Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” is not a novel which is characterized by any one genre. It is a hybrid of an autobiography embedded in a nineteenth century Victorian romantic melodrama and enriched by a Gothic essence. ‘Jane Eyre” tells the story of a young woman’s internal development as she travels along the journey of self-fulfillment and a quest of love and acceptance. Although Jane is plain, she is strong and assertive, and her continuous struggle for a balance between the forces of Love and Autonomy predominate throughout the novel. Lowood is the first institution where Jane’s thirst for love is partially quenched when she gains two friends – Helen burns and Ms. Temple – who readily accept her despite whatever class status or personal characteristics she possesses. In chapter 8, Jane confesses to Helen “if others don’t like me, I would rather die than live – I cannot bear to be solitary and hated.” From this we can align what will be Jane’s ever-present requirement for human warmth and affection throughout the novel. Upon her acquaintance with Mr. Rochester at Thornfield Hall, Jane’s wish fulfillment of love is incorporated into an intense, fiery passion which transforms the novel into a romantic melodrama. Bronte uses several symbols in intrinsically highlighting the romance genre of the novel. Fire is used to represent the burning passion that exists between Jane and Rochester ‘flaming glance; blackness, burning! Not a human could ever wish to be loved more than I was loved…”Jane’s and Rochester’s love fro each other is a magical, sensual, energy-driven ball of fire. Jane’s wish-fulfillment finally becomes more than a mere imaginable fantasy and is transformed into a reality when she finds a brother and two sisters to love – to her having a family is “wealth indeed! – wealth to the heart! – a mine of pure, genial affections.” Jane’s later marriage to Rochester encloses the cycle of romantic fervor and further adds to her wish-fulfillment.
