Paranormal Experience Jane Eyre
Explain the importance of paranormal experiences in the novel “Jane Eyre”. What do the characters learn from dreams and visions and how do these experiences modify your understanding of the characters.
Dreams and visions in Jane Eyre play a significant part in Jane’s life. Jane although being a very realistic and logical person believes in these superstitious signs and is aware of their importance but does not show her understanding openly. She keeps her visions to herself and only expresses them through her paintings.
Jane has visions and day dreams since she was a child. The ‘Red Room’ is the place where Jane starts having visions, she has one of a strange figure when she had been locked in the red room by her Aunt Reed; “…the strange little figure there gazing at me, with a white face and arms specking the gloom…” this ‘figure’ reflects Jane as even her face was pale and gloomy. This tells me that because Jane had too many unexpressed emotions she let them out unknowingly in the form of this vision. This also reflects to Jane as she refers to it being like “half fairy, half imp” and Mr. Rochester later also calls her that. This shows that Jane is influenced by fairy tales and proves that even though Jane portrays herself as having a tough exterior, she too has a soft, feminine side to herself. While in the Red Room, she also sees a vision of her dead Uncle Reed, “…at this moment a light gleamed on the wall”, Jane sees this light as a “vision from another world” thinking that it is her uncle. This tells me that Jane greatly misses her uncle and she also knows that he would have treated her better if he were alive. Jane’s description here foreshadows her almost psychic experiences later in the novel. It is also reflected in the fear of the unknown, the supernatural, which also refers to the gothic theme.
“…It was exactly one mask of Bessie’s Gytrash…” Jane, upon seeing a creature while returning to Thornfield believes it to be a creature that was mentioned by
Dreams and visions in Jane Eyre play a significant part in Jane’s life. Jane although being a very realistic and logical person believes in these superstitious signs and is aware of their importance but does not show her understanding openly. She keeps her visions to herself and only expresses them through her paintings.
Jane has visions and day dreams since she was a child. The ‘Red Room’ is the place where Jane starts having visions, she has one of a strange figure when she had been locked in the red room by her Aunt Reed; “…the strange little figure there gazing at me, with a white face and arms specking the gloom…” this ‘figure’ reflects Jane as even her face was pale and gloomy. This tells me that because Jane had too many unexpressed emotions she let them out unknowingly in the form of this vision. This also reflects to Jane as she refers to it being like “half fairy, half imp” and Mr. Rochester later also calls her that. This shows that Jane is influenced by fairy tales and proves that even though Jane portrays herself as having a tough exterior, she too has a soft, feminine side to herself. While in the Red Room, she also sees a vision of her dead Uncle Reed, “…at this moment a light gleamed on the wall”, Jane sees this light as a “vision from another world” thinking that it is her uncle. This tells me that Jane greatly misses her uncle and she also knows that he would have treated her better if he were alive. Jane’s description here foreshadows her almost psychic experiences later in the novel. It is also reflected in the fear of the unknown, the supernatural, which also refers to the gothic theme.
“…It was exactly one mask of Bessie’s Gytrash…” Jane, upon seeing a creature while returning to Thornfield believes it to be a creature that was mentioned by