The house getting burned down was like a wake up call for Rchestor because he lost everything at this point including his crazy wife Bertha, she uses fire to destroy the room where Jane, who stole her husband from her lived. There was a lot of symbolism in this part of the book. The fire that Bertha creates symbolizes her out of control passions and madness. The inferno spreading represents the deadly consequences of the secrets Rochestor hid and him losing his eyes symbolizes the result of his pride and power, as punishment from God. Because Rochestor didn't want to admit that he needed God in his life to become a better person, he was punished can for it sand if this tragedy wouldnt have happened I don't think he would have ever admitted which could have led to him not having his happily ever after with Jane
In the beginning of the novel, Rochester's bed was set on fire by Bertha. Luckily, Jane was there to save him from burning in his sleep. I feel that this was foreshadowing for this final event when Bertha set the entire house on fire and Jane was not there the second time to help. Rochester lost his possessions, his sight, and his hand from this event. Bertha also dies in the fire, which leaves Rochester widowed and no longer married. Jane is also be able to be with Rochester because they can finally be treated as equals. Before, it seemed that Rochester was overpowering Jane and she didn't want to be stuck in marriage that will make her feel belittled. The lost of his health and possessions symbolize the incapability of Rochester to dominate over Jane. Now, Jane can actually be Rochester's care giver since he is hurt and she has more wealth.
I think that the house fire symbolizes the punishment to Rochester for attempting to marry Jane without divorcing Bertha. When Bertha first attempted to set Rochester on fire Jane was when Jane was there and able to save him but, back then they weren't seen as equals. Now that Jane was able to inherent a fortune from her uncle she was seen as more equal to Rochester. But without Jane there the symbolism that the house fire represents was how tragic Thornfield turned out. When Jane came back she was able to take care of Rochester.
I agree with Susan and Chris. The house getting on fire symbolizes the punishment Rochester receives from trying to overpower and possess Jane as an item. Like Susan has stated, Jane saving Rochester from first time his house was set on fire shows that Jane has power over Rochester. Jane was able to save him, however when Jane escapes Thornfield and leaves Rochester to himself, Bertha once again sets the house on fire, but this time Jane wasn't able to save Rochester, resulting in many loses. Rochester loses his sight, wealth, possessions, and hand. This emphasizes the power Jane has over Rochester, which Bronte does to develop her theme of feminism
I don't agree that the fire represents Rochester's punishment. I interpreted the fire as representing the litteral destruction of Jane and Rochester's old life--full of secrets and deciet and mysteriousness--for the renewal of a new life together. The injuries very well could be a devine punishment but it also allows for a role reversal. Instead of Jane, an 18 year old middle class woman of no means, is no financially and physically independant and Rochester must depend on her for sight and some financial aid. I believe this reflects how Jane has transformed into a true feminist as reflected in her abity to come to Edward's aid rather than the other way around.
I feel as if the fire was meant to happen. Rochester's life had gone terrible and the loss of Jane reflect that as well and his attachment to Bertha. I think that having the house burned down symbolizes Rochester's anger with himself and his mistakes. and serve as a literal end to his past and what prevented him from greatness. his injuries though I see as the one punishment he truly deserved and it helped him be humbled. Without his vision he needed to judge based on everything but appearance which was one of his faults. In another sense this could be seen as a phoenix, where it burns down when it dies and but reviews from its own ashes. In this case Rochester as we know him died on that fire, but the ashes he revived from was Jane, and their finally concluded marriage which in themselves symbolized his new life as a new man.
I feel like the house on fire is like a bridge between rochester and jane, bringing and bonding the two together. Just like how fire can smelt two metal and join them together. The first time rochester's bed got set on fire it brought jane to his aid, in which, he develops feelings for her. And later with bertha burning the house, the couple is brought even closer together. The fire took away rochester's wealth, arm, vision, and most importantly his married status. Rochester, now an equal of jane, is able to marry and live happily with jane. Despite losing everything to the fire, rochester and jane were able come together in the end
The house burning down, to me it felt as if it was a double edged sword. On the positive side, Rochester has been released from his burden of Bertha and is now able to start a proper relation with Jane. The negative, is that Rochester lost his home, lost his sight, and his hand. I felt that the fire was a cleanse for Rochester, the flames incinerated his past turmoils that held him back. The injuries he suffered sort of toned his byronic characteristics. His relation with Jane can start anew. The two are now much more equal to where they're both humbled with their experiences.
The house burning seems to me to symbolize two aspects of Rochester’s life, his passions and his sins. His attempts to marry Jane while still married to Bertha encompasses both of these “fires”. The house burning down was the culmination of both his passions and his sins coming to a climax, and the perpetrator in both was Bertha, just as in his attempted marriage to Jane. Bertha has been the sleeping beast in Rochester’s life, and right at the end she woke up and burned his house and life down. The burns and loss of sight also symbolize this, as he lost sight of what was right and tried to strong arm his way through life to get what he wanted.
Thornfeild and all its secrets came to light, and as if karma had a hand in it, the house burned. The mad and violent Bertha went down with the house she spent most of her days confined in. Rochester suffers from his injuries. He is now poor when he had money before. He is blind, where before he could see. He looses his hand where prior, he had had a strong one that Jane had spent time admiring. He pays for keeping Bertha, and for Jane leaving. The fire that almost ended his life once had been halted by Jane, but in her absence another breaks out and Rochester fairs ill. The state of him is poor, but Jane still loves him. He can no longer see her face, which he himself had admitted was plain. Despite this, he loves her as well. He cannot see her, and this injury is symbolic because of the way her being plain had affected the novel. The fire at Thornfield is the catharsis of all the emotions Rochester and Bertha's union has caused.
The house getting burned down was like a wake up call for Rchestor because he lost everything at this point including his crazy wife Bertha, she uses fire to destroy the room where Jane, who stole her husband from her lived. There was a lot of symbolism in this part of the book. The fire that Bertha creates symbolizes her out of control passions and madness. The inferno spreading represents the deadly consequences of the secrets Rochestor hid and him losing his eyes symbolizes the result of his pride and power, as punishment from God. Because Rochestor didn't want to admit that he needed God in his life to become a better person, he was punished can for it sand if this tragedy wouldnt have happened I don't think he would have ever admitted which could have led to him not having his happily ever after with Jane
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the novel, Rochester's bed was set on fire by Bertha. Luckily, Jane was there to save him from burning in his sleep. I feel that this was foreshadowing for this final event when Bertha set the entire house on fire and Jane was not there the second time to help. Rochester lost his possessions, his sight, and his hand from this event. Bertha also dies in the fire, which leaves Rochester widowed and no longer married. Jane is also be able to be with Rochester because they can finally be treated as equals. Before, it seemed that Rochester was overpowering Jane and she didn't want to be stuck in marriage that will make her feel belittled. The lost of his health and possessions symbolize the incapability of Rochester to dominate over Jane. Now, Jane can actually be Rochester's care giver since he is hurt and she has more wealth.
ReplyDeleteI think that the house fire symbolizes the punishment to Rochester for attempting to marry Jane without divorcing Bertha. When Bertha first attempted to set Rochester on fire Jane was when Jane was there and able to save him but, back then they weren't seen as equals. Now that Jane was able to inherent a fortune from her uncle she was seen as more equal to Rochester. But without Jane there the symbolism that the house fire represents was how tragic Thornfield turned out. When Jane came back she was able to take care of Rochester.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Susan and Chris. The house getting on fire symbolizes the punishment Rochester receives from trying to overpower and possess Jane as an item. Like Susan has stated, Jane saving Rochester from first time his house was set on fire shows that Jane has power over Rochester. Jane was able to save him, however when Jane escapes Thornfield and leaves Rochester to himself, Bertha once again sets the house on fire, but this time Jane wasn't able to save Rochester, resulting in many loses. Rochester loses his sight, wealth, possessions, and hand. This emphasizes the power Jane has over Rochester, which Bronte does to develop her theme of feminism
ReplyDeleteI don't agree that the fire represents Rochester's punishment. I interpreted the fire as representing the litteral destruction of Jane and Rochester's old life--full of secrets and deciet and mysteriousness--for the renewal of a new life together. The injuries very well could be a devine punishment but it also allows for a role reversal. Instead of Jane, an 18 year old middle class woman of no means, is no financially and physically independant and Rochester must depend on her for sight and some financial aid. I believe this reflects how Jane has transformed into a true feminist as reflected in her abity to come to Edward's aid rather than the other way around.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if the fire was meant to happen. Rochester's life had gone terrible and the loss of Jane reflect that as well and his attachment to Bertha. I think that having the house burned down symbolizes Rochester's anger with himself and his mistakes. and serve as a literal end to his past and what prevented him from greatness. his injuries though I see as the one punishment he truly deserved and it helped him be humbled. Without his vision he needed to judge based on everything but appearance which was one of his faults. In another sense this could be seen as a phoenix, where it burns down when it dies and but reviews from its own ashes. In this case Rochester as we know him died on that fire, but the ashes he revived from was Jane, and their finally concluded marriage which in themselves symbolized his new life as a new man.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the house on fire is like a bridge between rochester and jane, bringing and bonding the two together. Just like how fire can smelt two metal and join them together. The first time rochester's bed got set on fire it brought jane to his aid, in which, he develops feelings for her. And later with bertha burning the house, the couple is brought even closer together. The fire took away rochester's wealth, arm, vision, and most importantly his married status. Rochester, now an equal of jane, is able to marry and live happily with jane. Despite losing everything to the fire, rochester and jane were able come together in the end
ReplyDeleteThe house burning down, to me it felt as if it was a double edged sword. On the positive side, Rochester has been released from his burden of Bertha and is now able to start a proper relation with Jane. The negative, is that Rochester lost his home, lost his sight, and his hand. I felt that the fire was a cleanse for Rochester, the flames incinerated his past turmoils that held him back. The injuries he suffered sort of toned his byronic characteristics. His relation with Jane can start anew. The two are now much more equal to where they're both humbled with their experiences.
ReplyDeleteThe house burning seems to me to symbolize two aspects of Rochester’s life, his passions and his sins. His attempts to marry Jane while still married to Bertha encompasses both of these “fires”. The house burning down was the culmination of both his passions and his sins coming to a climax, and the perpetrator in both was Bertha, just as in his attempted marriage to Jane. Bertha has been the sleeping beast in Rochester’s life, and right at the end she woke up and burned his house and life down. The burns and loss of sight also symbolize this, as he lost sight of what was right and tried to strong arm his way through life to get what he wanted.
ReplyDeleteThornfeild and all its secrets came to light, and as if karma had a hand in it, the house burned. The mad and violent Bertha went down with the house she spent most of her days confined in. Rochester suffers from his injuries. He is now poor when he had money before. He is blind, where before he could see. He looses his hand where prior, he had had a strong one that Jane had spent time admiring. He pays for keeping Bertha, and for Jane leaving. The fire that almost ended his life once had been halted by Jane, but in her absence another breaks out and Rochester fairs ill. The state of him is poor, but Jane still loves him. He can no longer see her face, which he himself had admitted was plain. Despite this, he loves her as well. He cannot see her, and this injury is symbolic because of the way her being plain had affected the novel. The fire at Thornfield is the catharsis of all the emotions Rochester and Bertha's union has caused.
ReplyDelete