Fire and Water Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre

Fire and Water Imagery in Jane Eyre In Jane Eyre, the use of water and fire imagery is very much related to the character and/or mood of the protagonists (i.e. Jane and Rochester, and to a certain extent St. John Rivers) -- and it also serves to show Jane in a sort of intermediate position between the two men. However, it should also be noted that the characteristics attributed to fire and water have alternately positive and negative implications -- to cite an example among many, near the beginning of the novel, reference is made to the devastating effects of water (ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly, death-white realm [i.e. of snow]), and fire is represented by a terrible red glare; later, fire is represented as being†¦show more content†¦This is manifested most evidently in the case of the first Mrs. Rochester, who has a fiery eye, a lurid visage that flame[s] over [Janes], is associated with a fiery West Indian night, and who quite literally turns Thornfield into an inferno after an (unsuccessful) attempt at burning Rochester in his bed. However, this negative association with fire also occurs with Rochester himself, if only to a certain extent. His passion for Jane causes him to try to tempt her into a step which might not only doom her to the fire and brimstone of the afterlife but also a living hell -- as she says about the thought of becoming his mistress, she would be fevered with delusive bliss one hour -- suffocating with the bitterest tears of remorse and shame the next. [yes!] Moreover, in his rà ´le as Byronic hero / tempter, the infernal association is not inappropriate either. It is perhaps significant that one of his earlier remarks to Jane is that he will pave hell with energy and form good intentions as durable as flint -- followed immediately by the new statute: unheard-of combinations of circumstances demand unheard-of rules, a statute that precipitates his attempted bigamy and the emotional torment and purgatoryShow MoreRelated Brontes Jane Eyre Essay: Importance o f Nature Imagery1550 Words   |  7 PagesNature Imagery in Jane Eyre      Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlotte Bronte makes extensive use of nature imagery in her novel, Jane Eyre, commenting on both the human relationship with the outdoors and with human nature. The Oxford Reference Dictionary defines nature as 1. the phenomena of the physical world as a whole . . . 2. a things essential qualities; a persons or animals innate character . . . 4. vital force, functions, or needs. Bronte speaks to each of these definitions throughout Jane Eyre. SeveralRead MoreWrite About the Ways the Difficulties of Love Are Explored in â€Å"Jane Eyre† and Claudio and Hero’s Relationship in â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing†.2162 Words   |  9 PagesCharlotte Bronte’s novel, â€Å"Jane Eyre† and William Shakespeare’s play, â€Å"Much Ado about Nothing†, both focus on the themes of love; â€Å"Jane Eyre† was written in 1851, the Victorian era whereas â€Å"Much Ado about Nothing† was written in 1599, the Elizabethan era. Although there may be over hundreds of years between them, both texts exhibit the ways the difficulties of love can be explored. Both texts imply that there will be difficulties as the relationships are established. Charlotte Bronte presentsRead MoreEssay on Fire Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre2660 Words   |  11 PagesFire Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Incomplete Works Cited The prevalence of fire imagery and its multitude of metaphoric uses in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre expresses two things that could not be expressed openly in the Victorian Period, which are mainly passion and sexuality. Brontes writing was dictated by the morals of her society, but her ideas were not. Jane Eyre was written with the Victorian reader in mind. Bronte knew that if she were to write about these two things directlyRead MoreBird Imagery in Jane Eyre2729 Words   |  11 PagesIn Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte uses many types of imagery to provide understanding of the characters and also to express reoccurring themes in the novel. Through bird imagery specifically, we are able to see Jane develop from a small, unhappy child into a mature and satisfied young woman. The familiarity and transcendence of birds have given them a wider range of meaning and symbol in literature than any other animal. The resemblance of their activities to common patterns of human behavior makesRead Mo reReview Of Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre 10879 Words   |  44 PagesNotes Jane Eyre Background of author Name: Charlotte Bronte Birth/Death: April 21, 1816 to March 31,1855 Facts that connect: Mr. Brocklehurst is based off the Reverend Carus Wilson, the man who ran Cowan Bridge. Bronte lost two of her sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, to tuberculosis at Cowan Bridge. Bronte s brother, Patrick, became addicted to drugs and alcohol before he died. Similarities: She, along with her three sisters, was sent to the Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge. Charlotte Bronte