Fire imagery helps the reader understand the strong feeling of passion in the character of Jane Eyre. At Gateshead, Jane is unable to control her passions and hits John Reed after he bullies her. As her punishment, Jane is locked up in the red-room. Fire imagery here, in the form of the red room, is Bronte's way of representing Jane's passion and fury. "A bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask" (20) is used by Bronte to represent, through physical manifestation, Jane's overly passionate nature. Also very significant is the direct use of fire. "This room was chill,

Bronte uses fire to describe Bertha Mason. Through Bronte's use of this imagery, the reader can see the potential dangers of allowing passion to rule uncontrolled. Bertha represents unleashed, untamed passion, without any control or reason. This can be observed when she torches his bed curtains. The imagery, such as the lit candlestick on its side lying on the hallway floor, symbolizes destructive passion that Bertha possesses. Notice that the candlestick is on its side, not upright in a safe position. When Bertha torches Thornfield, she is described as having "hair...streaming against the flames" (476). This description signifies that Bertha has almost a satanic nature bearing a head full of fire. These two scenes are designed to make the reader appreciate the grave danger of uncontrolled passion.

Another character, Mr. Rochester, shows extreme passion in his multifaceted and intricate feelings. Thornfield is usually considered a "gloomy house...like a grey hollow filled with rayless cells," (133) but when Rochester enters, Jane sees "a warm glow...in...the oak staircase" and "a genial fire lit in the grate" (133). Immediately upon Rochester's return to Thornfield, fire imagery is used more by Bronte. "'Come to the fire,'" (152) said by Rochester to Jane is seen as an invitation to indulge Rochester's passion. Bronte portrays Rochester as fire itself. His purpose is to offer passionate and romantic love to Jane. Rochester, viewed as fire, makes the passion swelling in him more obvious to the reader.

On the contrary,

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Approximate Word count = 1032
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)