Death In Jane Eyre

Death is prevalent across a large variety of literary works throughout history. Since the dawn of time, death is something that we are afraid of; a dark entity that hangs over every person in their lifetime. Naturally, many authors will make their stories around, about, and featuring motifs of death; due to the large part that death plays in our lives. Death played a large part in the works that we have studied, particularly Jane Eyre, “We Are Seven”, and “Simon Lee, the old huntsman.” Firstly, death created and solved problems in Jane Eyre. The various deaths have shaped the protagonist’s actions and life. However, death has also formed the mood of the story, creating a sombre atmosphere, with a moderately happy ending. Similarly to Jane Eyre, …show more content…
The death of both of Jane’s parents, led to the transfer of her care into the hands of her uncle. Once again, Jane is struck with the death of her uncle, who was in charge of her care. This death then brought Jane into her misery at Gateshead Hall, in the care of Mrs. Reed, and under the tortuous attitudes of her cousin. In the beginning of the novel, the mood has already been set with the multiple deaths that have brought Jane to her current situation. Jane’s sombre childhood is the product of the effects that death has made on her life. There are three important deaths in this novel that particularly shaped Jane as an intensely dynamic character; Helen Burns, Mrs. Reed, and Bertha Mason. Helen Burns had a great influence on Jane during her years as a young girl in Lowood. Helen was the type of student that was always trying to prove herself to God, and better herself as a person. One could argue that Helen ‘introduced’ the word of God to Jane. Helen’s wise words and advice given to Jane has had a large influence on the decisions and actions that Jane has made in her later years. She remembers Helen’s wisdom once she is faced with death again, “I thought of Helen Burns: recalled her dying words – her faith– her doctrine of the equality of disembodied souls.” (Brontë 237) After seeing Mrs. Reed on her death bed, Jane recalls Helen on her own death bed and remembers her spirituality. When Jane first arrived at Gateshead, she was confined to the red room after she had a physical altercation with her cousin. During this chapter we discover that Jane is afraid of death and the supernatural, after seeing a light in the red room and assuming it is a message from another world. Terrified, Jane “rushed to the door and shook the lock in desperate effort.” (Bronte 17) The contrast that Brontë has shown in this passage contradicts Jane’s time with Helen. Jane was