In my paper, I look at the symbolic meaning behind Bridewell
Prison in Jane Eyre, and how it comes
to define Jane’s pursuit of liberty.
Without our friend The Oxford Companion to the Brontes, we
can already tell from context that Bridewell Prison symbolizes the stifling
kind of life that Jane would lead were she to marry Rochester.
But with The Oxford Companion to the Brontes, we learn…
As a house of correction for vagrants and prostitutes,
Bridwell Prison also foreshadows Jane and Rochester’s hapless wedding day,
wherein Jane must choose between being a vagrant (by leaving Thornfield
completely destitute) or being a sort of prostitute (by agreeing to be
Rochester’s mistress). Good stuff.
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