Structure: Theme and imagery

Thematic structures

The structure of the novel is supported by recurrent themes. One such theme would be education, which links the novel's three principal locations:

• At Lowood School, Jane at first encounters a negative model of education
• The system then improves and Jane becomes a successful student and teacher
• On the strength of this experience, she becomes Adèle's governess at Thornfield Hall; her work is praised by Rochester
• When she reaches Moor House, she becomes a schoolteacher and is once again successful.

The themes of the novel are discussed in more detail in Jane Eyre: Themes and significant ideas

Patterns of imagery

Jane Eyre is a novel full of rich and powerful patterns of imagery, which are often related to particular parts of the structure, particularly place.

They are discussed in detail in Imagery, metaphor and symbolism in Jane Eyre.