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Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte

Decent Essays
The nineteenth-century Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is considered to be a gothic novel. Gothic literature took place mostly in England from 1790 to 1830, falling into the category of Romantic literature. The Gothic takes its roots from previous horrifying writing that extends back to the Middle Ages and can still be found in writings today by many authors including Charlotte Bronte. The strong description of horror, abuse, and gruesomeness in Gothic novels reveals truths to readers through realistic fear. The main characteristics of Gothic literature include: being set in medieval times, dream-states, setting of dark castles and chambers, doubling, and mysterious appearances and disappearances. All of these elements play a major role in the novel Jane Eyre. At Gateshead Hall, where Jane Eyre lives in the beginning of the novel with her cruel Aunt Reed and cousins, young Jane is locked inside the red-room for hours. The red-room appeared dark like blood and emitted strange and eerie noises. It is raining outside and the wind is blowing against the moors as Jane hears faint voices. Jane visualizes “the strange little figure there gazing at [her], with a white face and arms speckling the gloom, and glittering eyes of fear moving where all else was still, which had the effect of a real spirit” (Bronte 20). Jane herself explains this creature as a tiny phantom, being half fairy and half imp. The vision of Jane as a spirit connects to the idea that Jane believes that others
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