Analysis of the Tension in Chapter XXXVI

Authors Avatar

Analysis of the Tension in Chapter XXXVI.

This chapter of Jane Eyre is extremely tense and though the levels of tension vary throughout the reader remains apprehensive. As Jane remembers her life at Thornfield the atmosphere is more peaceful, however when she discovers that Thornfield is a ruin the reader shares Jane’s shock and experiences her whirlwind of emotions as she wonders where Rochester is, how it happen and when it happen. The levels lower slightly towards the end but soon rise as Jane begins her journey to Ferndean.

At the beginning of the chapter, when Jane is preparing to leave Moor House, we begin to feel her excitement and apprehension through Bronte’s use of short sentences such as ‘I rose at dawn.’ Through this the reader feels more involved and it creates a staccato-like tension as Jane prepares to leave. However at this point the reader has not been directly told that she is going to Thornfield and though we assume that this where she has gone to ‘inquire’ we cannot be certain, thus making the reader curious to read on. Jane then remembers Rochester’s Call across the moors and describes to us the effect that this has had on her. However this does not make the reader worried or tense, Jane appears to be invigorated and sees it as ‘an inspiration’ rather than an experience to worry her. Through this whole paragraph the reader feels as though they are Jane’s confidante and we share in her excitement but at this point we are not worried or apprehensive.

Join now!

We later see the physical effect that this has had on Jane as Diana says Jane ‘looked very pale’, and this suffices to make the reader slightly worried as we realise the importance that this quest holds for Jane. Whilst Jane describes the journey there is a slow build up of tension as Jane ‘nears [her] bourne’ and she describes the landscape becoming ‘mild’ and ‘pastoral’. We can see Jane’s excitement and expectation as her ‘heart leapt up’ and ‘fell again’. The tension rises as Jane fights with the hope that the possibility of seeing Rochester gives her. She is ...

This is a preview of the whole essay