Thursday, June 6, 2013

An Incoherent Close Reading (Writing Process Pt 5/9)


As I made my set of useful quotations from Jane Eyre, I also took note of some of the literary elements, such as:

Symbolism: “I…deluged the bed and its occupant, flew back to my own room, brought my own water-jug, baptized the couch afresh, and by God’s aid, succeeded in extinguishing the flames which were devouring it” (127).  This is symbolic of baptism.  Rochester is saved from the fires of Hell.  It also prefigures the burning of Thornfield, symbolic of his baptism by fire.

Foreshadowing: “It has seemed to me more than once when I have been in a doze, that my dear husband, who died fifteen years since, has come in and sat down beside me; and that I have even heard him call me by my name, Alice, as he used to do.  Now, can you tell me whether it is actually true that Mr. Rochester has asked you to marry him?” (225).  Jane and Rochester’s marriage is cut short because it is made known that he already has a wife whom he married fifteen years ago.  She emerges, as if from the dead, out of the third-story attic.

Allusion: “No; you shall tear yourself away, none shall help you: you shall, yourself, pluck out your right eye: yourself cut off your right hand: your heart shall be the victim; and you, the priest, to transfix it” (254).  The reference is to Jesus’ redefinition of the Old Testament concept of adultery (Matthew 5:27-32).

1 comment:

  1. I really like those. Were they able to help with your paper at all?

    ReplyDelete