Moonlight

There seems to be a connection between important events and occurrences in the plot, and the moon. Every time the moon is up, Jane encounters a problem, a rapid change in surroundings, etc. The moon is prevalent when Helen Burns dies, causing sadness to creep into Jane’s already pitiful life. The moon again makes an appearance when Rochester rides down the road, his horse slips on ice, and overall causes a graceful entry for Rochester into the story. He is a monumental character in Jane’s life, and whenever he and Jane are together the moon is usually present. Jane’s sketches or paintings from her portfolio include one of an eclipse and even one of a ship sailing through the half risen disc of the moon on the ocean. The moon again is present when the blood-curdling cry woke the visitors in the night, leading to the possibility of a vampire-werewolf character that snarls in the back room of the third story. Besides the moon itself, paganism vs. religion appears to be a repeating theme, enhanced by the moon’s apparitions. A strong connection to females in general is provided by the moon, or in pagan terms, the Triple Goddess a symbol of female fertility. This connection can double as a link back to “lunacy” and a degrading term for women who have lost their minds, apparently because of the female connection to the moon. It is easy to predict that the moon will continue to appear throughout the book, and that its presence means a turn in events or possibly a link to Jane’s femininity: either independence and madness or other.