Foreshadowing In Jane Eyre

Throughout Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, symbolism in the form of foreshadowing is used prominently. Foreshadowing occurs when an author hints at an event that will happen later in the book. This literary device is used by many well-known authors to add suspense and give the reader more interest. Throughout the Jane Eyre, foreshadowing is mostly used to present Jane’s relationship with Mr. Rochester, the man that hired her to be a governess. Throughout their relationship, small mishaps occur that predict later events. These events are disregarded by the book’s characters, this is because these hints are solely for the reader. Most likely, if these hints did not occur, the plot would continue as normal. Charlotte Brontë uses foreshadowing in

“I dreamt another dream, sir: that Thornfield Hall was a dreary ruin, the retreat of bats and owls..” (Brontë 329) This description foreshadows the fire that occurs after Jane leaves and the house is left in ruins. It also symbolizes the falling apart of Jane and Mr. Rochester after she finds out that he already has a wife and that Jane, being a mistress, is essentially a “homewrecker”. These details enhance the story by adding interesting parts that keep the reader entranced in the book. Another dream that Jane has predicts the future loss of love between her and Mr. Rochester. In the book, Jane describes, “I saw you like a speck on a white track, lessening every moment. The blast blew so strong I could not stand. I sat down on the narrow ledge; I hushed the scared infant in my lap: you turned an angle of the road: I bent forward to take a last look; the wall crumbled; I was shaken; the child rolled from my knee, I lost my balance, fell, and woke.” (Brontë 330) In this instance of foreshadowing, the baby on Jane’s knee represents the love between Jane and Mr. Rochester and the loss of it that is soon to come. For a small amount of time, the baby is stable, but soon it plummets and dies out. It also describes the fleeting nature of their relationship, not only presenting the idea of their love leaving, but the separation of the two after Jane walks out. After this set of dreams occur, Jane has a

This occurrence was foreshadowed earlier in the book multiple times. For most of her life, Jane believed that all of her relations, besides the Reeds, were poor but it was the contrary. When Bessie comes to visit Jane in Lowood, she notes that John Eyre had visited the Reeds and that he “looked quite a gentleman” (109) This notes that he did not appear to be as poor as Jane had expected. Amidst his travels, John ran out of time and could not visit Jane at Lowood. Instead he traveled to Morocco to get wealthier. Later in the book, as Jane’s aunt, Mrs. Reed, is dying she reveals that John wrote to her three years prior. He stated in his letter, “Providence has blessed my endeavors to secure a competency; and as I am unmarried and childless, I wish to adopt her during my life, and bequeath her at my death whatever I may have to leave.” (Brontë 279) In his letter John lets Mrs. Reed know that he is prosperous and would like to adopt her since he has no one else. This hints that Jane will inherit a large amount of money because he has no one else that he can give it to. These small details enhance the reading experience because it makes the reader feel as if they have solved something before the book’s characters