Homework Help: English: Books, Novels & Plays: Jane Eyre

In Jane Eyre, the use of fire and water imagery is very much related to the character and mood of the protagonists, and it also shows how Jane is an intermediary between the two men.

There are characteristics attributed to fire and water can also represent positive and negative implications. There are lots, but here is an example- near the beginning of the novel, reference is made to the devastating effects of water- "ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly", "death white realm" (snow), and fire is represented as a "terrible red glare". Later fire becomes comforting in Miss Temple's room, and water saves Rochester.

As the novel progresses, the fire/water imagery becomes a representation of the emotional and moral dialectic of the characters, and the positive and negative effects of the substances show the positive and negative potentials of the characters that they represent.

Rochester is mainly associated with fire, with the "strange fires in his look" and particularly his "flaming and flashing eyes" and is dazzled by his fire. Also most things related to him are fiery as well... his first wife and Thornfield.

On one level, this fire is the romantic passion between Rochester and Jane, but on the other hand "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone", in short, hell. This is mainly evident in the first Mrs. Rochester who has fiery eyes an a visage which flames over... she quite literally turns Thornfield into an inferno after trying unsuccessfully at burning Rochester in his bed.

Negative fire in Rochester- his passion causes him to try and tempt Jane into marriage which might not only doom her to the going to a fiery afterlife, but also a living hell.- like when she is sad about become his mistress. Rochester tells Jane he is 'paving hell with energy".

St. John stands at the other extreme, as his name suggests- water. Also there is St. John in the bible. But this water is not the life giving fountain of the water of life, nor the life enhancing river. Rather, he represents ice- which has potentially destructive capabilities, as Jane states. Both physical and emotional associations.

St. John is described as pale like ice and white like a glacier, he gives ice kisses, in contrast Rochester has a much darker visage, perhaps symbolically burnt by his passions. It is Rivers coldness that makes Jane need a fire- Rochester. Also, another thing might be that ice can burn as well, and can have a burning desire.

Jane is an intermediate position between the two, she is more frequently associated with water (opposed to fire and passion), but is also not ice (foaming stream).

Rochester says - while the sun drinks the dew buoyant yet unquiet sea- a good deal of potential for fiery passion after fight- a ridge of lighted heath, but burns out quickly to black and blasted.

Anticipates the way Thornfield is destroyed, through passion rivers say- I am cold- she replied- whereas I am hot and fire dissolves ice gives him a glass of water, reviving his life

In Jane Eyre, fire imagery has a strong metaphorical significance, representing passion, sexual desire, and emotion. Bronte uses it maybe because fire can provide warmth but can also burn. Ice represents the extreme point of coldness, without any trace of passion.

Jane wanders between these two points in the novel

Fire is used to develop Jane's character- red room.

Water imagery is also commonly used to show Jane's values. Mr. Rochester's attention in her three paintings soon after they meet, in fact, tell us much about Jane's values. The "green water" in the first painting represents death by drowning as the women is drowning and the ship is capsizing. - swollen seas.

Jane sees water as locking out passion and emotion, but death. Jane realizes that while life without passion (water is undesirable, unregulated passion must be avoided as well.

Rochester is represented mostly by fires. "Warm glow" . When he returns to Thornfield there is a change in atmosphere as " a fire was lit in the upstairs apartment". Sense of fire and heat comes through. "Come to the fire"- an invitation to indulge her passions and emotions. To Jane, Rochester represents the temptation of passion over reason "You are cold because you are alone" said to Jane by gypsy.

While fire and water imagery is used by Bronte in the development of character, it is most significantly used to convey the themes and concerns of the novel. Bertha Mason- to show the potential dangers of allowing only passion to rule uncontrolled. Bertha represents unleashed, untamed passion without reason or control.

When she goes to Rochester's room the night before his departure , she torches his bed and curtains. The destructive image which is presented to the reader is designed to make the reader appreciate the grave danger of uncontrolled passion. The is effective as Rochester is indeed oblivious to the fact that he is allowing his passions to rule untamed.

He fails to recognize that he has not fully acknowledged Jane as an equal by keeping the truth about Bertha from her.

When Jane douses the flames- learns to control passion... repeated when she says that she can't marry Rochester, making a choice to seek reason and control. Jane heals him of his passionate nature "get up and walk" Jesus metaphor. By the end, Rochester respects these bonds.

Water and fire - alternately life-giving and life-denying both extremes must be moderated for them to be of benefit as rivers has no moderator- he dies

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