Imagery of Fire and Water in Jane Eyre

White 1358151 1 Kristine White Victorian Materialities 23/06/2014 Imagery of Fire and Water in Jane Eyre In her novel, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë sets an underlying theme for her entire novel from the very first page, when a young Jane is reading Bewick’s History of British Birds while sitting in a window seat with "folds of scarlet drapery e losi g he f o the ight a d clear panes of glass, protecting, but not separating [her] from the drear November day" at Gateshead Hall (Brontë 1). The cold and wet window is juxtaposed with the fiery red of the curtains and sets up the underlying theme of fire and water, which runs all the way through the novel. According to Eric Solomon, the t o i ages are so pervasive that they serve as a substructure for the entire novel: fire and water – and their extremes, the flames of lust and the i e of i diffe e e 216). Going further than Solomon, fire and water are the two sides of the character of Jane, and they strengthen and weaken in Jane depending on location and the characters around her. She is an absorbent personality, who is influenced by these dominant tropes that lie within certain characters of the novel – but she is never fully controlled by any of them. It is this duality within her that allows her to escape both extremes, the fiery Edward Rochester and the ice-cold St. John ‘i e s, a d to fi all la d i a golde et ee the fla es of passio a d the ate s of pu e easo “olo o ea . These images of fire and water represent the five different locations within the novel, the different characters and their personalities, and are objects used to set mood as well as symbolize religious and psychological depths within the novel. White 1358151 2 Because the novel is setup as an autobiography told in past tense, the narrator is able to look back on her journey and use certain tropes to express emotions and abstract ideas that carry throughout the entire novel. In his a ti le o Thi g Theo , Bill Brown tells the reader to look at the objects used in a piece of literature and find what is excessive in objects, as what exceeds their mere materialization as objects or their mere utilization as objects – their force as a sensuous presence, the magic by which o je ts e o e alues, fetishes, idols, a d tote B o n 5). Two major opposing objects in Jane Eyre is the use of fire and water. In The Elizabethan World Picture, E. M. W. Tillyard explains the Elizabethan concept of the four elements and their relation to ea h othe . A o di g to Till a d, the ele e ts e e thought th ough thei effe ts (56), and fire and water were opposing elements. Fire has the qualities of hot and dry, while water has the qualities of cold and moist. In describing personalities, if a person is dominated by the water element, or is phlegmatic, his or her pe so alit is elie ed to e asso iated ith a al , stolid, o apatheti te pe a e t (Knowles). Conversely, if o e s personality is dominated by the fire element, or is choleric, he or she is elie ed to be associated with a peevish o i as i le te pe a e t K o les . Even though Charlotte Brontë is writing this novel during the Victorian Era, she sets up these opposing elements and uses them consistently with the Elizabethan concepts to entertain character attributes, psychological states, religious connotations, and environmental qualities pertaining to the five locations in the novel. These objects provide a functional use to carry the story and characters along as well as manifest associations with emotions, showing ho the thi g eall particular subject-o je t elatio Bo a es less a o je t tha a . It is Ja e s ha a te espe iall that contains both of these elements and gi es the ook its u it , ut that pe so alit White 1358151 3 echoed in her account of all she sees, feels and imagines in relation to the world around he Duthie . Rochester is the element of fire and passion, and St. John Rivers is the element of water – namely ice – and is pure reason, logic, and religion. It is Jane that holds the key to these opposing elements. In containing both of these elements within herself, she is the most dynamic character and, thus, a true heroine. By reading the novel with the intention of noting the uses of fire and water in their different formats – such as, fireplaces, candles, open flames, rain, rivers, wash bowls, and ice – and also paying attention to the symbolic quality to these elements, certain trends begin to arise. One notable trend is the increase and decrease of each element within the o el s characters and locations. By marking the use of each element by location, one can visually see how Brontë uses these themes per location. The above graph reveals that, in most locations, one element has a stronger association with each place, and, interestingly, Thornfield Hall has the most extreme contrast. It is at Thornfield that passion and fire reign supreme. This motif is also most referenced at Thornfield even though Jane spent the least amount of time at this location; still, it is the White 1358151 4 central location of her autobiography and is the location where emotions were strongest. Gateshead Hall, the o el s fi st lo atio , is the ho e of Ja e s au t, Mrs. Reed, who is forced to provide for the orphaned Jane. During the time of her narration, Jane resides there during the fall and early winter, and the weather is cold, wet, and dreary. Being loathed by Mrs. Reed and her children, Jane is an outsider in this hostile home and is a victim of the abusive son, John Reed. With the inaugural scene of the window seat, it is in Gateshead that the theme of fire and water is set as she reads a ou ts of Lapla d, “i e ia, “pitz e ge , No a )e la, I ela d, G ee la d . Ho e e , su h pla es ei fo e o e of the the es of the novel concerning ho i e a d fi e ep ese t t o aspe ts of Ja e s self, a d the ook the efo e efle ts Ja e s se se of e otio al isolatio . (Smith 77) As a passionate outcast exemplifying fire, Jane is juxtaposed against the coldness of the Reed family and their staff – with the exception of the maid, Bessie. Jane comes to physical blows with John Reed and is punished by being locked up in the red-room. The red-room is described in great detail with the contrast details of white: A bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask, stood out like a tabernacle in the centre; the two large windows, with their blinds always drawn down, was half shrouded in festoons and falls of similar drapery; the carpet was red; the table at the foot of the bed was covered with a crimson cloth; the walls were a soft fawn colour with a blush of pink tint; the wardrobe, the toilet-table, the White 1358151 5 chairs were of darkly polished old mahogany. Out of these deep surrounding shades rose high, and glared white, the piled-up mattresses and pillows of the bed, spread with a snowy Marseilles counterpane. Scarcely less prominent was an ample cushioned easy-chair near the head of the bed, also white, with a footstool before it; and looking, as I thought, like a pale throne. (Brontë 5) Later in the novel, this room will be set in contrast to the drawing room at Thornfield, where the room is in white with red accents. Locked up in the cold and unused redroom, Jane begins her incarceration too heated by the injustice of the punishment to think a out he su ou di gs, ut as he ood fell da p o the e e s of de a i g i e Brontë 6), her fear took control of her thoughts. Interestingly, Brontë describes Ja e s out age at the i justi e of he pu ish e t ith e e s a d i e , which rhymes ith fi e, fu the asso iati g the passio ate side of Ja e s ha a te ithi Gateshead, and yet, she is able to calm herself eventually eluding to the rational side of her psyche. Using a Gothic trope, Jane mentions Mr. Reed had died in this room and is said to haunt the place. When Jane imagines seeing a light floating around the darkened room, she first attributes to moon, but as it dances across the wall, she associates it with a ghost and creates a scene of terror that rouses the house. There is no pity for her there, and she is thrust back into the room without ceremony and promptly faints. In future scenes, Jane often fights against the idea of being caged or locked up and is always wanting to go beyond the horizon she is currently surveying. Later at Thornfield, this scene will parallel with the incarceration of Bertha Mason, the icy ghost of Mr. Reed will contrast ith the fie hau ti gs of Be tha. After the episode in the red- oo , Ja e s White 1358151 6 passionate nature can no longer be endured at Gateshead. Her aunt decides to send her to Lowood Institution and symbolically wash her hands of her. For the next eight years, six years as a student and two as a teacher, Jane survives Lowood. She arrives at Lowood in the winter, and it is bitterly cold. In the course of her narration, Jane observes an episode where the students of Lowood were unable to fulfil their morning regimen of washing, due to the ate i the pit he s [being] f oze Brontë 30). Christianity plays a major role in the atmosphere at Lowood, and wintry Sundays are especially brutal walking two miles in the cold and sitting in the icy church during the morning service. They would stay there through the afternoon service and then walk the t o o e a a ge of s o su iles a k to Lo ood i the itte i te its to the o th, al ost fla ed the ski f o i d, lo i g ou fa es (Brontë 36). Upon arrival, the girls would gather around the fireplace for warmth, but it was denied to the younger ones, who were pushed out by the bigger and older girls. It was not a place that promoted charity, but a place of individual survival. The girls were given a minimal amount of food and clothing and were chastised and physically punished for something as trivial as their drawer being dishevelled. With the help of her young friend, Helen Burns, and her teacher, Miss Temple, it is in the icy reserve of Lowood that Jane learns to temper and control her passionate nature. Miss Temple invites Jane and Helen to tea in her room one evening. The scene is cosy a d a efo e Miss Te ple s hee ful a d good fi e Brontë 43). Here, Jane finds kindred spirits and kindness at Lowood. Interestingly, the young friend who helps Jane learn to survive the iciness and austerity of Lowood is aptly named Helen Burns. According to A Dictionary of First Names, the origin of the name Helen is uncertain, White 1358151 ho e e hēlios su it 7 a e o e ted ith a o d ea i g a o su ea o pa e G eek Ha ks, Ha d astle a d Hodges . As her last name would signify, Hele s light burned brightly in Lowood, and Helen promoted faith in God for strength, which plays on the verse in Matthew 5:16, let ou light so shi e efo e see your good works, and glorify your Fathe hi h is i hea e e , that they may King James Version). Ja e ould ot full g asp Hele s u i g faith a d o se es, "still I felt that Helen Burns considered things by a light invisible to my eyes" (Brontë 33). While Jane was drawn to Helen and her words of wisdom, Helen s od could not survive the frigidity of Lowood nor her passionate faith the ascetic religion of Lowood, and she died in the early years of Ja e s ti e at Lo ood from consumption. Ja e s passio ate fire helped sustain her during this time, and even allowed her to survive an epidemic of typhus that came with the fog (a combination of the elements water and air) that surrounded Lowood and the unsanitary conditions of the maintenance at Lowood: The unhealthy nature of the site; the quantity and quality of the children's food; the brackish, fetid water used in its preparation; the pupils' wretched clothing and accommodations - all these things were discovered, and the discovery produced a result mortifying to Mr. Brocklehurst, but beneficial to the institution. (Brontë 51) Due to the epidemic, light is shed on the austere conditions at Lowood, and the place, though never warm, becomes more bearable and sanitary. Jane obtains a good education, which allows her to be an independent woman and provide a means for her survival in the trials to come. Jane mentions her favourite spot at Lowood to be a smooth and broad stone, rising white and dry from the very middle of the beck, and only White 1358151 8 to be got at by wading through the water; a feat I accomplished barefoot" (Brontë 48). At Lowood, she learns to develop the water element within herself, which is tied to reason and religion within the novel. At the age of eighteen, Jane leaves Lowood to become a governess at Thornfield, seeking a new environment and adventure. At this point in the novel, Jane has fo ed the two opposing methods of fighting injustice – by aggression [fire] and by submission [water] – that ill o ti ue to attle ithi he i d “olo o 215). It is at Thornfield that her passionate side is rekindled in the love story unfolding between her and Edward Rochester. The ele e t of fi e is at its st o gest at Tho field ith its hee fi es a d warmer climate. There is still the element of water in the rain and ice on the road in winter, but the climate is much warmer than both Gateshead and Lowood. Thornfield Hall is owned by Edward Rochester, who is away when Jane arrives. Mrs. Fairfax (the housekeeper), Adele Varens (‘o heste s ward), and staff are the only occupants of the estate upo Ja e s a i al. Jane is greeted by Mrs. Fairfax and is invited to sit before her hee ful fi e Brontë 60) to warm herself after her long journey to Thornfield. Both the a th of the fi e a d M s. Fai fa s g eeti g efo e it set the to e of Ja e s ti e at Thornfield. Jane quickly finds her home there and begins to care for the occupants of the house. The rooms are warm and inviting, with pastoral grounds that make up the landscape around Thornfield. But it is not all idyllic, as the Gothic motif comes back into the novel via the eerie laughter and moaning heard on occasion and attributed to Grace Poole, one of the servants of the house. When Jane first meets Mr. Rochester, it is outdoors on a cold evening. Jane is sitting on a stile by the road when Rochester goes flying by on his horse, immediately White 1358151 9 slipping on a patch of ice on the road. The ice on the road before Jane is significant and opposes the fire of Mr. Rochester. Later, when Rochester and Jane have their first conversation, it is before the hearth in the drawing room. The drawing room is described in great detail and is the room decorated oppositely from the red-room at Gateshead, with white being the predominate colour and red the accent: Mounting to it by two broad steps, and looking through, I thought I caught a glimpse of a fairy place, so bright to my novice-eyes appeared the view beyond. Yet it was merely a very pretty drawing-room, and within it a boudoir, both spread with white carpets, on which seemed laid brilliant garlands of flowers; both ceiled with snowy mouldings of white grapes and vine leaves, beneath which glowed in rich contrast crimson couches and ottomans; while the ornaments on the pale Parian mantelpiece were of sparkling Bohemian glass, ruby red; and between the windows large mirrors repeated the general blending of snow and fire. (Brontë 65) Interestingly, the red-room at Gateshead is a room of fire accents in a place of iciness, and the drawing room at Thornfield is a room of icy accents in a house of fire. These two rooms are the only rooms described with such elaborate detail that it gives the reader pause considering what makes these rooms so important within the novel. Brontë could be using this to provide some balance within the each estate, or she could be promoting an ironic concept contrasting these elements with the tenants within the locations. At Thornfield, there are several conversations before a fireplace between Jane and Rochester, and it is here that the witty banter between the two begins revealing a White 1358151 10 mental equality between them. Jane is reserved and logical, but Rochester is able to draw flashes of passion and romantic imagination out of Jane, which is revealed most explicitly in the perusal of her paintings. The dichotomy of her personality intrigues Rochester. Much of their personalities are revealed before the heat of the hearth, and their love for each other kindles. In another scene, Rochester invites guests to Thornfield and disguises himself as an old gypsy woman who has come to tell the fortunes of the young and single ladies of the house. He places himself before a blazing fire that casts his face into shadow under a large hat. Jane is able to maintain her logic and reserve before this gypsy, but objects when the gypsy commands her to kneel before her close to the fire saying, Do t keep e lo g; the fi e s o hes e Brontë 126). Jane is uncomfortable under the piercing gaze of the transvestite Rochester. The reasonable Jane knows that this woman is farce, and her revelations are not mystical. However, it is the pe et ati g o se atio s of the g ps s o e ts that ha e he u eas e eali g her passion for Rochester. Withi the fi st se te e of the g ps s o se atio s lose to the fi e, she uses fi e a d ate ele e ts to Ja e s eadi g, the fla e fli ke s i the e e; the e e shi es like de Brontë 126). Within the final reading, Rochester changes his gypsy voice into his own revealing his true identity to Jane and letting her in on the hoax. On the night Rochester proposes to Jane, which is set outdoors underneath a horse chestnut tree, both elements are manifested in the weather the moment they declare their love for each other and vow to be married. Unbeknownst to Jane, Rochester is already married, and the weather foreshadows the inevitable fate of their union: White 1358151 11 But what had befallen the night? The moon was not yet set, and we were all in shadow: I could scarcely see aste s fa e, ea as I as. And what ailed the chestnut tree? it writhed and groaned; while wind roared in the laurel walk, and came sweeping over us. […] but a livid, vivid spark leapt out of a cloud at which I was looking, and there was a crack, a crash, and a close rattling peal; and I thought only of hiding my dazzled eyes agai st M . ‘o heste s shoulde . The rain rushed down (Brontë 163). In a perfect display of both fire and water, the lightning severs the chestnut tree in two, and the rain is there to keep the tree from igniting, which would completely destroy the tree. As the horse chestnut is a symbol of the union of Rochester and Jane, the fact that the rain saves it from burning is significant. Though forever changed, the tree still stands. Similarly, while Jane and Rochester must separate for a time, their love is not completely destroyed. Fires are not limited to the fireplace at Thornfield. Whe M . ‘o heste s ed is set on fire one night in his sleep, Jane rescues him by drenching him in water. This is a preparatory parallel to the lightning striking the horse chestnut tree. In this moment, Rochester becomes in debt to Jane for his life. U k o to Ja e, it as ‘o heste s ad wife, Bertha Mason, who set his bed on fire and is told it is Grace Poole. Later, Jane is not there to rescue him when Bertha successfully sets fire to Thornfield Hall and perishes in her flames, permanently disfiguring Rochester and reducing Thornfield to ruins. Jane is forced to flee Thornfield when the truth of Bertha is revealed, because Rochester tempts her to stay living in a bigamous relationship. While the passionate side of Jane is tempted, her rationality prevails and will not allow her to forsake her honour White 1358151 12 for anyone, not even Rochester, and she runs as far away as her small savings will allow her out onto the moors. Moor House is the home of St. John Rivers and his two sisters, Diana and Mary, and is the place of escape and refuge for Jane after fleeing Thornfield. Nearly dead from starvation and exposure out on the moors, Jane is reduced to begging for her life and is saved by the Rivers family. Readers must note the importance: she is given sanctuary from a torrential rainstorm by a family with the last name Rivers. Clearly, water is the predominate element of this location. Rain and snow are the mentioned weather out on the moor, a d eligio agai o es i to Ja e s life i the fo of “t. Joh . Diana and Mary are happy companions during this time, but they are not permanent residents as they, too, are governesses and must leave in order to make their own means in the world. Jane takes on a job as school mistress in Morton, which is where Moore House resides. While she is fulfilled in her teaching and independent vocation, her skills are not being used to their full potential as she is teaching country girls. When St. John asks her hat she ill do ith said skills, she hu a ted. The l eplies that she ill sa e the till the a e ill keep Brontë 228). Eventually, Jane learns that her uncle has willed his entire estate to Jane, and she is now rich. Even more important to Jane, she discovers that the Rivers family are actually her cousins. She splits her inheritance among all three siblings and endeavours to have Diana and Mary brought back home. An old a d egle ted pla e, Moo House is i eed of e o atio a d a lea do (Brontë 251), which is exactly what Jane accomplishes when she comes into her inheritance. With the family servant, Hannah, she cleans the house from the top to the bottom, adds furnishings and carpets, and adds coals to the peat fires enhancing the fires in the house. The renovations and charm brought warmth to Diana, Mary, and White 1358151 13 Hannah but was unable to penetrate the coldness of St. John. Mentally, Jane thrives ith the ‘i e s fa il , fi st lea i g Ge a a d late lea i g Hi dosta ee (Brontë 255), but these improvements on her mind are diminished in the ascetic control St. John seems to have over Jane. The iciness of St. John is discussed to a significant degree while she resides there, and St. John s first loveless and pragmatic proposal to Jane is beside a stream keeping with the theme of the water element that prevails at Moor House. Jane feels stifled by his austerity and again is forced to flee with the aid of a supernatural force on the wind in order to save herself from a loveless marriage. Ferndean is both the final location of the novel and the place of escape for the deformed Rochester when Thornfield is reduced to ashes. A sad, old, and solitary place hidden by dense woods, Rochester exists on candles and fires that are neglected just as Ferndean has been neglected with its sparse furnishings and its isolation from society. Rochester hides himself away at Ferndean, because just as Ferndean is a wreck of a place, ‘o heste e uati g hi self ith the old light i g-st u k hest ut t ee a d des i i g hi self as a ui B o të . The a ato does ot go i to u h detail about the inside of Ferndean only mentioning how sparsely furnished it is and that there are only two or three rooms. The fire was died out when Jane went in to greet Rochester for the first time, and she sets out to stoke its embers. Jane is the one that comes who brings light back into Rochester s life, because, as she notes, "his countenance reminded one of a lamp quenched, waiting to be re-lit—and alas! it was not himself that could now kindle the lustre of animated expression: he was dependent on another for that office!" (Brontë 282). Because the home is so dismal, they spend the majority of their time outside in nature taking themselves away from the gloom of Ferndean. It is the White 1358151 14 wildness of nature that symbolizes their permissible love and not the walls of a place, because there are no longer any obstacles to their love. Jane Eyre can be sectioned into five different stages of the narrator s jou e that aligns with the five different locations where Jane progresses. I Jane Eyre the five different settings represent no random selection but planned and meaningful p og essio Duthie , and these are exemplified in the way Brontë describes the types of fireplaces in the different locations. Using this device is a clear way that Brontë reveals this progression is to set up certain atmospheric and emotional concentrations within the five different locations in the novel. In each place, Brontë sets up these locations by her observations of the types of fires in the fireplaces, and, in all five of these locations, important conversations between Jane and the dominating occupants of each location occur before a hearth. In Gateshead, the fires are rarely mentioned and are usually dying out, promoting the coolness of the people living within the home and the isolation Jane feels as an outsider. What little fire that is within the Reed family and their staff is suffocated and dwindling. At Lowood Institution, the only heat is from the fireplaces, but they only penetrate a few feet from their source. No fire can truly pierce the coldness and asceticism of Lowood, and it is here that Jane learns to control her own passions not allowing them to conquer logic and reason. In great contrast to Gateshead and Lowood, Brontë describes the fires in the fireplaces of Thornfield as ge ial , a d supe hee ful , . The des iptio of these fi es pla s o the idea of the passion that emanated from the tenants of Thornfield, namely Edward Rochester and Bertha Mason, but also, plays on the feelings of Jane while residing there. In Moor House, the fires e e ot as hee ful ut fu tio al as the used peat, dried partly decomposed vegetation, to make their fires. The functional fires correlated with St. John White 1358151 15 Rivers who was all logic and usability. The peat can also reflect the fact that it was here in Morton that she found herself being valued for her work and was able to truly be independent of anyone. She was standing on her own and though the passionate side of herself was dwindling in the iciness of St. John, she still found solace in her abilities being valued. When Jane came into her inheritance, one of the first projects was adding coals to the peat i the fi es to keep good fi es i e e oo B o të , i gi g so e of her heat and passion into the place, and in the end, it was this passion that helped her to de “t. Joh s p oposal sta di g fi i he o i depe de e. When Jane gets to Ferndean, she reflects that the scarred and broken Rochester is reflected in the few a dles lighti g his oo a d the egle ted ha dful of fi e u t lo i the g ate (Brontë 278). Jane stokes the fire, bringing more light into the room. Simultaneously, she is stoking the fire within Rochester with her own controlled flames, bringing back light and passion into his life. Within each location, Brontë uses fireplaces to comment on the environment inside of the houses, giving the reader the essence of the tenants and the emotions of the narrator while residing in each location. Within the novel, religion plays a part in the telling of the story, which, according to John Maynard, is understandable and even inevitable as e e o e of the ge e atio of famous [Brontë] writers, was afflicted with the same curse, to be born a child of a clergyman. Religion was not something they could choose to bring more or less into their lives: it was at the centre of co e s a d li elihood 195). Religion can be explicitly found in Mr. Brocklehurst, Lowood Institution, Helen Burns, and St. John Rivers. In the forms of Mr. Brocklehurst, Lowood, and, to some degree, St. John, this association with religion is typically negative with the emphasis on legalism and stoicism. Hele Bu s is a positi e light i Ja e s life, a d she has a passio ate lo e for God, but it White 1358151 16 also makes her a martyr and she must die. Ja e e p esses ad i atio fo “t. Joh s dete i ed faith sa i g, he as of the ate ial f o hi h atu e he s he he oes (Brontë 253) and ends the novel with an update on his life, but it his strength that she admires and not the God he serves. Ja e elies o he o st e gth athe tha God s i establishing her independent nature, and, when she does allude to a supernatural force aidi g he , the fo e is usuall alte ati e eligious e e gies fe ale, o paga a d fe ale eligio up efo e God i he lo e fo hi eatu e: of ho I had o i g to a ds paga (Maynard 196). Jane admits to setting Rochester a d she could not, in those days, see God for His ade a idol Brontë 176). Even with the negative religious connotations, Brontë uses a strong biblical trope in the form of baptism. In their separation, both Rochester and Jane go through a form of baptism by the opposing elements. Rochester is humbled by his wife, Bertha, through a baptism by fire. I Be tha s fi st fi e atte pt, Ja e as the e to sa e ‘o heste putti g the fi e out ith ate . Ho e e , Ja e is ot e uipped to sa e ‘o heste a d tells hi so I a ot a a gel, I asse ted; a d I ill ot e o e till I die: I ill e myself. Mr. Rochester, you must neither expect o e a t a thi g elestial of e (Brontë 166). It is the fire brought on by Bertha that must purify and save him. Mentioned in Luke 3:16-17, he shall aptize ou ith the Hol Ghost a d ith fi e: whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the heat i to his ga e ; ut the haff he ill u ith fi e u ue ha le . The o deal fi e th ough hi h he has to pass th ough is spi itual as ell as ph si al Duthie ‘o heste is efi ed . efi e s fi e Mala hi : , i the second fire set by Bertha Mason, and in the end, it is the scarred, disfigured, and humbled Rochester that prays to the Lord, thanking him for bringing Jane back to him. ‘o heste s hu le faith o t asts White 1358151 17 significantly from the stoic and reserved faith of St. John who does not allow any e otio i to his faith. I te esti gl , ‘o heste s aptism renders him pious much like Helen Burns, but outside of the asceticism of organized religion as faith has a place in the heart of the individual. I o t ast of ‘o heste s fi e aptis , Jane s aptis is of ate , although it does not manifest the same kind of change within her as ‘o heste s aptis does i him, just as within the Bible, a water baptism has no saving grace. When Jane finds out that Rochester is already married to Bertha and, therefore, that her own marriage cannot take place, she locks herself in her room. Here, her emotional state is described as a submersion of water: My eyes were covered and closed: eddying darkness seemed to swim round me, and reflection came in as black and confused a flow. Selfabandoned, relaxed, and effortless, I seemed to have laid me down in the dried-up bed of a great river; I heard a flood loosened in remote mountains, and felt the torrent come: to rise I had no will, to flee I had no strength. I lay faint, longing to be dead. One idea only still throbbed lifelike within me—a remembrance of God: it begot an unuttered prayer: these words went wandering up and down in my rayless mind, as something that should be whispered, but no energy was found to express them— Be ot fa f o e, fo t ou le is ea : the e is o e to help. It was near: and as I had lifted no petition to Heaven to avert it—as I had neither joined my hands, nor bent my knees, nor moved my lips—it came: in full heavy swing the torrent poured over me. The whole consciousness White 1358151 18 of my life lorn, my love lost, my hope quenched, my faith death-struck, swayed full and mighty above me in one sullen mass. That bitter hour a ot e des i ed: i t uth, the ate s a e i to soul; I sa k i deep mire: I felt no standing; I came into deep waters; the floods overflowed me. (Brontë 190-191) Shortly after this time, a voice told her and gave her strength to leave Thornfield Hall. Despite her strong love for him, Jane finds the strength to leave Rochester, even as he was kneeling before her begging to stay and become his mistress. After leaving, she spends several days out on the moor, but refuses to beg for food or shelter out of pride. It is not until the rains begin that she is humbled to the point that she is forced to beg at the threshold of the ‘i e s house at the moment she sits at death s doo . This torrential rain can be read as a washing away of the contamination she obtained in the bigamous love of Rochester. In the home of the Rivers, Jane finds physical healing, shelter, and family. However, her faith is not something that strengthens or changes to any real degree. She considers becoming a missionary with St. John and is obedient to his stern observations of conduct. As a result, Jane works hard under his teachings, but when it is time for her to make a decision of whether or not to marry him, she boldly proclaims, it was my time to assume ascendency. My powers were in play and force. […] I see ed to pe et ate e ea a Might “pi it; a d soul rushed out in gratitude at His feet. I rose from the thanksgiving—took a resolve— and lay down, unscared, enlightened—eager but for the daylight. (Brontë 270) White 1358151 19 A o di g to Ma a d, this th eate s, as it does i the o ks of Tho as Ca l le, to emerge as a full-blown religion of personal will, where talk of God and use of traditional religious language merely covers a strongly asserted non- eligious desti the subversive strength of will in Jane and Brontë s pla i g ith eligious t opes. I Ja e E e: Fi e a d Wate , E i “olo o o serves the o el also sets o t ast of ha a te . In the secondary characters of Jane Eyre, there are some interesting parallels and contrasts throughout in that a phlegmatic personality is often contrasted by a choleric personality. At Gateshead Hall, Eliza Reed is a stern and pragmatic character, while her sister, Georgiana, is one of passion and insolence. Both sisters are cold in their regard for Jane. Juxtaposing these young Reed women, are the Rivers sisters. Diana is more outgoing and passionate than her more reserved sister, Mary, but they are both considerably warm and loving toward Jane. An additional parallel is found between Blanche Ingram and Rosamond Oliver. While Miss Ingram attempts to woo Mr. Rochester, she is cold and resentful to both Jane and Adele and is pointedly not in love with Rochester. Her desire for a union with him is monetary and one of social advancement. To balance this character in the novel, Miss Oliver is warm and pleasant to everyone and is genuinely in love with St. John, as he is with her, but he will not succumb to an earthly love due to his devotion to his faith and missionary goals. Finally, the cold Mrs. Reed is contrasted with the warmth of Miss Temple shown in the denial of food for Jane while locked in the red-room contrasted with the special tea Miss Temple provides Helen and Jane. In its everyday manifestations as part of the weather – rain, ice or snow – the element of water rarely plays favourable part, whether the efe e es to it a e lite al o figu ati e Duthie , however, Brontë seems to attempt to find a balance between character types within the story. White 1358151 20 While not complicated to understand, in that she is a fire element, Bertha Maso s ha a te is o plicated and socially combative in a nineteenth century novel. Brontë uses the character of Bertha to make a strong social statement on the limited options and trapped lives of women. While Be tha ep ese ts the t pe of pe so that the too passionate Jane could have become. The novel thus employs images of race in order to develop tensions between allegedly irrational and rational states (moral, sexual, and cultural), she also functions to register the dangers of female confinement within a iage “ ith . He ad ess is o t asted ith Ja e s easo a d a ilit to asse t her freedom at whatever cost. Bertha was never given this option and succumbed to her madness within marriage. Because her insanity had violent tendencies, she was locked up and hidden away. Her incarceration parallels the instance Jane was locked inside the red-room at Gateshead. Within a few of hours of confinement, Jane worked herself into a manic fit to the point that she fainted, but she was able to quit her imprisonment and was then given the skills to assert her independence. Bertha was not given these skills and spiralled down into madness, which is manifested in fire and blood – two symbols of passion. Before Jane knew who she was, following Gothic tropes, Jane describes her as the foul Ge a spe t e – the Va p e Brontë 182), by looking back to tell the story, the narrator i te p et[s] e pe ie es i a Gothi et ee Be tha a d a pi is the o ld “ ith a su h as the li k she akes […], so that the o el e o es a Gothi eade s ie of . Be tha lights ‘o heste s eddi g o fi e, a d it is Ja e that sa es him by drenching him with water, furthering the contrast of elements. But, in the second fire, the e is o Ja e to keep hi fo the sea i g, Be tha a d Tho field, a d, i o i all , put out the fie utilati g fla es that dest o glea i his e es “olo o White 1358151 21 217). I the e d, Be tha is the o e to fa ilitate ‘o heste s aptis fire, making her an instrument in his salvation and not Jane. When reading the novel and marking the association of elements to the three main characters, Edward Rochester, St. John Rivers, and Jane Eyre, there is an interesting contrast of the fiery Rochester and the iciness of St. John. Jane often o se es the fla i g a d flashi g e es Brontë 185) of Mr. Rochester, while in St. John she o se es a cold cumbrous column, gloomy and out of place (Brontë 253). The graph illustrates the elements emphasized in each character: The data takes in the environment around each character as well as actual descriptive ele e tal ha a te isti s, e ause the physical nature becomes, in Jane Eyre, the surest means by which the heroine expresses her emotional reactions to situations of widely diffe i g ki ds, a gi g f o the p osai to the poeti Duthie . Rochester has more data associated with him, as he is the do i ate fo e et ee the t o e i Ja e s life, and she is drawn to his passion more than to “t. Joh s easo . What is interesting is White 1358151 22 the almost balanced elements within Jane Eyre with only three more references to water than to fire in association with her. Rochester is not handsome, but he is filled with vitality and passion, ever the Byronic hero. Ja e s des iptio of ‘o heste he she fo all eets hi in the drawing room is very telling: I knew my traveller with his broad and jetty eyebrows; his square forehead, made squarer by the horizontal sweep of his black hair. I recognised his decisive nose, more remarkable for character than beauty; his full nostrils, denoting, I thought, choler; his grim mouth, chin, and jaw – yes, all three were very grim, and no mistake [italics added]. (Brontë 76) From the very outset, Rochester is associated with fire, and it is only appropriate that it is fire that eventually purifies him and makes him ready to marry Jane in a true union of equality that Brontë is encouraging in her novel. He alludes to his great change when he talks to Jane about his final re-transformation from India-ru e a k to flesh Brontë 83), and is eventually humbled in his baptism by fire, which makes him subservient to a financially independent Ja e i that he eeds he as his isio a d his ight ha d (Brontë 290). In contrast, St. John is handsome in appearance, but is hard and cold, often compared to ice or marble. When Jane first takes in his appearance, she is complimentary of his looks describing him with Grecian-like features, yet upon first i p essio s the e was something about his nostril, his mouth, his brow, which to my perceptions, indicated elements within either restless, or hard, or eager Brontë 221). These des ipti e ele e ts o espo d ith the des iptio of a phleg ati ha a te White 1358151 23 according to Tillyard. He will later describe himself as a cold hard man Brontë 241) when he talks to Jane about denying his love for Rosamond and pursuing his duty to go to India as a missionary. Brontë uses figurative references to the ambivalent splendour of snow and ice, majestic but cold, are used with telling effect to evoke the fanatical as eti is of “t. Joh ‘i e s Duthie . Furthering the contrast of St. John and Rochester, is the name Brontë used for St. John Rivers. In giving him the last name, Rivers , she is stressing the element of water in his character. His first name, St. John, is most probably named after John the Baptist of the New Testament, who came before Christ and baptized believers and Jesus Christ, himself, with water consecrating them for the od of Ch ist. “t. Joh s ese ed a d stoi pe so alit is the i o i as Joh the Baptist was highly passionate in his zeal for God. In contrast, St. John puts i e i [his] uestio s , his a ge is like a fall of a ala he , a d his displeasu e is like the eaki g up of the f oze sea Brontë 265). However, it is the Rivers family that save Jane from drowning in her baptism by water. I Ja e s pe so alit , e see the ul i atio of oth ele e ts of fi e a d ate . The novel is her progression of character mediated through the five locations in which she esides, as the ha ge of setti g hi h a o pa ies ea h e stage i the a tio is esse tial to the po t a al of the he oi e s de elop e t Duthie . At Gateshead, she learns that she has a passionate nature, but this passion is met with futility and isolation. While she is able to get her passions under control, the fire inside of her is still the prevailing element. At Lowood, she is taught how to control her passions and allow reason and conscience to rein supreme. In Lowood, logic and reason are so prevailing that the passion within her seems almost died out, but while Jane is an absorbent character, she is still balanced within herself, and the appropriate element takes control White 1358151 24 when it is needed, much like her skills that she puts aside in Morton. It is in these two locations set during her early stages of development that she is provided the understanding and means to survive whatever trials come her way and more importantly to maintain her independence. What these two elements within her reveals is that Jane is adaptable, even malleable, which is visibly recognized when graphed looking at the associations with Jane across the first four locations: Interestingly, by the time Jane is at Ferndean, Jane is secure in herself, and Brontë uses Fe dea to e p ess ‘o heste s e otio , but does not use her elemental motif in reference to Jane. Looking at Brontë s use of this motif in the first four locations, one can see that, at Gateshead, Ja e s fie passio do i ates the s e e, a d this is reversed at Lowood where she learns logic and reason. Interestingly, it is at Thornfield and Moor House that her personality counters the personalities of the two men, but the extremity between the two elements is more balanced than at Gateshead and Lowood. While at Thornfield, much is made of the watercolour paintings drawn by Jane and observed by Rochester. The first painting parallels with a picture that young Jane White 1358151 25 took pleasure in viewing from Bewick’s History of British Birds that she was reading on the window seat at Gateshead Hall. Both paintings have the moon reflecting its beams o a e kage of a oat i the sea. I Ja e s fi st pai ti g, ater is the dominant element of the painting, with the arm of a drowned corpse sticking out of the raging sea among the wreckage of a ship, and it is a isio a al a s o e ted ith death o disaste Duthie sea that is i uestio , a d it is . Like the drowning corpse in the first painting, Jane drowns in her grief when she is made aware the truth about Bertha Mason and is forced to flee Thornfield Hall in order to maintain her honour. Duthie goes o to suggest that the o igi of these s ols su el la deepe , i the subconscious dread of being engulfed in unfathomable depths, in the vague hope that something of alue ight et e sa ed f o the e k Duthie . Fo Ja e, the so ethi g o th saving is her honour and her independence. The second painting is of the Evening Star, which is the planet Venus, and is a feminine symbol. Wind is the dominating element in this painting. Because the evening star is surrounded by the wind, this painting could be seen to represent the unknown deity that Jane encounters when forced to leave Tho field a d ho a ies ‘o heste s o ds to he o the i d he Ja e is at the final crisis of decision in whether or not to marry St. John. It is this voice that Maynard sees as the threat to the Christian religion and borders on the pagan or a new female religion. In the final painting, ice is the prevailing element, and the esti g o the i e e g ith the pale olossal head es e t as the like ess of a ki gl o ; hat it diade ed as the shape hi h shape had o e'" Brontë 79) hea ke s to Milto s figure of Death in Paradise Lost. When St. John asks Jane to marry him and become a issio a to I dia, o e of the Ja e s st o gest ese atio s is that I dia ould kill he , because she knew her physical limitations would hinder her from sustaining herself White 1358151 26 there. The similarities between the icy painting of Death and the iciness of St. John are striking, as are Brontë s asso iatio of eligio to the old ess of ate . All th ee of these paintings are a foreshadowing of the trials to come in the novel and are significant in their representation of the subconscious of the artist, which illustrate a person of severe isolation. It is no wonder that Thornfield is so significant in the development of her story where she finds companionship and love. Because ‘o heste s love is tainted while he is still married to Bertha, Jane flees from the temptation to stay with him and become his mistress. Her passionate nature gives her pause to consider his proposal. Even while living near Moor House, she uestio s he de isio to lea e ‘o heste i the f e ue t d ea s she has a d the hope of passi g a lifeti e at his side, ould e e e ed, ith all its fi st fo e a d fi e (Brontë 236). However, Ja e asse ts he i depe de e of the p e ailing idea that it is the duty of woman to sacrifice herself in improving or protecti g a si i g a Matus 118), and she asserts her own will and leaves Rochester. If offe ed lo e ithout marriage, Rivers, in a proposal scene that parallels […‘o heste s], offers marriage ithout lo e “olo o . Ja e goes i to g eat detail about the powerful hold that St. John has on her, and she finds herself changing under his stern gaze and tutelage. For example, she strives hard to learn the Hindostanee he asks to teach her. When he proposes marriage to her, Jane acknowledges the dual side of her personality: Alas! If I joi “t. Joh , I a a do half self: if I go to I dia, I go to p e atu e death Brontë 260). She recognizes that to be married to him would ea she ould e forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital—this would be unendurable" (Brontë 262), and, ultimately, she chooses a passionate love over an White 1358151 27 ascetic life devoted to God. Since Brontë does not paint a positive picture about the institutions of marriage, it is interesting that she would have Jane marry in the end. With Ja e s ultiple lai s of i depe de e a d fi all becoming financially independent, marriage does not have to be the answer for her as it does for most heroines of the Victorian novel. Is it because she was following the conventional format of the bildungsroman and must see Jane firmly established in the normative role for a woman? Or could it be something as pragmatic as wanting to make sure the novel would sell, and she knew Jane staying a spinster would be too dissatisfying for her audience? Ultimately, Jane does not have to marry anyone, but she chooses Rochester over all options, and it is a love story that has maintained in its popularity and has inspired much critical thought down through history. Critics note Brontë s o e positi e ep ese tatio of fi e a d passio o e ate and logic. In The Brontës and Nature, Duthie a gues that te pe a e tall Ja e s losest affi it is ith fi e, a d its i po ta e is g eat th oughout the o el . While fire is highly important throughout the novel, it is interesting to note that in direct associations between fire, water, and the character of Jane, the quantitative data reveals that water has a slight edge over fire within Jane, e ause though passio ate, [Ja e] also possesses o s ie e a d easo Duthie , which is indicated in the graph above. It is a combination of both of these elements that allows her to survive Lowood, choose honour over a tainted love, and find the strength within herself to reject a future devoid of love and imminent death. Jane Eyre and its heroine of the same name have touched readers deeply since the novel was first published in 1847, because, according to Enid Duthie: White 1358151 28 what constituted the most remarkable feature of Jane Eyre: it was felt to be the power and the passion shown in the delineation of the character Ja e he self, the poo a d o s u e, a d s all a d plai , ho o pels our attention, our sympathy and, increasingly, our admiration and ends by far outshining the conventional heroine of Romantic literature. (133) Brontë uses the elements of fire and water to help question these values and to establish a commentary on the need for a balance between passion and reason within o e s self p o oti g a heroine who can stand on her own two feet, subverting the patriarchal views of the time. Jane Eyre is just such a heroine in holding on to her independence, asserting her will to save herself from temptations, and eventually entering into a marriage of equality. For, as Jane rejoices at the end of her story: There was no harassing restraint, no repressing of glee and vivacity with him; for with him I was at perfect ease, because I knew I suited him; all I said or did seemed either to console or revive him. Delightful consciousness! It brought to life and light my whole nature: in his presence I thoroughly lived; and he lived in mine. (Brontë 281) Brontë uses contrasts and parallels and the elements of fire and water to question the conventions of her time. St. John undergoes no baptism and dies one-sided, cold implacable reason, unloved and unlovable. Edward and Jane undergo a baptism appropriate for their development into complete, balanced people governed by both passion and reason, loved and lovable. Brontë portrays in the novel, Jane Eyre, the beauty in a balance that can be found in nature, objects, marriage, and ultimately and ost i po ta tl , ithi o e s self. White 1358151 29 Works Cited Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London: Service & Paton, 1897, Kindle ebook. Bo , Bill. Thi g Theo . Critical Inquiry Vol. 28, No. 1, Things (Autumn 2001): Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2001. 1-22. Print. 24/09/2007. "choler." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Ed. Knowles, Elizabeth. : Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference. 2006. Date Accessed 18 Jun. 2014 Duthie, Enid L. The Brontës and Nature. Hampshire: The Macmillan Press LTD, 1986. Print. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 1979. Print. Hanks, Patrick, Kate Hardcastle, and Flavia Hodges. "Helen." A Dictionary of First Names. : Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford Reference. 2006. Date Accessed 4 Jun. 2014. King James Version Bible. Bible Gateway. Public Domain. Web. Matus, Jill. “t o g fa il like ess : Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.” The Cambridge Companion to the Brontës. Ed. Heather Glen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 99-121. Print. Ma a d, Joh . The Brontës a d eligio . The Cambridge Companion to the Brontës. Ed. Heather Glen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 192-213. Print. "phlegm." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Ed. Knowles, Elizabeth. : Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference. 2006. Date Accessed 18 Jun. 2014 Smith, Andrew. Gothic Literature. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007. Print. White 1358151 30 “olo o , E i . Ja e E e: Fi e a d Wate . College English, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Dec. 1963). National Council of Teachers of English, 1963. 215-217. Print. Date Accessed 17 June 2014. “tei , Ka e F. Mo ste s a d Mad o e : Cha gi g Fe ale Gothi . The Female Gothic. Ed. Juliann E. Fleenor. Montreal and London: Eden Press, 1983. 123-137. Print. Tillyard, E. M. W. The Elizabethan World Picture. London: Chatto & Windus, 1950. Print.