In this section of Jane Eyre there are many elements of Gothicism. Early in the section, Jane discovers that “there [is] a mystery at Thornfield” and that she is being “purposely excluded” from it (229). A mystery in a dark old estate is a basic Gothic plot, and elements of Gothicism in Jane Eyre continue to occur throughout the chapters. The setting takes on a Gothic feel when Jane dreams that “Thornfield Hall was a dreary ruin, the retreat of bats and owls”(397). And the mystery there takes on a savage tone when Jane is often awoken by “a demonic laugh … at the very keyhole” of her door (205). This laugh is a “savage, sharp and shrilly sound that ran from end to end of Thornfield Hall” (287)
Charlotte Bronte wrote this novel during the Romantic Movement, and despite its Gothic tones, there are also many elements of Romanticism. Throughout the novel, one can easily see the Romantic fascination with faraway and exotic places. One day at Thornfield, Jane expresses her longing for the exotic when she looks into the distance and says, “I thought sometimes I saw beyond its wild waters a shore, sweet as the hills of Beulah.” In addition, in chapter 27, it is revealed that Mr. Rochester has not only traveled to Jamaica, but that he wed Bertha Mason there.
I believe that Jane Eyre is basically a romantic novel. Despite the fact that the book is teeming with elements of Gothicism, I believe that they exist as a consequence of Charlotte Bronte’s romantic style, not because she wanted to write a Gothic novel. Romanticism is often typified by a fascination with the long ago, faraway, and exotic, and in the case of Jane Eyre, this fascination is focused on things from medieval and Gothic times. After reading this section, I feel that Jane Eyre is truly a Romantic novel, because its savage elements are merely a result of Charlotte Bronte’s Romantic fascination with the Gothic times of yesteryear.
On a completely different note, I thought a certain quotation was intriguing and I want to know how others interpret it. On page 239, Jane says, “Genius is said to be self-conscious.” I decided this can mean two different things. Either, to be a genius is to be no more than self-conscious, or a genius is always self-conscious of her genius mind. The context didn’t really clarify the meaning for me and I wonder what others think about this.