Significance of the Setting

The setting of Jane Eyre is very different and enhances the plot as it is always growing and changing throughout Jane’s life.  The novel starts with Jane at Gatestead which is the home of her Aunt Reed and late uncle.  This is where Jane shows her resilience to many things and also allows the reader to sympathize with Jane for being treated unfairly.  When reading this part I found it dark and depressing which added to the empathy I felt for the horrible situation that Jane was in, feeling unloved and unwanted Jane always tried to make the best of a situation.  Jane was then sent to Lowood School where she discovers her passion for learning and the power of friendship. After being at Lowood teaching for several years she decides that she needs a change and finds a job at Thornfield Hall being a governess for a little girl named Adéle.  Thornfield  Hall develops a sense of suspense in the reader with the noises which are coming from the upstairs room where Jane is not permitted to enter.  Jane finally leaves Thornfield Hall to a place where she gains her independence called Moor House.  While she was here Jane finds peace and tranquility when she is gazing out into the open fields where she contemplates her future.  In the conclusion of the novel,  Jane returns to Mr. Rochester only to find that Thornfield Hall was burnt to the ground after an enormous fire. The couple finds sanctuary in an old hunting lodge, Ferndean  Manor. The Manor is tucked away from civilization deep in the woods and this is where Jane and Mr. Rochester rekindle the love they once had for each other, after being apart for so long. The many different settings allow Jane to escape her problems instead of facing them head on.

Gateshead Hall

Lowood School

Thornfield Hall

Moor House

Ferndean Manor