I've also found reading with a pen in hand really is quite helpful and lets me underline well written phrases and make side notes when, on occasion, I have earth shattering revelations regarding major theme development or the connection between two key images. As for the symbolism and connectivity in the book, I have a educated guess about certain images. My though is, fire represents masculinity and men while women and femininity are represented by ice, the moon and the color red. On a literal level, these things are related: fire is the opposite of ice but it also contains red hues. Symbolically, it seems that Bronte is trying to imply that men and women are very different, in fact, practically opposites. They contradict each other and maybe are not able to coexist. On the other hand, they are also very intertwined. Women are part of men, just as red is contained in flames.
I had this amazing light bulb-like, amazing ah-ha! moment on page 152. For some reason, something just clicked and I decided to write my idea of this symbolism in the margin, just on a whim. It may be completely off mark, not even remotely close to what these reoccurring images truly stand for, but I thought I'd give it a shot. In conclusion, this book continues to impress me and I look forward to reading more.
1 comment:
I don't think you're off the mark at all (indeed, this is one of the more thoughtful posts yet published--well done). I'm glad that you're finding the practice of annotation enhances your read rather than detracts from it (and I think you are very much on the right track in trying to track down and account for the role symbolism plays in this novel--wherein thing function not simply as objects, but are freighted with metaphorical import as well).
My favorite moment in this post, however, is your description of the novel as "pleasant"--a word you use in precisely the way Bronte would use it (and she'd be pleased, I think, by your assessment!).
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