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A helpful reading for your presentations

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A helpful reading for your presentations

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If you're stuck on ideas, reading this piece should help give you a better idea of what to think about and explore.

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At its heart, Gothic fiction is a combination of horror and romance, often following a young female protagonist through a journey of self discovery and personal maturation à la the bildungsroman plot sequence. It is riddled with gloomy settings and a suspenseful atmosphere touched by mysterious goings-on and a wide variety of specific motifs I will be exploring with regards to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. This novel comes at a time (the middle of the 19 th century) when Gothic fiction was falling out of fashion. As such, we find in Jane Eyre a much more toned down Gothic experience when compared to earlier authors such as Ann Radcliffe and Matthew Lewis. In effect, this exploration of Gothic themes in Jane Eyre is predicated not only on their occurrence in the novel, but also on their relatively subtle nature and rational padding. Furthermore, a major aspect of the charm of the novel is that it is not an easy-to-categorize genre piece. Rather than consider it to be an example of Gothic fiction, it is more accurate to consider Jane Eyre a unique and timeless novel with many elements of Gothic fiction.

Setting is arguably the lifeblood of any Gothic novel. The setting in Jane Eyre is touched with Gothic elements right from the very beginning. In the first paragraph we are introduced to the world Jane lives on a "leafless" and "sombre" rainy day. This desolate location generates a gloomy and chilling mood typical of the Gothic genre. The first few months of Jane's stay at Lowood are also exemplary of this both in terms of the dismal weather as well as the school itself. The religious edifice is a common staple of the Gothic setting and under the propriety of the staunchly religious Mr. Brocklehurst, it is easy to see Lowood as such. However, public outrage following the typhus outbreak that wiped out many of the students prompted swift action from the country to reform school regulations and significantly reduce Brocklehurst's authority, thereby greatly diminishing the orthodox religiosity of the setting and emphasising Jane's secular academic development. Furthermore, we come to learn throughout the novel that the weather is not so much an agent to emphasize Gothic gloom and dreariness as it is a reflection of Jane's own personal state of affairs. Her initial joy upon learning that she is to be wed to Mr. Rochester brings an abrupt change to the otherwise gloomy weather: "I was not surprised, when I ran down into the hall, to see that a brilliant June morning had succeeded to the tempest of the night; and to feel, through the open glass door, the breathing of fresh and fragrant breeze. Nature must be gladsome when I was so happy" (296). Jane herself even acknowledges the relationship between the weather and herself. After discovering that she had narrowly escaped a sham marriage with Mr. Rochester and that his mad wife, Bertha, is locked up in a third-floor chamber in Thornfield, "a Christmas frost had come at midsummer; a white December storm had whirled over June; ice glazed the ripe apples, drifts crushed the blowing roses; on hayfield and cornfield lay a frozen shroud: lanes which last night blushed full of flowers, today were pathless with untrodden snow; 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" (341). Jane goes on to ponder her despair and woe regarding this most unfortunate turn of events.

No Gothic novel would be complete without mystery and suspense. There is no shortage thereof during Jane's stay at Thornfield, where Jane finds herself faced with disturbing secrets and bizarre occurrences. More specifically, she has to contend with the curious laughter she hears from the third floor, Mr. Rochester's bed being set on fire by some unknown assailant, the attack on Mr. Mason by someone who sucked the blood from his wound and her own night-time encounter with "the foul German spectre - the Vampyre" (327), who tore up and stomped on her wedding vail. It is not until much later that she learns Bertha Mason, Mr. Rochester's wife, if to blame for all of these occurrences, leaving her with a typically Gothic sense of suspense and mystery throughout almost her entire stay at Thornfield. Speaking of Bertha Mason, another Gothic trope is that of madness and aristocratic decay, something that Bertha seamlessly exemplifies as a raving madwoman, despite her privileged extraction.

The cornerstone of any Gothic narrative is the supernatural. As a child living at Gateshead, Jane is occasionally locked in the "red room" as punishment for her perceived insolence. This is an otherwise unused room in which Mr. Reed had died nine years before. Jane is gripped with fear and later insists to have been "shut up in a room where there is a ghost, till after dark" (20). It is however implied that Jane merely imagines the ghostly presence in the room and is adept at not letting herself become entirely overcome with fear. There is talk of ghosts upon Jane's arrival at Thornfield, but Mrs. Fairfax is quick to assure her that there are no legends or stories of the kind with reference to Thornfield and that the passed patrons of the house "rest tranquilly in their graves now" (118). Bertha Mason takes on a somewhat supernatural presence, first roaming unseen about the house at night and appearing to Jane as she sleeps in her room in order to tear her veil, appearing to be "the foul German spectre...", however, Jane eventually learns of her existence definitively and all supernatural connotations dissipate. There is, however, one logically unexplainable supernatural occurrence of note toward the end of the novel. One night at Moor House, Jane inexplicably hears someone calling her name from afar. It is not until her reunion with Mr. Rochester that she learns it was he who had called to her on that very night and that he had heard her response as well. However, Jane is quick to withhold the matter rather than discuss it at length: "The coincidence struck me as too awful and inexplicable to be communicated or discussed. If I told anything, my tale would be such as much necessarily make a profound impression on the mind of my hearer: and that mind, yet from its sufferings too prone to gloom, needed not the deeper shade of the supernatural. I kept these things then, and pondered them in my heart" (520). It seems that the supernatural does have a presence in Jane's world, but she also demonstrates the ability to personally come to terms with it rather than become hopelessly entwined in it.

Finally we come to Jane herself, who partially exemplifies the Gothic trope of the virginal maiden. Through her youth, innocence, kindness and virtuosity, Jane certainly does tick off many of the necessary boxes for this trope, but she lacks a certain frailty. The Gothic maiden is infamous for her extremely delicate sensibilities, being highly prone to fainting. However, Jane is of a sturdier stock waiting hours with the wounded Mr. Mason, largely unfazed by the sight of blood. After Mr. Rochester asks her how she responds to the sight of blood, Jane replies: "'I think I shall not [turn sick]: I have never been tried yet.' I felt a thrill while I answered him; but no coldness, and no faintness" (238). She is quick to pull herself together and react as needed when other stressful situations present themselves, such as her dousing of Mr. Rochester's flaming bed.

Thus, while Jane Eyre may be riddled with Gothic tropes such as death, madness, mystery, suspense, the supernatural, etc., the novel itself does not firmly belong to the Gothic genre. The difference between Jane Eyre and the typical Gothic Novel is that the former is not defined by its Gothic themes, rather it employs them to flavor its own narrative as well as boost key plot points.
Work Cited
Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Austin: Holt Rinehart Winston, 1996.

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Gothic Themes in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

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At its heart, Gothic fiction is a combination of horror and romance, often following a young female protagonist through a journey of self discovery and personal maturation à la the bildungsroman plot sequence. It is riddled with gloomy settings and a suspenseful atmosphere touched by mysterious goings-on and a wide variety of specific motifs I will be exploring with regards to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.

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Don't forget that your group presentations on Gothic Themes are due on Monday!
Post them here before Monday's class so we everyone can access them during the lesson!
If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

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This explains the times in which Jane Eyre takes place

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Introduction to Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is a novel written by Charlotte Bronte, published under the pen name Currer Bell, in 1847. Jane Eyre's genre is both Gothic and Romantic, often conjuring an atmosphere of mystery, secrecy, or even horror.

The story revolves around society and its norms (or this case, ab-norms) rather than an account of what is going on during the period's history. Social and political unrest and the Industrial Revolution created a number of changes in the way people interacted, as well as with the way people earned their living, from farming to factory. Also present were the expectations of Victorian rigidity of manner and behaviors.

In Jane Eyre, Bronte speaks about her personal dissatisfaction with the times. 'It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action. . . Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot.' The novel is a product of her times mixed with the isolation of her life on the moors. She interacted with a great number of fellow artists and writers, including her own sisters. Bronte possessed a furtive imagination, and she expressed much passion in her writing.

The Victorian Era

Although there is no time period stated in the book itself, it is thought that the period from Jane Eyre's childhood to adulthood would have taken place during the Late-Georgian and Victorian periods of British history.

The Victorian era is generally agreed to stretch through the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). It was a tremendously exciting period when many artistic styles and literary schools, as well as social, political and religious movements, flourished. It was a time of prosperity, broad imperial expansion and great political reform. It was also a period which today we associate with prudishness and repression. Without a doubt, it was an extraordinarily complex age that has sometimes been called the Second English Renaissance. Jane Eyre states, 'I longed for a power of vision which might. . . reach the busy world, towns, regions full of life I had heard of but never seen: that I desired more of practical experience than I possessed; more of intercourse with my kind, of acquaintance with variety of character, than was here within my reach.' This statement shows that she is aware of the changing times and yearns to be a part of them.

Social Change

Jane Eyre is set in the north of England. During this period, British society was undergoing steady and important change. One of the most evident changes was the transition from a rural to an industrial economy. The Industrial Revolution had begun in Britain in the late 18th century, and by the writing of Jane Eyre, it was heading onward with determination. Charlotte Bronte touches on several social issues in Jane Eyre: woman's employment, genteel poverty, education and marriage.

If women did not have the means, due to lack of money or family, to stay at home, they were often forced to obtain employment. If you, like Jane Eyre, were from a genteel home but lacked money, your options were pretty limited: get a job or get married. For the former, many went out to be governesses, nannies or teachers for the upper classes. They used their skills and education that they themselves had received when their situation in life might have been better.

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jane eyre time period & historical context - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Jane Eyre Time Period & Historical Context - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Jane Eyre is a novel written by Charlotte Bronte, published under the pen name Currer Bell, in 1847. Jane Eyre's genre is both Gothic and Romantic, often conjuring an atmosphere of mystery, secrecy, or even horror. The story revolves around society and its norms (or this case, ab-norms) rather than an account of what is going on during the period's history.

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I found an online link for Jane Eyre if anyone wants to read it on the go or forgets their book

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This is hilarious, but it's informative too. It gives a brief summary and analysis of key motifs

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Jane Eyre - Thug Notes Summary and Analysis

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This map shows the relationships between significant characters in the text

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Here is a good prezi that explore the main symbols and motifs in Jane Eyre

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Symbolism and Motifs in
Jane Eyre
Portraits/Paintings
There are three major moments when the novel fixates and Jane's artistry and her drawings.

Analysis of St. John Rivers (Symbol)
major foil to Rochester
Rivers are associated with perpetual motion; St. John tries to push Jane to move on
river=water; purification (but is ironic because Jane resists though purity is in her nature)
water can freeze, and St. John is frequently compared to ice and snow
The actual St. John is described as impulsive but follows God's will; matches the character in
Jane Eyre
Helen Burns (Symbol)
Helen- Greek for "shining light", "torch"
both name and last name of BURNs correspond to the motif of fire; Jane's inspiration and growth
Helen was the light in Jane's childhood.
" Still I felt that Helen Burns considered things by a light invisible to my eyes" (Bronte 47).
taught forgiveness, endurance, sacrifice (CHRIST FIGURE!)
" ' Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you' " (Bronte 55).
Jane reflects what she learns, especially as seen in her attitudes towards Ms. Reed when she goes to her deathbed.
Bertha Mason (Symbol)
Social Symbolism
: Bertha can represent the British suppression of foreign cultures during the 1800s. Her Jamaican heritage makes her an outsider to the hierarchy.
Feminist Symbol
: The standard for Victorian wives was to remain at home and withdraw form social participation. Her lunacy is a exaggerated image of the anxiety and entrapment many women felt.
Textual Symbol
: Bertha represents the unconscious emotions that Jane feels throughout her life. Her fears and subtle anger is translated into Bertha's rabid and violent impulses towards Mr. Rochester and the world around her.
The Byronic Hero:
What makes a character Byronic:
The Portfolio Watercolors:
"The first represented clouds low and livid, . . . there was no land. One gleam of light lifted into relief a half-submerged mast, on which sat a cormorant, dark and large, with wings flecked with foam; its beak held a gold bracelet, set with gems, . . . . Sinking below the bird and the mast, a drowned corse [sic] glanced through the green water; a fair arm was the only limb visible, whence the bracelet had been washed or torn" (Bronte 118).
"The second picture contained for foreground only the dim peak of a hill, with grass and some leaves slanting as if by a breeze. . . . rising into the sky was a woman's shape to the bust, portrayed in tints as dusk and soft as I could combine. The dim forehead was crowned with a star; . . . the eyes shone dark and wild; the hair streamed shadowy. . . . On the neck lay a pale reflection like moonlight; the same faint lustre touched the train of thin clouds from which rose and bowed this vision of the Evening Star" (Bronte 119).
"The third showed the pinnacle of an iceberg piercing a polar winter sky: a muster of northern lights . . . along the horizon. Throwing these into distance, rose, in the foreground, a head. . . . Two thin hands, joined under the forehead, . . . a brow quite bloodless, white as bone, and an eye hollow and fixed, blank of meaning but for the glassiness of despair, alone were visible. Above the temples, . . . gleamed a ring of white flame, gemmed with sparkles of a more lurid tinge. This pale crescent was "the likeness of a Kingly Crown;" what it diademed was "the shape which shape had none" (Bronte 120).
This interpretation may envision Jane's life through childhood, Lowood, and Thornfield. The shipwreck represents life at Gateshead, while the fiery sky and bird (symbol of Jane's strong will) represent her new hope with Rochester.
The second drawing comes to visualize Jane's wandering through the moors after her devastating decison to flee the warmth and love of Mr. Rochester. The star can parallel the light that led her to St. John's house, but the lack of bright colors symbolizes a life without true love.
St. John is frequently compared to ice and snow, which makes it reasonable that Jane's drawing of the iceberg corresponds to her despondency in her relationship with St. John. Her praying shows how she is at the pinnacle of her misfortune ans she seekd help from God to eventually lead her back to her true love.
Jane v. Blanche Portraits:
At this point, Jane has developed some passion for Rochester but is divided from him with the belief of Blanche Ingram's soon-to-be wife status.
The paintings provide a paradoxical characterization of Jane and Blanche:
Portrait of a Governess: Disconnected, Poor, and Plain
Blanche, An Accomplished Lady of Rank:
Low class, but accepting of equality
Plain but has humane features and thoughts
inquisitive and artistic; observant
high moral standards
experienced "ever-torturing pain" (177) instead of jealousy.
wealthy and extravagant
paragon of class
foil to Jane
"She was very showy but not genuine: she has a fine person, amny brilliant attainmnets; nut her mind was poor and her heart was barren" (Bronte 177).
vs.
Sketch of Rochester:
When residing with St. John, Jane experienced major withdrawals to her life back in Thornfield. She assumed her habit of drawing and drew her beloved Rochester. Ironically, St. John remarked at the stern features of the portrait, assuming Jane drew him.
shows that Jane is still stuck on the past-- regretful
idea of solitary genius: she chooses to be mentally lonely, while yearning for Rochester's company
method of expressing emotion
First impression:
"I was sure St John Rivers- pure-lived, conscientious, zealous as he was- had not yet found that peace of God" (Bronte 311).
Changed Opinion:
"St John was a good man; but I began to feel he spoken the truth of himself when he said he was hard and cold" (Bronte 347).
In Greek mythology, Helen was Zeus's daughter. Her abuction led to the Trojan War; she was considered the most beautiful woman on Earth.
This allusion to Greek legends corresponds to Helen's inner beauty and her message of forgiveness that saved Jane's personality.
" "Bertha Mason, the true daughter of an infamous mother, dragged me through all the hideous and degrading agonies which must attend a man bound to a wife at once intempearte and unchaste' " (Bronte 287).
" She threw her las bloody glance over a world quivering with the ferment of tempest. I was physically influenced by the atmosphere in seeing and my ears were filled with curses the maniac still shrieked out" (Bronte 289).
The name Bertha actually means a lace collar, which may symbolize her figurative choking of Mr. Rochester, as well as her real attempts to kill him.
George Gordon Byron was an English poet and leader of the Romantic movement. Charlotte Bronte was intrigued by his works, and incorporated techniques and allusions to his poems (Like
The Corsair
) in Jane Eyre.
Who was Lord Byron?
Not the typical Romantic "Prince Charming"; unattractive but virtually compelling...
"I recognized his decisive nose, more remarkable for character than beauty; his full nostrils, denoting, I thought, choler; his grim mouth, chin, and jaw-yes, all three were very grim, and no mistake. His shape, now divested of cloak, I perceived harmonised in squareness with his physiognomy" (Bronte 230).
Troubled past/hiding secrets
My bride's mother I had never seen: I understood she was dead. The honeymoon over, I learned my mistake; she was only mad, and shut up in a lunatic asylum... My father and my brother Rowland knew all this; but they thought only of the thirty thousand pounds, and joined in the plot against me"(330).
Other evidence: concealing Bertha by creating a reputation for Grace Poole; bad relationships with his Celine Varens and his other two mistresses.
Bipolar/Uncertain Display of Emotions

" 'You feel it when he speaks to you; you cannot be always sure whether he is in jest or earnest, whether he is pleased or the contrary; you don't thouroughly understand him' " (91).
Disregard for Social Norms:
Love for Jane Eyre
" You- poor and obscure, and small amd plain as you are- I entreat to acept me as a husband" (239).
Elements of Realism:
The gothic comparison and "castle" turns into a realistic setting
Fictional elements turn out to be mere illusions (Gypsy= Rochester, Apparitions=Bertha)
Jane's Comparison of Nature to Society:
direct observations of nature, especially in hard times in her life (Lowood and wandering the moors)
change in weather to reflect mood and theme of awareness
Verisimilitude- (likeness of actuality) Jane often accepts her natural surroundings while resisting her personal struggles
call for social change
"It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot" (109).
Anum Ul-Haque, Holly Goolsby, Maddy Furlong, Anna Romanov, Jason Pachol

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Symbolism and Motifs in Jane Eyre Portraits/PaintingsThere are three major moments when the novel fixates and Jane's artistry and her drawings. Analysis of St. John Rivers (Symbol)major foil to RochesterRivers are associated with perpetual motion; St. John tries to push Jane to move onriver=water; purification (but is ironic because Jane resists though purity is in her nature)water can freeze, and St.

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The portrait on the cover of Jane Eyre is actually Charlotte Bronte herself!

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Jane learns that a "Miss Ingram" will be visiting. Mrs. Fairfax also alludes to a romance between Rochester and Blanche Ingram.

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From the text:
"I did," said I, dropping my voice, so that Leah, who was still polishing the panes, could not hear me, "and at first I thought it was Pilot: but Pilot cannot laugh; and I am certain I heard a laugh, and a strange one."

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Bronte's life was definitely an inspiration in her writing. Like her heroine, Jane Eyre, Bronte too was forced to use her intellect in order to gain economic independence. She worked for several families as a governess, attended the harsh...

Answered by jill d #170087

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Jane learns that a "Miss Ingram" will be visiting. Mrs. Fairfax also alludes to a romance between Rochester and Blanche Ingram. View All Answers From the text: "I did," said I, dropping my voice, so that Leah, who was still polishing the panes, could not hear me, "and at first I thought it was Pilot: but Pilot cannot laugh; and I am certain I heard a laugh, and a strange one."

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John Green discusses Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte in Crash Course Literature.

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Reader, it's Jane Eyre - Crash Course Literature 207