Jane Eyre, making interpretations..?

Question

I'm doing a literary analysis on Bronte's Jane Eyre. However I am having trouble drawing up a few things from this novel:

Symbols. What do you believe are symbols in the story? - could Mr. Rochester be a symbol for hope? She seemed very dependent on "hoping" that Mr. Rochester was alive and well while she was at the Moore House.

Tone. The tone in this story seems to shift so much, between Gateshead up to Morton. The thought of marriage being the prominent "happy" portion of this novel. Thoughts?

Style. Bronte definitely has a unique style of writing, using a more complex vocabulary, speaking to the reader as a narrator within the story. What do you think?

Answer 1

Symbols
"Bertha Mason
Bertha Mason is a complex presence in Jane Eyre. She impedes Jane’s happiness, but she also catalyses the growth of Jane’s self-understanding. The mystery surrounding Bertha establishes suspense and terror to the plot and the atmosphere. Further, Bertha serves as a remnant and reminder of Rochester’s youthful libertinism.
Yet Bertha can also be interpreted as a symbol. Some critics have read her as a statement about the way Britain feared and psychologically “locked away” the other cultures it encountered at the height of its imperialism. Others have seen her as a symbolic representation of the “trapped” Victorian wife, who is expected never to travel or work outside the house and becomes ever more frenzied as she finds no outlet for her frustration and anxiety. Within the story, then, Bertha’s insanity could serve as a warning to Jane of what complete surrender to Rochester could bring about.
One could also see Bertha as a manifestation of Jane’s subconscious feelings—specifically, of her rage against oppressive social and gender norms. Jane declares her love for Rochester, but she also secretly fears marriage to him and feels the need to rage against the imprisonment it could become for her. Jane never manifests this fear or anger, but Bertha does. Thus Bertha tears up the bridal veil, and it is Bertha’s existence that indeed stops the wedding from going forth. And, when Thornfield comes to represent a state of servitude and submission for Jane, Bertha burns it to the ground. Throughout the novel, Jane describes her inner spirit as fiery, her inner landscape as a “ridge of lighted heath” (Chapter 4). Bertha seems to be the outward manifestation of Jane’s interior fire. Bertha expresses the feelings that Jane must keep in check.
The Red-Room
The red-room can be viewed as a symbol of what Jane must overcome in her struggles to find freedom, happiness, and a sense of belonging. In the red-room, Jane’s position of exile and imprisonment first becomes clear. Although Jane is eventually freed from the room, she continues to be socially ostracized, financially trapped, and excluded from love; her sense of independence and her freedom of self-expression are constantly threatened.
The red-room’s importance as a symbol continues throughout the novel. It reappears as a memory whenever Jane makes a connection between her current situation and that first feeling of being ridiculed. Thus she recalls the room when she is humiliated at Lowood. She also thinks of the room on the night that she decides to leave Thornfield after Rochester has tried to convince her to become an undignified mistress. Her destitute condition upon her departure from Thornfield also threatens emotional and intellectual imprisonment, as does St. John’s marriage proposal. Only after Jane has asserted herself, gained financial independence, and found a spiritual family—which turns out to be her real family—can she wed Rochester and find freedom in and through marriage."

Tone:
Optimistic
"The optimism of this belief, in which the individual controls his own salvation, flies in the face of evolutionary theory. It declares each person's significance and therefore confronts the scientific changes of the time."

Style:

"ot only does Jane Eyre take the form of a first-person narrative but its focus rests firmly on the narrator's thoughts, attitudes, and personal growth. Since the narrator's identity is that of a governess in Victorian society, this is a bold point of view indeed.

Another shocking aspect of the narrative style involves the depiction of the initial encounter between Jane and Rochester. Brontė has written the scene with definite emphasis on Jane's point of view by including assertive statements, frequent use of the pronoun "I," and a focus on Jane's moods and feelings. For example, Jane (as narrator) states the following: "...I would not be driven quite away till I saw the event," "I was in the mood for being useful, or at least officious, I think, for I now drew near him again," and "I felt no fear of him, and but little shyness" (Brontė 104-105). This constant focus on Jane's feelings and perceptions is significant. The governess-narrator who offers so much of her own mind in the narrative would surely startle certain contemporary readers.

Finally, the strong narrative voice also pervades in the expression of Jane's decision to marry Rochester. "Reader, I married him" is seen by some as the pivotal, quintessential Jane Eyre line (Brontė 429). It demonstrates the bold point of view held by the governess-narrator. Women of Jane's time typically did not "call the shots" when it came to marriage. The mainstream view was that a woman should consider herself lucky and privileged to be chosen by a man for marriage, and that she should repay him by dutifully serving him at all times (Calder 125). Contrastingly, Jane's narrative declaration shows autonomy and self-determination. This narrative style presents a challenge to the status quo of Victorian society."

Answer 2

There have been quite a few movies made of Jane Eyre, and NONE of them is a substitute for reading the book! If a person would watch all of the Jane Eyre movies there would still be huge gaps in plot -- some gaps in some movies, some in others, and various additions to movies that are not a part of the book at all. Further, the atmosphere and Jane's introspection and thoughts and values and opinions and observations are almost uniformly missing in the movies. If your interest in Jane Eyre book versus movie has anything to do with class or homework or a book report, you will NOT succeed without reading the book carefully, and any teacher will instantly know if you have not. Trust me on this!

Answer 3

I don't know much either, really. (your avatar)
Re: symbols I think you have it right, Mr. Rochester is a symbol for hope, a lot of hope.

Tone: Definitely marriage is the happy thought of the novel. The tone shifts a lot because the mood shifts a lot...yes, no, maybe so-things...whether one is stifled, waiting or set free...

Style: Bronte is certainly unique, you have that right, too. The vocabulary is, I think, that of a hoping/lonely woman with education and books; it reflects the character (and writer?) well, as does narration style.

I think you've got this tiger by the tail! for more info:
http://www.victorianweb.org/aut
put in Charlotte's name, and read a bio, history, essay and other resources.

Answer 4

Bronte also commented upon women's social position in the Victorian era. As a servant, she could have succumbed to Rochester's first advances, and become his lover, but Jane's high moral character prevented it. it wasn't until Rochester was free of his engagement, his mad wife, and obligations to Adele that she was sure it was a marriage for love-and not to be a "convenience" for Rochester. Moreover, now that he was blind, there was mutual dependence. The mad wife, gothic manor and brooding hero (Rochester) are common motifs of Victorian novels. Bronte also seemed to struggle with religion- the authority figure of Brocklehurst and the Lowood School (another gothic manor type house) for the harshness and cruelty of strict religion and the sweet, meek, turn-the-other-cheek Christian, Helen Burns, who, although Jane loved her, couldn't bring herself to be like her. Helen was, in effect, the "ideal" Victorian woman. Quiet, meek, unquestioning, loyal, obedient, patient, and unassuming.