Dawn Newlin
The bird imagery in Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre offers understanding to the readers. Much if the bird imagery is seen in the Thornfield portion of the novel. These images are used to show the shifts that Jane experiences, and through these shifts the imagery of birds is used to create an image of woman's freedom. In the beginning of Jane's stay at Thornfield, she is portrayed as being a helpless, caged bird, but throughout her stay she becomes a wild bird that has enough confidence and courage to control her own life. The significance of Jane's last name "Eyre" also allows bird imagery to come into perspective.
When Jane first comes in contact with Rochester at Thornfield, Rochester portrays Jane as a helpless, caged bird. He views her as someone who holds everything inside. After a few encounters between Rochester and Jane, Rochester wants to find out what Jane thinks of him. When Jane is finished, Rochester informs Jane of his opinion of her. In doing so, Rochester uses the imagery of birds. He starts to question Jane:
Do you ever laugh, Miss Eyre? Don't trouble yourself to answer--I see you laugh rarely; but you can laugh merrily . . . I see at intervals the glance of a curious sort of bird through the close-set bars of a cage; a vivid, restless, resolute captive is there, were it but free. it would soar cloud-high. (169-70; ch. 14)
Rochester believes that the constraints of Lowood still cling to Jane. He believes this is what causes her to lock her feelings inside of her. He sees that she fears the presence of a man and a brother--or father (169; ch. 14). He assures her that within time she will feel comfortable around him. The irony that lies within the quote from Rochester is that he helps Jane in giving her the strength to believe in herself, and later in the novel she uses that strength to leave Rochester.
Not only does Rochester portray Jane, herself, as a caged bird, but Jane feels like a caged bird sometimes while staying at Thornfield. This example of bird imagery can be seen during Jane's walk through the orchard. She describes it as:
No nook in the grounds more sheltered and more Eden-like; a very high wall shut it out from the court on one side: on the other a beech avenue screened it form the lawn. At the bottom was a sunk fence, its sole separation from lonely fields. (276; ch. 23)
Here we see that Jane is caged and confined to Thornfield even when she is outside. Jane may not feel a sense of being caged in when she discovers the very high walls, the beech avenue that screened the lawn, and the sunk fence at the bottom, but it is obvious to the reader that Jane is not free to come and go as she may please.
Another instance that allows us to see Jane as a captive bird is right before Rochester asks Jane to marry him. In this scene Jane is caged in by Rochester's arms. Rochester encloses Jane in his arms and gathers her to his breast and presses his lips to hers. When doing so Jane commands to be let go. Rochester demands Jane to "be still; don't struggle so, like a wild frantic bird that is rending its own plumage in its desperation" (282; ch. 23). Jane assures Rochester that "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with independent will, which I now exert to leave you" (282; ch. 23). In this passage we start to see Jane develop a sense of independence. The fact that Rochester demands Jane to stop acting like a wild and frantic bird is ironic, because it is he who is appears wild and frantic. Even though she is caged in by Rochester, she still fights to be set free. Here for the first time we see Jane breaking free.
Towards the end of the novel Rochester notices a change in Jane. He no longer views her as "a curious sort of bird through the close-set bars of a cage" (170; ch. 14). When Jane finds out about Rochester's mad wife Jane knows that she must go. It would not be right for her to stay at Thornfield. Rochester explains to Jane that "When you are inquisitive, Jane, you always make me smile. You open your eyes like an eager bird, and make every now and then a restless movement" (337; ch. 26). This allows the readers to understand that Jane is making some progress in her life. The man that once told her she resembled a caged bird that showed no feelings is now telling her that she resembles an eager bird, and now she makes him smile. This scene shows that Jane has gained the confidence to make choices on her own. We do not see Rochester ordering her to stay, but we do see him plead and beg for for Jane to remain at Thornfield.
One further topic that is connected with bird imagery in Jane Eyre and used to create an image of woman's freedom is the choice of Jane's last name, Eyre. An obscure association can be discovered in the novel's single reference to an "eyrie." The reference occurs when Rochester's mad wife, Bertha, attacks her brother Richard Mason. His piercing cry is described as follows:
[W]hatever being uttered that fearful shriek could not soon repeat it: not the wildest-winged condor on the Andes could, twice in succession, send out such a yell from the cloud shrouding his eyrie. The thing delivering such utterance must rest ere it could repeat the effort. (235; ch. 20)
An eyrie is the home of a large bird such as an eagle at the top of a mountain or a cliff. It is ironic, because to launch her attack on her brother, Bertha has to come down from the fourth floor of Thornfield where she has been locked away. The fourth floor is the loftiest section of Thornfield, therefore Bertha takes on the image of an eagle, and comes down from her "eyrie" to attack her brother during his stay at Thornfield.
If an eyrie is the home of an eagle, then both Jane and Rochester can be seen through this image. An eagle is a bird who does not like to associate with people, and that is the type of person that Jane portrays. This is made apparent when Rochester is entertaining all the visitors at Thornfield. He demands that Jane take part in the gathering, and she does not feel comfortable in doing so. Rochester can be seen through this image, because he is alone in a sort of way. He has had to keep all of his secrets hidden for years. He also can be viewed this way, because of his keen senses. His eagle eye is able to spot Jane as she strolls in the garden. Thornfield could be an image of Jane's and Rochester's nest--their eyrie.