What is the significance of the opening scene in jane eyre

Fire, however, is also seen as very dangerous and is associated with some of the most disturbing and terrifying incidents in the book: all of them, ultimately, can be traced back to Rochester's wife, Bertha :.

Narrative techniques: realism and the supernatural Themes and significant ideas Families, parents and children Education; Class, wealth and power Gender and the role of women Imagery, metaphor and symbolism in Jane Eyre Nature Fire and light Paintings and drawings Biblical, mythological and literary references Structure Structure defined by volume Structure by setting Time structure in Jane Eyre Family structure in Jane Eyre : Eyre, Reed and Rivers Structure: Theme and imagery Critical approaches to Jane Eyre Jane Eyre : The critical tradition Critical attitudes in the last thirty years Feminist criticism and literary history Psychoanalytical criticism Formalist criticism Post-colonial criticism New historicist criticism Analysing a passage Approaching exams and essays Engaging with the text How to plan an essay Sample questions What makes a good English exam answer Resources and further reading Booklist Websites Jane Eyre on film and television Worksheet downloads.

Characters: John Reed, Mrs. Reed, Helen Burns,. Shakita Cheptygmashev Professional. What does the moon symbolize in Jane Eyre? Jane Eyre has no such superstitious exaggerations, however, as we are about to explore, the moon is present throughout Jane's life, representing love, or absence of love, announcing significant events, or the arrival of important characters, and bringing light and insight in crucial moments throughout the narrative. Marek Bonal Professional. What happens to Bertha in Jane Eyre?

Despite not loving her, Rochester attempts to save Bertha from a fire she starts in the house when she again escapes. Bertha dies after throwing herself off the roof, leaving her husband free to marry Jane. Setsuko Luticke Professional. What crime does Bertha represent in Jane Eyre? She also suffers from congenital insanity read: madness runs in her family.

Rochester claims that she was drunken and promiscuous and that her excesses brought on her madness when she was young, but he's not exactly an objective witness. Carmel Grup Explainer. What is the Red Room and why is it significant in the Reed household? What is the red room and why is it significant in the Reed household? The red room is where Mrs. Reed locked up Jane for a period of time.

It is also the room where Mr. Lyubomira Hormannskirchner Explainer. What does Mr Brocklehurst symbolize? Mr Brocklehurst. Mr Brocklehurst is the supervisor of Lowood School. He is mean, vindictive and enjoys making the girls quiver in his presence. Brocklehurst wants the pupils of Lowood School to be modest and pious and he cruelly restricts their food rations. Danyel Derkes Explainer. What does fire symbolize in Jane Eyre? Fire is commonly depicted in its most comforting form, as an inviting flame burning brightly behind a grate.

About two months have passed, and Jane has been enduring even crueler treatment from her aunt and cousins while anxiously waiting for the arrangements to be made for her schooling. Brocklehurst, the stern-faced man who runs the school. Brocklehurst abrasively questions Jane about religion, and he reacts with indignation when she declares that she finds the psalms uninteresting. Brocklehurst that the girl also has a propensity for lying, a piece of information that Mr.

When Mr. Reed, for once, seems to concede defeat. Shortly thereafter, Bessie tells Jane that she prefers her to the Reed children. Before Jane leaves for school, Bessie tells her stories and sings her lovely songs. These books depicted remote, desolate landscapes, crumbling ruins, and supernatural events, all of which were designed to create a sense of psychological suspense and horror.

Her class difference translates into physical difference, and Jane believes that she is physically inferior to the Reed children. Jane's argument with John also points to the potential gender conflicts within the text. Not only is Jane at a disadvantage because of her class status, but her position as female leaves her vulnerable to the rules of a patriarchal tyrant.

John is an over-indulged only son, described by Jane as "unwholesome" and "thick," someone who habitually gorges himself. Contrasting with Jane's thin, modest appearance, John Reed is a picture of excess: his gluttony feeds his violent emotions, such as constant bullying and punishing of Jane.

One of Jane's goals throughout the book will be to create an individual place for herself, free of the tyrannies of her aunt's class superiority and her cousin's gender dominance. By fighting back when John and his mother torment her, Jane refuses the passivity that was expected for a woman in her class position.

Jane's situation as she sits reading Bewick's History of Birds provides significant imagery. The red curtains that enclose Jane in her isolated window seat connect with the imagery of the red-room to which Jane is banished at the end of the chapter.

The color red is symbolic.