Understanding structure is an excellent way to develop a whole-text approach. Writing about how Brontë has structured Jane Eyre demonstrates your knowledge of the whole novel. You’ll also be analysing a complex aspect of the text, which will increase the sophistication of your response.
Settings
- Each of the five phases in Jane Eyre takes place in a different setting
- Brontë uses each setting to develop Jane’s character and the atmosphere of the story, often incorporating symbolism:
- Jane’s position behind the curtain is symbolic of her exclusion from the family
- The colour red is also symbolic of Jane’s anger at the unjust treatment she encounters
- The buildings echo the figure of Mr Brocklehurst, who Jane sees as a “black pillar”
- The lack of lighting is symbolic of the lack of openness and truth about the conditions at Lowood
- The darkness is symbolic of the secrets concealed at Thornfield
- Many of the most important scenes at Thornfield take place at night
- The light is symbolic of the welcome, warmth and friendship that the Rivers family offers Jane
- The fading light is symbolic of Rochester’s blindness and fading hope
- Jane is first seen hiding behind a red curtain at Gateshead Hall:
- Lowood school is huge, dark and “gloomy”:
- When Jane arrives at Thornfield Hall, she enters it in darkness:
- Jane is drawn to Moor House when she sees its light from the darkness of the moor:
- Jane reaches Ferndean Manor in the evening:
- As well as contributing to the atmosphere and symbolism in the novel, settings often suggest Jane’s lack of freedom:
- She frequently “paces” the upper floors and the flat roof
- This emphasises her sense of confinement, which mirrors Bertha’s physical imprisonment
- When Jane is ordered to join Rochester’s guests, she sits alone at the edge of the room, just like she did at Gateshead
- This physical setting emphasises her social marginalisation
- At Gateshead, Jane is locked in the red-room, which increases her feelings of anger, exclusion, alienation and confinement
- At Thornfield, Jane is often seen at the edge of rooms and buildings:
Motifs
Many of the symbols and images used by Brontë are repeated or echoed across the novel, and are referred to as motifs. Understanding what motifs are, and what they represent, will enable you to use them effectively in your analysis.
- Fire is an important motif in Jane Eyre, and it is used in a number of ways:
- This represents her sense of exclusion physically
- For example, the first intimate moment between Jane and Rochester comes just after Bertha has set his bed-curtains on fire
- Later, when Rochester is disguised as a fortune-teller, Jane tells him that the fire “scorches” her
- This links Rochester’s deception of her at that moment and later, when he proposes to her
- Fire represents Rochester’s passionate nature as well as his destructive power
- Brontë uses the motif of fire to foreshadow the destruction of Thornfield
- When St John Rivers tells her, “I am cold: no fervour infects me”, she responds, “Whereas I am hot, and fire dissolves ice” (Chapter 33)
- At Lowood, Jane cannot get near enough to the fire to warm herself:
- Fire is often associated with Rochester:
- Jane’s passionate feelings and anger at injustice are also represented by fire:
- The plainness of Jane’s clothing is a motif that emphasises her moral correctness:
- To speak plainly is to be open and honest
- The motif of Jane’s “plain” wedding veil symbolises her honesty
- In contrast, the expensive veil Rochester buys Jane symbolises his pretence and deception of her
- The disastrous nature of Jane’s planned marriage to Rochester is foreshadowed by two motifs:
- The chestnut tree, which is struck by lightning and split in half immediately after Rochester has proposed to Jane (Chapter 23)
- The wedding veil that Rochester has bought for Jane is torn in half by Bertha (Chapter 25)