How does Bronte use weather to create atmosphere in Jane Eyre?

Fergus Hardy

Jane Eyre is a novel, written in the Victorian era by the author Charlotte Bronte. Throughout the novel, Bronte uses good and bad weather to foretell the positive or negative outcome of an upcoming situation or a current event or situation.

Charlotte Bronte quickly foreshadows the coldness and dreary future of Jane with an opening dreary cold winter setting. The lines describing this weather:

“The cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. I was glad of it; I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John and Georgiana Reed.” Also include the introduction of the characters she lives with at the Reed’s house. These characters inflict these sad, cold and lonely emotions inside Jane Eyre which is why I believe Bronte chose to introduce the characters in the same passage as the description of the cold and deeply dreary weather.

Soon after Jane was falsely and publicly accused of being a liar by Mr. Brocklehurst an upcoming positive event was predicted when Jane described the sudden change in weather she saw. “Some heavy clouds swept from the sky by a rising wind, had left the moon bare; and her light streaming in through a window near, shone full both on us and on the approaching figure, which we at once recognise as Miss Temple” page 62. Surely enough Miss. Temple came bearing a positive event for Jane as she treated her with cake and tea, giving Jane much comfort from ...

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Another example of the good weather reflecting good atmosphere is Jane’s first morning at Thornfield. The description of the sunshine seams to display a fresh, new beginning for Jane with new and exciting possibilities, a definite change in scenery for Jane, which causes her spirit to rise. “The chamber looked such a bright little place to me as the sun shone in between the gay blue chintz window and carpeted floor, so unlike the bare planks and strained plaster of Lowood, that my spirit rose at the view” page 90. This not only foreshadowed the positive mood of Jane, but also the experience she would have in the near future living in Thornfield. She would soon discover her husband to be Mr. Rochester and appreciate her companies such as Mrs. Fairfax and Adele, who for the first time in her life treat her as an equal.

Near the beginning of the novel the Reed family are gathered around the fire and Jane is excluded. Here fire is used to represent feeling and emotional warmth, a common symbolic use of fire. This image shows how the Reed family exclude Jane from all family life and love. Jane’s atmosphere, being different from everyone else at this time is dark and banished from all connection with the fire.

The weather does not only represent happy and sad atmospheres in the novel, it can also reflect emotions Jane experiences. A good example of this is when Mr. Rochester proposes to Jane, she is left amazed and excited the weather reflects this: "A waft of wind came sweeping down the laurel-walk and trembled through the boughs of the chestnut." After Rochester proposes to Jane, the weather turns and the horse-chestnut tree, is split in half. "The great horse-chestnut at the bottom of the orchard had been struck by lightning in the night, and half of it split away."
This displays the coming of tragedy and the separation of Jane and Rochester.

Another instance is when Jane is walking through the Eden-like garden on "a splendid Midsummer, skies so pure, sun so radiant". The perfection of the day reflects Jane's return to Thornfield where she feels acceptance, contentment, and love. On the eve of their wedding day more of the near future is foretold. The setting is a cloudy windy night with a red moon, "her disk was blood-red, and half-overcast" I believe this prefigures what is going to happen the next day, Jane is going to find out about Rochester.

Charlotte Bronte is consistent with this method of using weather to create atmosphere throughout the novel, which definitely brings a supernatural quality to Jane Eyre.