Jane Eyre 9

• "It was one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion ... Their blinds always drawn down ... This room was chill, because it seldom had a fire; it was silent ... It was in this chamber he breathed his last ... Dark wardrobe, with subdued, broken reflections." (p. 13)

Jane Eyre's experience in the red-room greatly affected her for the remainder of the novel as horrible memories accompanied her single imprisonment. Charlotte Bronte uses vivid images and key word choice to embellish Jane's frightening experience. The environment of the room is certainly not welcoming -- cool temperatures, broken mirrors, dark furniture -- but the fact that Mr. Reed died in the room makes her experience even more terrifying. Although Jane was young, this punishment had a lasting effect throughout her life as the red-room is referred to at other specific points throughout the novel. Themes such as injustice, seeking independence and her dark, unpleasant childhood are expressed through the use of the red-room symbol.

Photo Credit:
The Red Room. Photograph. Unusuallife.com. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. http://unusuallife.com/wp-content/uploads2006/2008/02/valentine-red-room.jpg.