Examples Of Diction In Jane Eyre

In the passage from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Brontë uses self-centered diction, extended metaphor, and details about society to demonstrate that although Jane experiences jealousy towards Mr. Rochester’s relationship with Blanche Ingram, she understands the importance of having high social status due to societal standards. At the beginning of the excerpt, the egotistic diction reveals the unlikable traits of Blanche Ingram. Jane thinks that Blanche’s “rank” and “qualifications” are what made her seem charming to Mr. Rochester, and she describes Blanche as “privileged” and says she “smiles so lavishly.” Jane believes that the only reason Mr. Rochester and Blanche are going to get married is due to the high social status of Blanche’s family. The word choice gives a negative

Rochester and Blanche to that of an arrow being shot at someone’s heart. Jane describes Blanche as believing that “each shaft [she] launched hit the mark” and the arrows often “fell harmless at his feet.” By referring to an unsuccessful shot of an arrow into a heart, Jane describes her belief that Blanche fails to be worthy of Mr. Rochester’s love. With Blanche as the archer, her arrows of love are continually thrown at Mr. Rochester’s heart but never truly strike him in the way that love should. Jane seems to be envious and thinks that if she were the one launching the arrows at Mr. Rochester, they would strike him with true love that could fix his sternness. Finally, the details about society show that Jane recognizes the standards of her victorian society and needs to abide by them. After Jane had thought awhile, she no longer “felt justified in judging” Mr. Rochester and Blanche for “acting in conformity to ideas and principles instilled into them.” Though Jane wishes to be loved by Mr. Rochester, she comes to the realization that rich men do not marry lower-class women in her