Editor's Choice

In Jane Eyre, why does the author use the color red for the punishment room?

Quick answer:

The use of the color red in the punishment room symbolizes Jane's intense emotions and the injustices she faces in the Reed household. It reflects her turmoil, anger, and fear, especially since the room is associated with her uncle's death, adding a gothic element to the story. The red room, with its oppressive atmosphere and isolation, highlights Jane's marginalization and the harsh treatment she endures, enhancing the novel's mood and themes of injustice and passion.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

The color red also symbolizes the avalanche of tempestuous emotions engendered by the injustices in the Reed household.

Jane, of course, is the target of such injustice. As she contemplates her predicament in the red room, Jane reveals the depth of her turmoil, anguish, and mortification.

For her part, Jane is burdened beyond endurance. Her cousins, who exhibit any number of seemingly crude behaviors, are cherished, indulged, and praised. John, the eldest, torments the animals and mistreats his own mother. Yet, he is revered and given every privilege a young boy could ask.

Meanwhile, Jane, who strives to please, is treated with contempt and disregard. She is marginalized, persecuted, and abused on a daily basis. When she tries to protect herself against John's blows, she is subject to "general opprobrium."

The scarlet furnishings of the red room complement Jane's tumultuous emotions and indignant, righteous anger at the treatment she...

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

is subjected to. When Mrs. Reed consigns her an extra hour in the red room, Jane loses all semblance of control. She is terrified that she will be visited by Mr. Reed's ghost.

For her part, Mrs. Reed is not at all sympathetic to Jane's predicament. The ugly atmosphere in the home is perfectly encapsulated in the red room: Mrs. Reed and her children are responsible for all of the horrors that Jane has had to endure in the household.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

The color red is used to contribute to the gothic mood of the book.

When Jane finally decides to fight back against her bullying cousin John, she is described as “picture of passion.”  She is sent to the red-room to separate her from the others, and so she can cool down.  Jane hates the red-room because it is little used and frightening.

This room was chill, because it seldom had a fire; it was silent, because remote from the nursery and kitchens; solemn, because it was known to be so seldom entered. (ch 2)

One of the reasons Jane is afraid of the room is that when her uncle died he was laid to rest there, giving the room an even ghastlier feel.  This and the overabundance of red in the room, as well as the stately furniture, contributes to the gothic mood of the book.

Approved by eNotes Editorial