Jane Eyre Research Paper

Gothic Novels include various elements within themselves that present thrilling stories. Gothic novels often feature components such as the setting, elements of the supernatural, mystery and suspense, unknown parentage, and high, overwrought emotions by characters. Author Charlotte Brontë writes Jane Eyre as a narrative describing the life of the character, Jane Eyre. Brontë develops the story’s gothic appeal through elements of the story including the setting, the mystery and suspense, and the high overwrought emotions displayed by characters. The setting’s role in Jane Eyre offers readers a basis of what the time period is like. In the beginning of Jane’s life, she is at Gateshead. Jane describes Gateshead to be a mansion. The rooms in the house are luxurious and have very nice furniture within them. After leaving Gateshead, Jane begins school at a charity orphanage called Lowood.

Brontë offers a thrilling novel through imagery and foreshadowing. A particular room in Gateshead, known as the red-room, is shown to be a rousing part of the story when Jane is forced to stay in as punishment. Jane is terrified because she feels that she sees a ghost. Throughout this section, readers are in a thrilling state of mind. When Jane later begins her stay at Thornefield, she is taken to a room where she hears laughing unexpectedly. Mrs. Fairfax tells Jane that the laugh is coming from, Grace Poole. Brontë suggest to readers that Grace Poole might cause harm later in the story. Mystery and suspense are also shown when Mr. Rochester’s room catches on fire. Before the fire was noticed, Jane foreshadowed that something serious was going to happen when she “tried to sleep again: but [her] heart beat anxiously” as she tried to fall asleep (156). The reader begins to wonder and think of reasons why Jane cannot sleep. Shortly after this, the fire strikes and Jane saves Mr. Rochester from possible