Symbolism Of Water In Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre incorporates vibrant descriptions of nature and weather, which intertwine literally and metaphorically throughout the novel to reflect the protagonist’s state of mind. Furthermore, Bronte’s meticulous description of everyday objects and experiences provide a world that is both real and tangible to the reader. The novel defies the expectations of social-class, and gender, and transcends various literary genres, while the setting purposely enhances the characters inner feelings and emotions meritoriously, allowing more freedom for commentary, and the expression of taboo topics than solely through the dialogue of the characters.

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.

Criticisms of relationships have been addressed in novels throughout our time, but they are central theme in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Specifically, readers can see criticisms of relationships built on passionate love. Example of this are seen through Rochester

Violence is the most recurrent gothic convention used in Jane Eyre, which is prominent in Charlotte Brontë's effective development of the novel and the character of Jane Eyre, who, throughout this novel, is searching for a home in which she would have a sense of belonging and love which would ultimately resolve this exact unfulfilled need she had as a child. The neglect she experienced in her childhood is manifested in the way she is treated by her aunt, Mrs. Reed, as in the first page of the novel Jane Eyre admits: ‘Me, she had dispensed from joining the group, saying, 'She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance’’. This opening shows how there is a clear line of separation drawn between Jane and her relatives due to her complicated family background which consequently results in their reluctance to accept her into their environment. These complications lead to her maltreatment, which also adds on to the violence she experiences acting as a catalyst for the development of the character and her subconscious quest.

Throughout Charlotte Brontë’s novel, Jane Eyre is afflicted with the feud between her moral values, and the way society perceives these notions. Jane ultimately obtains her happy ending, and Brontë’s shrewd denouement of St. John’s fate juxtaposes Jane’s blissful future with St. John’s tragic course of action. When Jane ends up at the Moor House, she is able to discover a nexus of love and family, and by doing so, she no longer feels fettered to Rochester. Moreover, Rochester is no longer Jane’s only form of psychological escape, and thus Jane is in a position to return to him without an aura of discontent. At the end of the novel, Jane is finally able to be irrevocably “blest beyond what language can express” (Brontë 459) because she is “absolutely bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh” (459).

Fire is a symbol of emotion in the novel and is involved in deep moments of love and hate. There were various examples of ‘fire’ that develop love and hate in the story. The two most important ‘fires’ in the novel are literal and both committed by Bertha Mason. The first act of arson occurs in Volume 1, Chapter 15 when Bertha sets Rochester’s clothes on fire. “Something creaked: it was a door ajar, and that door was Mr. Rochester’s, and the smoke rushed in a cloud from thence” (148). Out of love, Jane doused her crush in

Many themes are brought into the readers' attention in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and when first reading the novel, we all tend to see it as a work built around the theme of family and Jane's continuous search for home and acceptance. The love story seems to fall into second place and I believe that the special relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester needs to be thoroughly discussed and interpreted, because it holds many captivating elements, such as mystery, passion or even betrayal. The aim of this essay is to analyze the love story between the two protagonists and to illustrate how the elements forming their relationship resemble the ones in fairy tales. Jane Eyre has been often compared to fairy tales such as

Several natural themes run throughout the novel, one of which is the image of a stormy sea. After Jane saves Rochester's life, she gives the following metaphor of their relationship:

Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” has captivated readers for generations. As with all coming of age novels, young adults can relate to the struggles and triumphs of Jane. Jane’s setting influences and parallel her emotions. A reader can see the novel through her eyes and perspective. In Bronte’s “Jane Eyre,” the location often parallels Jane’s emotional growth through the tone presented by the environment, resulting in the different places she lives revealing her journey through depression. Jane’s behavioral patterns and thoughts suggest clinical depression that affected her choices throughout the novel and her life at Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Marsh End, and Ferdean.

Jane is filled with passion, however, and her willful disobedience is often her attempt to explain her feelings.  We see her passion find its fulfillment and understanding in Rochester.  When they meet, we see Jane's all-consuming passion and not much less of a fire in Rochester, "'I saw it in your eyes when I first beheld you: their expression and smile did not (again he stopped) did not (he proceeded hastily) strike delight to my very inmost heart for nothing...My cherished preserver, good night'.  Strange energy was in his voice, strange fire in his look" (Bronte 133).

In some cases, it is a symbol used in some cases for rebirth or new life. Jane is often compared to fire while Antoinette is intrigued by fire. Jane is referred to as “a ridge of lighted health, alive, glancing, devouring” (Wide Sargasso Sea, Chapter 4). Also, in Wide Sargasso Sea, Rochester loves the immense fireflies as he also loves the candles that Antoinette repeatedly puts out around the house. This theme of fire is obvious in two particular cases. One of these cases is when Coulibri is burned and Anette falls into insanity, and the other being when Bertha burns Thornfield down, ultimately killing herself and seriously injuring Rochester (Symbolism in Wide Sargasso Sea). In addition, Rochester, in Wide Sargasso Sea, describes the West Indies as “fiery”. This shows his dislike of the land he is not familiar with until it increases and reaches the point when he decides to shoot himself. This scene relates to the scene in Jane Eyre when Jane hears Rochester’s voice as she walks through the woods. Fire relates Jane and Antoinette in different ways. Fire additionally describes Jane’s love for Rochester, while on the other hand; it describes Antoinette’s pain and fear, whereas it also links Jane and Bertha. The fire that Jane possesses is her love for Rochester as she describes it as “fiery iron grasped my vitals,” and Bertha’s literal setting of the fire that kills her. This is symbolic of the new

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).

The final chapter’s of Bronte’s Jane Eyre have been a subject of discussion since it’s first publication. Many say the the ending does not fit and other argue that it does. There is a lot of evidence pointing to the latter. The conclusion reveals the fate of Mr. Rochester and Jane, Adele, and of St. John. All of the endings, a mixture of both happy and tragic, to fit with the entire story and can explained because of the Victorian era. This essay will argue that the conclusion of this novel, more specifically that Jane does go back to Mr. Rochester, is extremely fitting to both the plot and the essence of the novel.

Bronte takes the fire and transforms it to illustrate the image of sexuality and passion. By doing this, she also proposes the way in which internalized feelings of opposing ideas give into self-depleting energy through the loss of self-control. Here, Jane has the fear of becoming like Mrs. Reed. She comes to the realization that if this is not what she wants to be like, then she must keep her passions under control. Otherwise, she could become "black and blasted after the flames have died." This is presented to embody what Victorian society believed to be true and is a fine example of everything that it despises, which is namely the expression of passion. The fulfillment of self becomes the foundation of society's views, on which the fears of women and their passionate behaviors are laid.

Jane Eyre, a novel by Charlotte Brontë, contains several notable themes and messages sent to its readers. Jane Eyre is a coming of age novel that is a story of a girl's quest for equality and happiness. A common theme that recurs throughout the novel is the importance of independence.Charlotte Brontë utilizes several techniques to convey this message, incorporating her personal experiences, as well as including symbolism and motifs. Charlotte Bronte subjects Jane to several conflicts that occur because of Jane’s desire for independence and freedom, such as love, religion, and gender inequality.