The symbolism of fire and water in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

This thesis examines the symbolism of fire and water in Charlotte Brontë's most famous novel, Jane Eyre (1847). I consider to analyse how Nature, weather and the four elements build up in a complex system, and how Charlotte Bronte used this system to explore the personality of the main characters, and their relationship. I will pay special attention to fire and water imagery, both in their literal and figurative meanings. For this purpose, I will focus consecutively on Jane, Rochester, St John Rivers and Bertha Mason. And, whenever it seems possible, I will try to apply some psychoanalytic terms that might help a better understanding of this literary work, though it is not the main purpose of this study. Also, I will make some reflections on Charlotte Bronte herself, her personality and artistic credo. I will refer to several works of literary criticism written on Jane Eyre, and different dictionaries of symbols. Relying on the close reading of the text, I will prove that fire and water imagery, reflecting the characters' inner life, thoughts, mood and feelings, gives the novel an unimitable voice.