Jane Eyre Group

Question:

jsbrin
jsbrin
Student
High School - 12th Grade

What do the different settings bring to the novel, "Jane Eyre"?

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Posted by jsbrin on Thursday May 22, 2008 at 12:00 PM and tagged with different, jane eyre, setting.

Answers:


  1. brandih

    eNotes Editor

    This question has been asked and answered.  Please see the link below, and thank you for using eNotes!

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/eyre/q-and-a/jane-eyre-jane-found-m...

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    Posted by brandih on Thursday May 22, 2008 at 12:09 PM

  2. reidalot
    reidalot Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    The different settings in the novel serve to act, metaphorically, as distinct chapters in Jane's life. She spends her childhood with the Reeds at Gateshead Hall. There, she first experiences discrimination and abuse as she is relegated to the Red Room.Gateshead becomes symbolic of a gate(portal), through which she must proceed to discover her own reality. From there, she is sent to Lowood, which, at first, is the lowest point of her life, the boarding school where she gains inner strength. At Lowood she learns of deprivation and death, yet she matures as she overcomes hardship and is ready to emerge as a governess. Next, she lives at Thornfield, where she meets and falls in love with Rochester, a thorny field indeed, as his mad wife is also held secretly in the house. From there, she flees to Moor House,where Jane finds comfort and love though she realizes there is more for her. Then she reunites with Rochester at Ferndean Manor, a run down house, just as Rochester has been blinded and emasculated. Many of the characters are also tied to these five settings, yet only Jane is able to move between settings as her character grows and strengthens.

    Sources:
    http://enotes.com/janeeyre

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    Posted by reidalot on Thursday May 22, 2008 at 12:29 PM