Jane Eyre
Themes
Characterization
Symbolism and Imagery
Main Ideas (Plot)
jane eyre
gender roles and inequality
social class/status
familial love vs romantic attraction vs independence
religion
edward rochester
st. john
helen burns
the red room
portraits and pictures
eyes
setting
style and tone
bertha rochester
bertha is a symbol of how women are oppressed and controlled by their male spouses
jane is described by st john as having the "mind of a male" because she refused to marry him
jane wants to be recognized as an equal to a man
helen burns tells jane that she is not afraid of death (CITE)
jane and rochester's relationship is viewed as scandalous because of their difference in social classes
jane leaves rochester at the altar when she finds out he has a wife. she wants to be his wife and not just his mistress.
a brooding, mysterious, philosophical tone
hints of gothic tones
gateshed hall
lowood school
thornfield hall
moor house
ferndean
the "moor" signifies a mooring, a place where something is docked
the "fern" signifies the growth of something new. this is where rochester and jean are reunited
jane spends her childhood years here, terrorized by her aunt and cousins
depictions of the supernatural
food
mr rochester's legal wife
kinda insane. she tries to burn rochester in his bed
jane thought she was a ghost the first time she saw her
super dramatic man baby
jane's first and best friend at Lowood
did jane fall in love with rochester because she was desprate for love? did she mistake familial love for romantic love?
jane is very down-to-earth
jane's cousin. he asks her to marry him and move to india as a missionary's wife but she turns him down
the red room is a symbol of the struggles jane faces throughout her life to find happiness
this shows that although jane is a very strong women, her thoughts, imagination, and loneliness will be her downfall
this scence in the novel also hints at the more gothic elements in this novel: the supernatural
jane and author charlotte bronte believe eyes are the window to the soul
mr rochester loses his eyesight
jane describes rochester's eyes as black and brilliant
no. when she realized she had three cousins (mary, john, diana) who love her, she still wished for rochester
after he loses his eyesight, jane quite literally BECOMES HIS EYES
helen tells jane she hopes to find love and family in heaven after she passes away. jane, on the other hand, wants to find love and a sense of belonging in this world
dark and brooding
lowkey disrespectful
jane loves to draw. through this art, she expresses her thoughts and emotions
when jane is turning down st. john, she hears mr. rochester's voice calling to her in the wind. at this moment she realizes she must return to him
hunger represents misery, while bountiful food represents nourishment
hunger has a religious context too
complex sentences and descriptive words create a mature, well-put-together style of writing
oppressive and plain
jane meets mr. rochester here as a governess for a young girl, Adele
adele verens
the daughter of rochester's past lover. he is not the father but he took her under his wing because she had nowhere to go
allusion
there are many references to the Bible throughout this novel
the arabian nights
shakespeare