LANGUAGE A LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE CANDIDATE: ZACH BELLAY

ENGLISH
TEXT AND GENRE
WRITTEN TASK 2
HL ESSAY
Outline
Prescribed question:
How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre,
and for what purpose?
Adapted question:

How does the novel Jane Eyre conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a
gothic novel, and to what effect?
Title of text for analysis:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Task is related to course section:
Part 3: Literature Texts and Contexts
The task focuses on:
Rewritten Prescribed Question:
Defining the gothic genre

Analyzing the effect that Brontes adherence to the gothic genre has on the
novels reality and fiction through the utilization of:
o Byronic heroes
o Gothic terror

LANGUAGE A LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

CANDIDATE: ZACH

BELLAY
ENGLISH

TEXT AND

GENRE
WRITTEN TASK 2

HL ESSAY

WORD COUNT: 856

How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a
particular genre, and for what purpose?
How does the novel Jane Eyre conform to, or deviate from, the conventions
of gothic literature through Brontes employment of her interpretation of
gothic terror and Byronic heroism, and what effect does this have?
In Charlotte Bronte's Victorian novel Jane Eyre, Bronte incorporates
motifs of gothic literature to enhance her novel. At the time that gothic
terror literature was popular, it was designed as an extension of escapism
and rebellion against the developing urban communities stemming from the
Industrial Revolution. Therefore, gothic literature is comprised of many old
country settings as opposed to the urban locality which readers were
trying to escape from. The characteristic terror of gothic novels was the
new spin on Romantic escapism that functioned as a revitalizing fad of
Romantic literature. In Jane Eyre, Brontes use of the Byronic hero also
coincides with a popular new type of character. The purpose of the Byronic

hero in gothic literature is to promote and extend Romanticism while

simultaneously adding elements of mystery by showcasing a character
tormented for some unknown reason. Bronte utilizes the archetype of the
Byronic hero and his characteristic cynicism and enigmatic personality to
correspond to the mystery attributed to the gothic genre. Bronte furthers
her adherence to the gothic genre through her strategic usage of gothic
terror. By doing so, Bronte is able to achieve an air of mystery and unknown
in her novel. Through her utilization of these gothic techniques, Bronte is
able to develop characters and to advance a plot in an environment full of
uncertainty and supernatural occurrences.
Bronte gets straight into her employment of gothic terror by scaring
Jane into unconsciousness. She does so by making Jane feel as though she is
in the presence of an otherworldly being and making her feel oppressed
[and] suffocated to the point where her endurance broke down(12).
Brontes decision to terrify Jane in the red-room serves three purposes.
Firstly, by scaring Jane so early in the novel, Bronte is able to set the
precedent that terror is to be expected and that more is to come as the
novel progresses. Secondly, Brontes usage of terror helps her appeal to the
Victorian audience to whom she was writing, and therefore making her
novel more appealing. Third and finally, the purpose of Brontes utilization
of terror throughout the novel is to inform the reader that Jane is still in her
Bildungsroman cycle. In the case of the red-room, Bronte indicates that this

is where Jane begins her Bildungsroman cycle. Evidently, Jane has a long
ways to go as she passes out and later wakes up in the care of Bessie and
Mr. Lloyd, an apothecary.
As Plain Janes life monotonously carries into her adolescence, Jane
promptly finds herself seeking employment. She quickly finds employment
at the mysterious Thornfield Hall after advertising herself. Bronte signifies
Janes continuing Bildungsroman cycle by illustrating Thornfield Hall as a
silent, darksome, [and] lonely place (120). Jane soon begins to interact
with the archetypal Byronic hero Edward Rochester. Through her
interspersed encounters with him, she finds Rochester to be a cold, distant,
and mysteriously tormented man. Jane eventually finds that his source of
torment was at the hands of his father and brother Rowland who thought
only of the thirty thousand pounds that was to be made through his
marriage (325). However, Jane also finds that Rochester is a sensitive man
who is capable of great feats of passion and love. Jane and Rochester
subsequently fall in love, however, they cannot be together as Jane has not
completed her Bildungsroman cycle to become a self-sufficient woman. Jane
leaves Thornfield soon after she sees Bertha, who she believes is the foul
German spectrethe Vampyre, a grotesque creature that reflects Janes
inner demons (301).

Once Bronte confronts Jane with her own evil reflection, Jane decides
she must leave Thornfield in order to complete her Bildungsroman cycle.
The final gothic element in the novel Jane Eyre completes Janes
Bildungsroman cycle when she hears Rochester shriek, Jane! Jane! Jane!
across space and time (449). This completes Janes Bildungsroman cycle as
she casts St. John, a controlling and dominant male character, to the side in
exchange for the man that she truly loves and makes her happy. Once Jane
returns to Rochester, she finds Rochester crippled and blind after Bertha
burned down Thornfield and killed herself. However, through the powers of
Dues Ex Machina, Rochester regains his sight and Jane is content living
with him as she is now his equal physically, financially, and socially. Finally,
all elements of Gothicism fade away and Rochester sheds his personality as
a Byronic hero further indicating the completion of Janes Bildungsroman
cycle. The novel ends with Jane and Rochester living together in love and
with Jane finally attaining what she desires her entire life: a family.
Brontes motif of terrorizing Jane not only scares the audience to grab
their attention in the lengthy novel, but it also marks Janes Bildungsroman
development throughout the novel. Brontes use of the Byronic hero
portrays Edward Rochester as a cynical and tormented character in the
novel and helps the reader gauge whether or not the novel has reached its
resolution. Through Brontes utilization of gothic terror and the Byronic
hero archetype, Bronte is able to successfully create a mysterious and

enigmatic novel that explores the lifelong development of a young Victorian

woman.