Fire and Ice

Charlotte Bronte, in writing the novel Jane Eyre uses a great deal of symbolic imagery to convey various themes throughout the novel. The most interesting type of imagery is Bronte's use of fire and ice imagery to develop the characters of the novel and show the struggle the character of Jane Eyre goes through. Fire most commonly represents passions. While fire and passion can provide warmth and comfort, they can also burn. Ice, or water, …

…learns to unify the opposing elements in her life. The last image of fire, the domestic hearth at Ferndean, shows Jane's success in this unity. The fire images also show how Rochester learns his responsibilities and achieves peace. In conclusion, it is clear that Charlotte Bronte uses the fire and ice imagery to develop the characters, and to show the need for Jane to balance these two extremes, while preserving the self and the spirit.