The settings in “Jane Eyre” are not just mere backdrops; they are integral to the narrative, playing a significant role in establishing the mood, reflecting themes, and mirroring the internal states of the characters, particularly Jane herself. Let’s explore how settings, with a special emphasis on Thornfield Hall, contribute to the novel:
- Gateshead: Jane’s early life at Gateshead establishes her initial state of oppression, loneliness, and maltreatment. The red-room, where young Jane is locked up, symbolizes her emotional and physical confinement. The darkness and coldness of the room set a tone of gothic horror and represent her feelings of isolation.
- Lowood School: The grim and austere environment of Lowood School reflects the strict discipline and harsh conditions the girls face. The cold, barren, and sometimes deadly setting (evidenced by the typhus outbreak) represents the challenges Jane must overcome in her formative years.
- Thornfield Hall:
- Mood: Thornfield is described with a mix of grandeur and mystery. Its vastness, hidden rooms, and occasional eerie laughter give the mansion a gothic and mysterious ambiance, adding layers of suspense.
- Themes: Thornfield represents both danger and sanctuary for Jane. While it is a place where she finds love and a sense of belonging, it also hides dark secrets, most notably Bertha Mason, the “madwoman in the attic”. The mansion’s eventual burning by Bertha can be seen as a symbolic purging of Rochester’s sins and the societal constraints that bound both him and Jane.
- Internal State: Jane’s fluctuating feelings of love, doubt, joy, and betrayal at Thornfield mirror the mansion’s duality of beauty and mystery.
- The Moors and Marsh End (Moor House): After fleeing Thornfield, the desolate moors symbolize Jane’s feelings of despair and isolation. However, Marsh End or Moor House, where she finds refuge with the Rivers family, signifies a turning point towards familial connection and self-discovery. The austere and rugged beauty of the moors reflects Jane’s own strength and resilience.
- Ferndean: The final setting in the novel where Jane and Rochester reunite is described as secluded and somewhat gloomy but surrounded by nature. It’s removed from the societal norms and constraints represented by the grandeur of Thornfield. Their life here signifies a return to basics, with love and understanding as the foundation, devoid of societal pretensions.
Throughout the narrative, Charlotte Brontë masterfully uses settings not only to create atmospheric moods but also to delve deeper into the psychological and emotional states of the characters. The progression from Gateshead to Ferndean charts Jane’s journey from confinement to freedom, from isolation to love, and from oppression to self-realization.