The theme of "escape" or its opposite, imprisonment, is pretty dominant in Jane Eyre. Here are some examples:
Jane, at the beginning of the book, enforces a kind of self-imprisonment by hiding in the window seat from John Reed; later, as a result of being "found out" she is imprisoned in the Red Room. She enacts her "escape" from Gateshead by terrorizing Mrs. Reed and getting sent to Lowood. Lowood is another kind of imprisonment, one...
The theme of "escape" or its opposite, imprisonment, is pretty dominant in Jane Eyre. Here are some examples:
Jane, at the beginning of the book, enforces a kind of self-imprisonment by hiding in the window seat from John Reed; later, as a result of being "found out" she is imprisoned in the Red Room. She enacts her "escape" from Gateshead by terrorizing Mrs. Reed and getting sent to Lowood. Lowood is another kind of imprisonment, one which Jane is able to escape by advertising for a position as a governess.
Rochester is imprisoned by his marriage to Bertha. He looks to Jane as a way of escaping Bertha; her goodness will excuse his abandonment of Bertha, although Jane leaves him when she finds out the truth of his marriage.
Bertha, of course, is physically imprisoned in the attic, and metaphorically imprisoned by her illness; her physical escape comes from the fire at Thornfield, and her symbolic escape comes when death releases her from insanity.
Jane, for her part, thinks Thornfield is a haven at first, but it turns into a prison when she finds out about Bertha. Her escape this time comes from running away, but her place of safety, Moor House, becomes another kind of prison, through the influence of St. John. Jane's escape this time is brought by Rochester, or his voice, which she miraculously hears calling her name at the moment when she must decide whether to marry St. John or not.
In fact, the whole novel can be seen as a pattern of imprisonments and escapes!
Comments
Post a Comment