Not only the red room but the Thornfield Hall is also highly mysterious. Often called the haunted castle this is actually a huge imposing house with an air full of ambiguity. Apart from being grand and luxurious this house has many dark, chilly and gloomy parts, “A very chill and vault like air pervaded the stairs and gallery, suggesting cheerless ideas of space and solitude”, which encapsulates the reader into thinking that there is seriously something very strange and suspicious about the house. This feeling of suspicion gets deepened with the ghostly laughs which Jane hears on different occasions. She assumes that these laughs belong to the servants but the reader is not convinced by this and is forced into thinking that there is surely some secret lurking in that mysterious attic. In addition to this later on the description of Bertha also evokes a frightening atmosphere, “It seemed, sir, a woman, tall and large, with thick and dark hair hanging down her. I knew not what dress she had on: it was white and straight, but whatever gown, sheet or shroud I cannot tell. These incidents force the reader to think that the love between Jane and Rochester would not flourish that easily. It would be accompanied by several mysterious, suspicious and frightening threats.
Many other incidents also take place during the course of the novel which truly helps us to classify this novel as a Gothic Romance. One of the very significant events is when Jane finds her bridal dress torn in two pieces just before the marriage day. This is highly mysterious. It lets the reader see the other side of Rochester. This event also unveils the true side of the story. Not only this, it at the same time allows the reader to understand the fact that this marriage cannot take place.
Even the setting of Rochester’s bed on fire by Bertha is symbolic of the Gothic part of the novel. This is so as it adds terror and mystery to the plot. We can say so because we as readers know that it was Bertha who set the house on fire but the characters in the novel are unaware of this fact. Later on Bertha even sets the mansion on fire and herself goes to the terrace. Consequently Rochester climbs the attic, going through fire, in an effort to save Bertha. But as soon as he reaches the reaches the terrace Bertha jumps off and dies. While coming down Rochester loses one leg and an eye. This incident suggests that the love between Jane and Rochester would not find its happy conclusion so easily. It will have to surpass many obstacles in order to reach its destination. This is further a feature of a Gothic novel. Both these incidents are related to fire and so remind the reader of the red room (in which Jane was locked during her childhood) as even that used to produce a burning sensation. thus adding a sense of danger, fear and terror.
Thus to conclude the novel can undoubtedly be called a Gothic Romance. This is so as it is shown that the love between Jane and Rochester is accompanied by the supernatural aspect. Their love does not run smoothly and further has to overcome several hindrances and obstacles in order to have a happy conclusion. It is only because of the fact that that the writer, Charlotte Bronte, creates a frightening and a mystical atmosphere throughout that she has actually been able to write such a novel, full of intrigue and suspicion.