Maggie
Mrs. Gillham
English 9
21 March 2016
“The Color Red”
Colors have significance for people all around the world. Colors express emotions, and can even be shown through religions. According to The Art Department of Chicago, red in the western world is shown through emotions as powerful and aggressive. Being both powerful and aggressive is sometimes seen as passive aggressive. In Jane Eyre, Jane could be seen as passive aggressive in the beginning of the book. At the beginning of Jane Eyre, the color red is seen as hellish and dangerous for young Jane Eyre, but by the end of the book, Jane sees red as a part of her past that is not so hellish anymore.
In the second chapter of Jane Eyre, red was mentioned several times when Jane was put in the “Red Room” for punishment. The books says, “… the two large windows, with their blinds always drawn down, were half shrouded in festoons.” (Bronte, page 8). Although the color red is not directly mentioned here, this sets the mood for how the hue will be portrayed later in the story. This quote also makes the room have a sense of danger. Jane describes the “Red Room” by saying, “… the carpet was red; the table was covered with a crimson cloth…” (Bronte, page 8). Bronte uses the color red for this specific room because it makes the room seem less pleasant. The “Red Room” can be seen as a symbol of what Jane needs to overcome in order to mature and find happiness.
Although there are many different motifs used in Jane Eyre, the color red is used much more than any others to explain how Jane has overcome her troubled childhood.