Jane Eyre 2 Essay, Research Paper

Charlotte Bronte uses colour imagery frequently throughout Jane Eyre. In the novel Jane

Eyre, colour imagery is used to convey that there are two sides in every character and that the

temptation and enclosure of evil is always beckoning and binding. Red imagery, black imagery

and white imagery are used in Jane Eyre to emphasize the two different forces battling against

one another.

Red throughout the novel represents hell and evil and demonstrates the wicked side of

every human being. Frequently, red imagery alludes to the temptation of evil. During the

course of the novel Jane had many dreams which are parallel to her life, before me a terrible

red glare (pg12, Jane Eyre). The red is a symbol of hell and the devil and implies the beckoning

of evil towards Jane. The red glare alludes to the desire to be bad and the decision between right

an wrong. Secondly, the colour red demonstrates the fear of evil and the resistance of bad.

While Jane stays at Gateshed, her Aunt Reed continually scolds and punishes her, Take her

away to the red room, … Jane, resisted all the way (pg 5, Jane Eyre). The colour red, once

again is associated with evil and hell. Jane resists the bad place therefore escapes evil along with

its entrapments. Red is also associated with the bad side of Jane s personality. Towards the

beginning of the novel, Jane sits in the window seat in the drawing room with, the moreen

curtain nearly close… Folds of scarlet drapery. (Pg1, Jane Eyre) The red curtain symbolizes the

bonds of hell and its enclosure and the entrapment upon the human being. It is associated with

Jane to emphasize Jane s second character and the more demonic side of her personality. In

conclusion, throughout Jane Eyre red imagery underlines how every character has two different

distinct sides and that people are always living with the bonds of evil.

In this novel, black imagery demonstrates that all characters have inherent evil within

themselves. The colour black shows how sin can conform and restrict a person. After Jane has

been thrown back into the red room by Mrs. Reed, she suffers through a nightmare, crossed

with thick black bars. (Pg12, Jane Eyre) The black represents the evil closing in on Jane. She

must turn to evil because of the burdens society has placed upon her. Secondly, black imagery

demonstrates the monster like side of personality. Frequently, Jane reads books with colour

imagery pertaining to a parallel to her life, black-horned thing. (pg 3, Jane Eyre) Jane reads

about this terrible monster as it is a parallel to herself. Also, black is used in contrast with other

colours to make evident the different characters. One side, evidently is weaker then the other.

After Jane s first night at Thornfield, she proceeds to getting dressed in her simple outfit, black

frock, verses, clean white tucker. (Page 90, Jane Eyre) The two opposite colours in contrast

imply the two clashing sides of Jane. These two sides are demonstrated through the black, to

indicate the evil and wicked side, and the white, to indicate the angelic and pure side. As

shown, Charlotte Bronte uses black imagery to demonstrate the weaker side of a human being

and the restraint that side has on the character.

In Jane Eyre, white imagery demonstrates the good side of every person. White, the

colour, conveys Janes goodness. During Janes stay in the red room, she is convinced that she

sees something, Something passed her all dressed in white. (Page 13, Jane Eyre) This alludes

to the fact that Jane, at this instant, sees the good side of herself. The colour imagery shows that

Jane is overall good although she can be lead to evil. Also, in this novel, white imagery

communicates that Helen is a truly good soul and can be considered as a saviour figure. While

Helen is dying at Lowood, white imagery is used in the description of her room, white

curtains. (Page 73, Jane Eyre) The white, in this context, is used to symbolize purity and

heaven. Since Helen is dying, we can assume that she is proceeding to heaven and that her soul

is entirely good. Later, Bronte shows that the good part of Helen lives on in Jane. Lastly, white

imagery illustrates that the good side sometimes does prevail in a few characters lives. While

Jane gazes out a window one day, when she realizes that she has reached a certain point in her

life, when change becomes necessary, I traced the white road winding round the base of the

mountain. (Pg77, Jane Eyre) The road here parallels Janes life and her future. White imagery

conveys that Jane has part of her future which will be untainted by evil. In this piece of English

literature, Bronte has used white imagery to facilitate that the pure side, which is untouched by

evil, is evident in every person.

Charlotte Bronte has used a remarkable assortment of colour imagery throughout her

novel, Jane Eyre. With red, black and white imagery, she conveys the two very different sides of

a person. She has shown us, through black and red imagery, the devilish and monstrous side of

personality. These two colours illustrate the temptation and the desire to be bad. White has

been used throughout her novel, but more frequently towards the middle of the novel when Jane

encounters Helen and befriends her. This white imagery demonstrates the good and pure side of

Bronte s characters. These three colours, red, black and white have been used well to compel

the reader to distinguish the two very different forces inside the human being.