewed as inferior to a servant by the Reeds, despite being a relative. As a result, she faces constant abuse from John Reed. Despite Jane at first accepting the abuse, she reaches a breaking point in which she speaks up as seen here: “‘Wicked and cruel boy!’ [Jane] said. ‘You are like a murderer-you are like a slave-driver-

Jane would not like to be poor as poverty is looked down upon and equivalent to being an immoral and degraded human being. For Jane to be a respectable woman in society she must remain with the Reeds. John acknowledges Jane’s dependency: “You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, momma says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg and not to live here with gentleman's children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at out mamma’s expense (14).” Jane is continuously reminded of her inferior position at Gateshead and powerless dependency to people that do not even love her. At this early age Jane has already been integrated into Victorian society as negative notions about the poor have been internalized. Born the daughter of a poor clergyman, Jane is believed to be of lesser value than the Reeds; however, she has passionate tendencies and is unable to control her emotions when necessary.When being abused by John and accusing him of being “like a murderer” (14) she is described as being a “picture of passion (15).” Jane must learn to temper her “fire” because untamed emotions have consequences. Her consequence comes when she is imprisoned in the red room, a visual representation of the intense emotions that have manifested in

Bronte uses varying amounts of fire throughout the novel to symbolise Jane’s passionate personality. A controlled fire in a hearth symbolizes the importance of human connections for Jane and her desire for human compassion. When she controls her passion, effective friendships are made that are ultimately Jane’s reason to live. Uncontrolled fire symbolises Jane letting go of boundaries and letting passion rule over her decisions. The resulting destruction of the wild fire mimics the self destructive effects of her wild actions. An empty hearth or lack of fire symbolises a third emotional degree of Jane’s. When her passion is snubbed out by societal expectations, she retreats into gloomy isolation and an almost death like state where she almost

and the woods, which twelve hours since waved leafy and fragrant as groves between the tropics, now spread, waste, wild, and white as pine-forests in wintry Norway. My hopes were all dead." After leaving Thornfield and arriving at the Moore House, St. John, Jane's cousin, is described as an opposite to Rochester. He is described as "hard and cold" and his face was "still and pale as a white stone." St. John was frigid and stiff and his influence put Jane "under a freezing spell." After his marriage proposal Jane states that "as his curate, his comrade, all would be right ... But as his wife - at his side always checked - forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital - this would be unendurable." Charlotte Bronte also uses "ice" to describe barren landscapes and seascapes. She uses it to represent loneliness and emotional desolation, even death. Gateshead would be an example of Jane's physical and spiritual isolation. Also at Lowood she makes comments of freezing temperatures, for example the frozen pitchers of water each morning. This all represents Jane in a state of exile (Sparkotes).

Clarke analyzes the symbol of the hearth which is a central theme in both stories, and as she suggests points to pre-Christian religious symbolism of the goddess or the divine mother. The hearth in Jane Eyre is associated with homecomings and precious caregiving qualities of the hearthkeepers, as well as family, emotional intimacy, intellectual companionship, and even life. Clarke suggests more concisely that hearths are symbols of all that is needed, desired, and inspiring. The hearthfire also contains a potential for devastation and destruction as Clarke points to in the examples of Helen Burns dying by fever as well as Rochester’s bed of fire. Also, Clarke emphasizes that the hearth is associated with domesticity which within Jane Eyre is associated with a resistance to the life-denying principles of a tainted social system and with this spirituality that seeks to reintegrate ancient maternalist principals in Christianity. Clarke states the in a world like Jane Eyre’s or Cinderella’s where women become competitive and cruel or are swallowed up because it does not value them the hearth is representative of an alternative or choice for life as well as a sacred space.