Symbolism in Jane Eyre

“Many people are extremely happy, but are absolutely worthless to society”-Charles Gow

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a buildensroman novel entailing the growth of young, shy, and abused Jane to adulthood. The novel depicts a message of loss of innocence through the Victorian society; filled with expectations and opinions of a higher social class. Bronte does this successfully through using many different symbols in the novel such as: vision, the red-room and Bertha Mason. Vision, the most common symbol in the novel, signifies Jane’s emotional view of not only herself but others as well. This is apparent with Mr. Rochester. “Black and Brilliant”, is how Jane describes his eyes. This means Jane at first see’s Mr. Rochester as cold or dark with intelligence or power. In other words Mr. Rochester is a higher class man that is superior to others. But after the fire, burning down the manor and taking Mr. Rochester’s sight, Jane must act as his eyes; guiding him. Symbolizing Jane now holding the upper hand or power in the relationship. Showing Jane as a character has grown. Starting of Jane was a weak, poor and powerless individual later transforming into a wealthy and strong female. Bronte uses vision to show the audience that it doesn’t matter where people come from they can determine their own future Another factor that contributed greatly to the development of the novel was the setting of the red-room.” A bed, supported on […] from frequent intrusion”(19). The red-room is a repeating image in the novel. It is the location where Mr. Reed passed away. Jane believed the room was haunted by his ghost. The red-room symbolizes Jane’s feelings of imprisonment and oppression. Jane throughout the novel is being constantly reminded of her experiences with the red-room. The first time she is taken back to it is her first day at Lowood after leaving Mrs. Reeds house. She feels invisible and isolated from all the other girl there.” As yet, I had spoken[…]yet knew where I was”(59). These feelings are connected to the red-room because being left in the red-room made her feel invisible and unimportant, that none would care if she died up there like Mr. Reed did. This is why she is so confused when someone places her in bed after she faints. She is in wonders who would care enough to move her in this household of hate. Secondly, is the night she leaves Thornfield manor, after discovering Bertha Mason, Mr.Rochesters still living wife. “I should be gone. He would have me sought for; vainly. He would feel himself forsaken, his love rejected: he would suffer, perhaps grow desperate. I thought of this, too”(373). This reveals Jane thinking of how Mr. Rochester is going to feel unwanted and unloved like how she felt being locked in the scary red-room. This shows a likeness between the two very different characters. Mr. Rochester rich and independent and Jane low class and dependent. This quote foreshadows a future role change between the two of them which does occur. Mr. Rochester becomes dependent on Jane to be his eyes. Jane becomes the stable one. The final one is, when St. John proposes to her. Jane sees St. John as a close friend she can trust, but when he proposes all of that goes out the window. Jane is brought back to the Reed’s house; the lack of respect and trust they had for her. The instability the home brought her St. John’s proposal reminds Jane of the lack of respect she would receive. The red-room is a strong symbol to assist in showing Jane’s growth from being trapped disrespected to being powerful and happy. The final symbol is Bertha Mason, the mad-women. Bertha Mason is Mr. Rochester’s wife, whom is kept hidden away in the addict. “That is my wife[…] off with you now”(343). This quote is the point in time Jane first meets Bertha, yet Jane has always had a deep feeling there was something hidden up there. Bertha to me is Jane’s fears of being controlled once again. All Jane’s life she has been told what to do and when to do it. She wants to be free and make her own decisions and Bertha represent the control trying to take over her life again. Bertha represents the “ trapped Victorian wife”, struggling to stay happy while raising the children and staying loyal to the husband at all times. Jane wants to be set apart from that to be different. She want to thrive and be independent and own her own school. Yet with all this independence Jane has burning inside of her why does she strive for Mr. Rochester, the cruel Byronic character. Is it because all her life Jane as read about these happily ever after moments or is it because Jane has daddy issues never growing up with a father. But for some reason though in the end Jane abandons the idea of being independent and having her own school to stay home and educate her children and care for Mr. Rochester. Is this not the ending Jane said she did not want. Bertha symbolized the trapped Victorian women and with Bertha committing suicide who will fill that role. Jane had now become the new madwomen, condemned to the Victorian era. Bronte does this to aid the audience into understanding just how hard it is to break the chains of Victorian Society. Bronte died not changing one thing about the Victorian ways. Women did not stop marrying and raising children because of Jane Eyre and men didn’t stop being so Byronic because of the novel. The point of the novel is to show just how deadly this era was on the people. Why do we take history class? So we do not repeat history. We read Jane Eyre so we are not condemned to the social ways of that era. In conclusion Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a novel of young Jane Eyre from childhood to adulthood. With the symbols of Vision, the red-room, and Bertha Mason the audience can better understand the purpose behind the novel. To tell the story of how one women wished to change her future but was condemned to the ways of the society. Bronte taught many people that people may fall to the social ways around them but that never means that there is not the few people that can lead out of the way and change the world. It may take staying up all night writing a book in secrecy or having a protest but if people try hard enough they can succeed at anything. Word Count:1107