Although Jane Eyre is a bildungsroman (a coming of age story), it is also a Gothic Novel. What are some of the specific Gothic Literature elements that Charlotte Bronte utilizes throughout Jane Eyre?
Bronte really adds gothic elements to the story. Her number one element is the descriptions. For example in the second chapter she describes the red room as having "massive pillars of mahogany", "curtains of deep red damask" "crimson cloth and large windows." All of these descriptive words set the mood to be very gothic. She also adds events of the supernatural also experienced in chapter two when Jane suddenly goes crazy and faints to the floor. Overall reading the novel, you can almost picture self in a dark mansion and rain and all of the "gothicy" elements.
The idea of the red room immediate reminded me of the famous Edgar Allen Poe story, “The Masque of the Red Death.” The idea of a attaching a color in a room to a specific concept, like death, is seen in both stories. I actually looked up the publication date of Poe’s work and found that it was released five years prior to “Jane Eyre.” Whether or not Brontë was directly influenced by Poe or the time period, it is an interesting connection. -Bill
Charlotte Bronte protrays many elements of Gothic literature to her novel of jane eyre. Such elements are like those of the red room and the school for the girls. I believe a big part of the gothicism is that of the views of religion in her book. They are very old fassion and to the book. The scene where the girls hair are cut is a gothic punishment not seen today. Her descriptions of the towns and houses are very gothic in appeal as well. the manor in which jane and Mr. Rochester resides,in itself, is a main gothic element with its many floors and rooms. Every detail to the tee. In my opinion the burning down of the Manor and the hiding of the horrid wife were the most gothic elements os the story. I could picture every detail and set my self back in time during those years of giant mansions lit by candles and woman of insanity killing thier lovers. It is all so very gothic.
The Gothic element Bronte uses is the fact that Jane Eyre is at times a ghost story as well as a horror story. A example is when Jane is locked in the room and she feels the haunting presence of her dead uncle. "I began to recall what I heard of dead men, troubled in their graves ny the violation of their last wishes." This shows the dark elements of horror that Bronte writes about as Jane lives in everyday suffering
I noticed while reading "Jane Eyre" that Bronte utilizes gothic elements when she desires to foreshadow an upcoming negative event. One example is when Jane recalls a night when she heard Bessie saying that dreaming of a child was a "sure sign of trouble." When Jane tells her gothic description of the nightmare she had about a child, the reader knows that something eery is about to take place. Sure enough, Jane receives news that Mr. John died and that Mrs. Reed was in poor health.
Bronte uses gothic elements in many of her descriptions. She is very detail-oriented, so that the reader can see the scene very well. The red room and the descriptions of the architecture throughout the book are examples of this, as she goes from the Reed's house, to school, and to Thornfield, we see what each place looks like through Bronte's descriptions.
Charlotte bronte incorporates many aspects of gothic literature into the book Jane Eyre. The main element that she uses is her description of buildings and places. First, Bronte describes the school that Jane Eyre attends. It is a girls's school that is rather grungy and has many characteristics that would be associated with a gothic dungeon. Also Bronte describes some of the other places Jane visits as being dark and massive. Thornfield in particular was described as having a regal presense, and it the imagery that bronte used to describe it just screamed of gothic architecture.
Bronte really adds gothic elements to the story. Her number one element is the descriptions. For example in the second chapter she describes the red room as having "massive pillars of mahogany", "curtains of deep red damask" "crimson cloth and large windows." All of these descriptive words set the mood to be very gothic. She also adds events of the supernatural also experienced in chapter two when Jane suddenly goes crazy and faints to the floor. Overall reading the novel, you can almost picture self in a dark mansion and rain and all of the "gothicy" elements.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the red room immediate reminded me of the famous Edgar Allen Poe story, “The Masque of the Red Death.” The idea of a attaching a color in a room to a specific concept, like death, is seen in both stories. I actually looked up the publication date of Poe’s work and found that it was released five years prior to “Jane Eyre.” Whether or not Brontë was directly influenced by Poe or the time period, it is an interesting connection.
ReplyDelete-Bill
Charlotte Bronte protrays many elements of Gothic literature to her novel of jane eyre. Such elements are like those of the red room and the school for the girls. I believe a big part of the gothicism is that of the views of religion in her book. They are very old fassion and to the book. The scene where the girls hair are cut is a gothic punishment not seen today. Her descriptions of the towns and houses are very gothic in appeal as well. the manor in which jane and Mr. Rochester resides,in itself, is a main gothic element with its many floors and rooms. Every detail to the tee. In my opinion the burning down of the Manor and the hiding of the horrid wife were the most gothic elements os the story. I could picture every detail and set my self back in time during those years of giant mansions lit by candles and woman of insanity killing thier lovers. It is all so very gothic.
ReplyDeleteThe Gothic element Bronte uses is the fact that Jane Eyre is at times a ghost story as well as a horror story. A example is when Jane is locked in the room and she feels the haunting presence of her dead uncle. "I began to recall what I heard of dead men, troubled in their graves ny the violation of their last wishes." This shows the dark elements of horror that Bronte writes about as Jane lives in everyday suffering
ReplyDeleteI noticed while reading "Jane Eyre" that Bronte utilizes gothic elements when she desires to foreshadow an upcoming negative event. One example is when Jane recalls a night when she heard Bessie saying that dreaming of a child was a "sure sign of trouble." When Jane tells her gothic description of the nightmare she had about a child, the reader knows that something eery is about to take place. Sure enough, Jane receives news that Mr. John died and that Mrs. Reed was in poor health.
ReplyDeleteBronte uses gothic elements in many of her descriptions. She is very detail-oriented, so that the reader can see the scene very well. The red room and the descriptions of the architecture throughout the book are examples of this, as she goes from the Reed's house, to school, and to Thornfield, we see what each place looks like through Bronte's descriptions.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte bronte incorporates many aspects of gothic literature into the book Jane Eyre. The main element that she uses is her description of buildings and places. First, Bronte describes the school that Jane Eyre attends. It is a girls's school that is rather grungy and has many characteristics that would be associated with a gothic dungeon. Also Bronte describes some of the other places Jane visits as being dark and massive. Thornfield in particular was described as having a regal presense, and it the imagery that bronte used to describe it just screamed of gothic architecture.
ReplyDelete