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Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear panes of glass, protecting,
but not separating me from the drear November day. At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect
of that winter afternoon. Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near, a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub,
with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast.
I returned to my book—Bewick's History
of British Birds: the letter-press thereof I cared little for, generally speaking; and yet there were certain introductory
pages that, child as I was, I could not pass quite as a blank. They were those which treat of the haunts of sea-fowl; of 'the
solitary rocks and promontories' by them only inhabited; of the coast of Norway, studded with isles from its southern extremity,
the Lindeness, or Naze, to the North Cape—
'Where the Northern Ocean, in vast whirls,
Boils round the
naked, melancholy isles
Of farthest Thule; and the Atlantic surge
Pours in among the stormy Hebrides.'
Excerpt from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
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In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, she uses nature imagery to enhance the audience’s experience. The nature imagery includes fire,
ice, and lightning which are very significant in Jane Eyre. Fire and ice is used
to represent Jane and her two opposing natures. The lightning is used to symbolize the separation of Jane and Mr. Rochester.
To begin with,
Charlotte Bronte uses fire imagery to represent Jane’s spirit which is very passionate. She uses fire to associate Jane
with brightness and warmth. However, fire can also be destructive. For example, when Bertha, Mr. Rochester’s mad wife,
burns Thornfield, the fire is linked with human vivacity. Also, Bronte describes the fire in Miss Temple’s room very vividly because it indicates friendship, acquiescence, and
benevolence. Ice is used to embody the cruel forces trying to smother Jane’s liveliness. Bronte often includes images
of ice and cold to associate with desolate sceneries. The cold imagery parallel Jane’s sense of emotional exile.
Furthermore, the
chestnut tree was struck by lightning into two halves. The lightning imagery is used to foreshadow Jane and Mr. Rochester’s
separation. Also, the occurrence when Bertha splits apart the wedding veil symbolizes Mr. Rochester’s unfaithfulness
of his wife. It can also symbolize the betrayal of Jane and how he deceived her.
Charlotte Bronte’s
use of nature imagery is effective in emphasizing the symbolic relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester. The use of fire,
ice, and lightning help her to establish the mood and illustrate the setting. The way Bronte utilizes nature imagery allows
the audience to envision everything.
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