How Charlotte Bronte Uses the Different Houses in Jane Eyre

How Charlotte Bronte Uses the Different Houses in Jane Eyre

In the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte uses different locations in

particular different houses to produce a structural base for the story

and to provide a basis for Jane’s progression through life and the

changes she experiences. The houses are a background to the plot of

Jane Eyre that is the evolution of Jane from lonely orphan at

Gateshead into an established and well-developed character at Ferndean

who is Mr Rochester’s equal. Throughout the story Jane lives in many

houses all that are different in certain aspects but in some aspects

they are similar. One such aspect is that all the houses have a

dominant male in Gateshead it is John Read in Lowood it is Mr

Brocklehurst and at Thornfield even though she is equal to Mr

Rochester when they are alone when guests are present she must then

observe the social hierarchy which means Mr Rochester is dominant over

Jane.

Another similarity is that in each of different and contrasting houses

there is always an over all feeling of Jane being trapped and

constrained inside their walls. Jane is always fighting against the

dominant males in the houses as seen when she encounters John Reed and

calls him a murderer. She always rebels against the dominant male in

the household until she meets Rochester who is not only the dominant

male but also a kind and loving person. Apart from the dominant male

in each house there is also a kind guide such as Bessie in Gateshead

and Miss Temple in Lowood. There is one exception and this is in

Thornfield where Mr Rochester is both the dominant male and kind

presence in the house. In Jane Eyre houses play an important part in

shaping and forming the structure of the nov...

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...gainst the mystery

of Grace Poole and her connection to Mr Rochester. Unlike her stay at

Gateshead she is allowed both a social position as a governess and

respect member of the house her personal situation with Mr Rochester.

Since Jane is a governess and is not of the higher class that Mr

Rochester is from. She cannot appear to be involved with him but this

only when outsiders arrive. This also represents that Jane is not

rebelling against the hypocrisy with Mr Rochester because if she were

then she would not observe the social hierarchy.

Like all the places Jane has lived in so far Thornfield does supply

the amount of freedom that Jane would like. She is still trapped in to

certain degree and she longs for something more. She wants just a bit

more freedom but she cannot get that at Thornfield at the time she is

there.

The only place in Thornfield