Fire and Heat Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Essay

Fire and Heat Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre The essence of any true magnificent piece of literature is not what one can see in words. It is what one can see behind the words. It is through the symbolism and imagery found in works of literature that a reader can truly connect with the writer. Charlotte Bronte epitomizes the spirit of the unread but understood in her Victorian work Jane Eyre. There have been numerous essays and theories presented examining the complex symbolism and imagery used by Bronte in Jane Eyre. Much of the imagery she uses concentrates on passion, fantasy, and the supernatural. In this essay I will examine Bronte’s use of fire and heat imagery pertaining to Mr. Rochester and Jane’s love relationship.†¦show more content†¦When Jane informed Mr. Rochester that she must leave him for the sake of both their souls, his reaction was almost devil like, his voice and hand quivered: his large nostrils dilated; his eyes blazed. These images of dilating nostrils and blazing eyes are typical of a devil like figure. Rochester, the devil, attempts to convince Jane, the weak human, of going against God and sinning their soul to hell. To further convince Jane of staying with him, Rochester tells her than he’ll put Adele in a boarding school and get rid of Thornfield. He calls Thornfield this accursed place--This tent of Achan. In Joshua vii Achan took of the accursed thing, i.e., he took spoils of war from the conquered city of Jericho, and concealed them in his tent. He and his family were ritually stoned to death at the Lord’s command as a result. Rochester’s situation parallels that of Achan. He, like Achan, wants to claim what is not his. He wants to lay hold on something that he has no right too—essentially Jane Eyre. Also, it is interesting that he refers to Thornfield as an accursed place. This symbolizes a foreshadowing of the destruction of Thornfield later on in the novel. Despite all this, Jane, as all humans, falls weak to matters of the heart. Fortunately, whenever her resolve quivers, Bronte uses imagery of cleansing fire to strengthened her. For example, when Jane was leaving for bed after RochesterShow MoreRelatedEssay 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 MoreReview 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