Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë
Themes Christian love and forgiveness Moral conflict Spiritualism Love and the need for autonomy The system of social class Gender relations
Symbols The moon=change Food=deprivation and want Fire=passion Chestnut tree=Jane and Rochester’s relationship Bertha Mason=the “trapped” Victorian wife; the prevailing attitude towards other cultures; Jane’s subconscious rage The red room=what Jane must overcome in order to find love and independence.
Charlotte Brontë
The Gothic Novel Definition: Gothic novels, originally from the European Romantic Period, have a prevailing sense of mystery and terror. Called gothic b/c its imaginative impulse is drawn from the rough and primitive grandeur of medieval buildings and ruins. Dark and tempestuous – full of ghosts, madness, outrage, superstition, and revenge.
Gothic, cont. Settings often castles or monasteries with underground passages, dark battlements, hidden passages, and trapdoors. Examples: Frankenstein, Dracula Jane Eyre is not strictly gothic, but many elements can be found.
Elements of gothic motifs in Jane Eyre Romantic and desperate escape/flee from site of male hero. Setting is castle-like structure Haunting mystery and suffering Secrets Dark, disturbing characters Emotional trauma Alienation
Motifs, cont. Fire and ice Prevalence of mystery Suspense Ghosts Imprisonment The appearance of a fortune teller Portentous dreams
The Byronic Hero So called from poet Lord Byron’s heroes A type of antihero who is a romanticized but wicked character Defies authority Associated with destructive passions Brooding, alienated Persistent loneliness Fiery rebellion
Hero, cont. Arrogant High level of intelligence Suffering from unnamed crime Troubled past Powerfully seductive Moody Jaded, world-weary A good heart in the end
Victorian fashions
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Victorian architecture
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