preview

How Does Charlotte Bronte Use Bird Imagery In Jane Eyre

Good Essays

Jane Eyre was one of the most revolutionary and evocative novels of the 1800’s. Written by Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, unlike previous Victorian novels, rejects the typical beautiful heroine and write a more relatable female protagonist that exemplifies her morals and wit over her looks. Like a bird’s song, Jane’s beauty come from within. Jane Eyre increases intrigue by the illustrious uses of imagery throughout the book. The most prominent being the utilization of bird imagery to illustrate Jane’s life, thoughts, and relationships with other people. By comparing Jane to birds such as sparrows and doves and additional characters to birds as well, elucidate the significance and eloquence of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane.

Charlotte Bronte created …show more content…

While still governess at Thornfield, Mr. Rochester is shown Jane’s various art pieces, the first being a scene depicting the chaotic ocean with a cormorant with a gold bracelet in its mouth sunken perched on the mast of a sunken ship. The turbulent sea is an allusion to Rochester’s wife Bertha Mason and the sunken ship represents Jane and Rochester’s ill-fated love that would be overcome by the violence of Bertha’s presence. Rochester can also be compared to the cormorant for he steals a most beautiful treasure as well, Jane’s heart. Rochester was able to still rescue and preserve Jane’s heart at the end of the story after Bertha’s …show more content…

The giant chestnut tree is struck by lightening and splits in half. This seems to foreshadow the forthcoming seperation of Jane and Rochester. Jane comments on the tree once again, "you will never have green leaves more – never more see birds making nests and singing idylls in your boughs; the time pleasure and love is over with you;" (274; ch.25). Jane makes notice that birds will never live there again or consider it home. This is significant because neither Jane and Rochester end up living at Thornfield. After the fire at Thornfield, Rochester moves to Ferndean Manor where Jane eventually accompanies

Get Access