Fire is a symbol of emotion in the novel. Mr. Rochester has a fiery personality, while St. John is associated with ice and snow, symbolizing his dispassionate character. Jane draws arctic scenes in her portfolio that symbolize death. She wants the vitality that fire brings, but also to keep it under control. On the other hand, Bertha Mason, who has no control over her feelings, is a pyromaniac. The inferno at Thornfield illustrates the danger of letting the passions run wild.
Fire and Ice Quotes in Jane Eyre
The Jane Eyre quotes below all refer to the symbol of Fire and Ice. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin Classics edition of Jane Eyre published in 2006.
Chapter 25
Quotes
I faced the wreck of the chestnut-tree; it stood up black and riven: the trunk, split down the centre, gaped ghastly … their great boughs on each side were dead, and next winter's tempests would be sure to fell one or both to earth: as yet, however, they might be said to form one tree—a ruin, but an entire ruin.
Related Characters:
Jane Eyre (speaker)
Related Symbols:
Fire and Ice
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Fire and Ice Symbol Timeline in Jane Eyre
The timeline below shows where the symbol Fire and Ice appears in Jane Eyre. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 15
...and sees smoke coming from Rochester's bedroom—Rochester is asleep, but his bed curtains are on fire. She douses the curtains with water, putting out the fire and saving his life.
(full context)
Chapter 33
The following night, St. John fights through the snow to visit Jane. He tells her a story which, to Jane's astonishment, is her own...
(full context)
Chapter 36
...from the proprietor of a local inn. Bertha escaped and set Jane's old bedroom on fire. As the inferno spread, Rochester helped all the servants get out safely. But he could...
(full context)