Gothic Elements of Jane Eyre by Emily Bronte

Gothic Elements of Jane Eyre by Emily Bronte

The term 'Gothic' was popularly used in the late 18th century and

throughout the 19th century and came to mean 'wild' or 'barbaric'. It

was used to describe a distinct style of literature, which, in

contrast to the strict moral codes of the time, allowed the author to

introduce a novel full of wildness, passion and fantasy and to thrill

their readers with tales of supernatural events and forbidden love.

Gothic novels were often set in mysterious castles or remote, sinister

mansions and involved a stereotypical hero, heroine, villain and

monster. Using this definition as a comparison, we can see that the

novel 'Jane Eyre' contains many Gothic features, although Charlotte

Brontë did not intend to merely write another Gothic fantasy. Brontë

had a deeper meaning and message to convey, one that reflected the

circumstances and experiences of her own life and her frustration with

the constraints of class and social status. Brontë included Gothic

elements to ensure the ideas reached the maximum audience possible,

although some of the Gothic aspects are essential to the plot.

Throughout the novel Brontë uses a wide variety of Gothic settings.

One of the most prominent and traditionally Gothic is that of

Thornfield manor. It conforms to the idea of 'romantic isolation' as

Jane says: "I was a mile from Thornfield. Far and wide, on each side,

there were only fields. Hay was yet a mile distant." This gives a

sense of spatial distance and remoteness and isolates Thornfield from

the outside world. The very name of the place comprising the word

"Thorn" implies that this will be a difficult house in w...

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...re' is associated. Mr.

Rochester is flawed in his unattractiveness, surly manner and

undesirable marital situation; and Jane is also flawed in her physical

undesirability; and by her outspoken and frank nature; which was not

regarded as a good quality for a woman to have. However, with the

inclusion of many Gothic themes that become an essential part of the

plot, for example Thornfield's loneliness and the idea of Bertha being

portrayed as a 'monster', Brontë managed to persuade readers that

'Jane Eyre' was in fact of the Gothic genre. In doing so she thus

secured as wide an audience as possible to whom she could convey her

controversial ideas and wishes through the character of Jane, who only

finds peace within her life when she meets a man that sees her as an

equal, and, by the end of the novel, even depends on her.