Gothic Imperial Romance in Jane Eyre

Abstract

This paper examines how the imperial gothic shapes Jane Eyre (1847). I argue that the colonial world is brought back to Victorian England in Jane Eyre as a retelling of the Bluebeard story, a chilling fairy tale that emphasizes Jane’s imperial gothic identity, which poses a challenge to her essential Englishness throughout the novel. Outside threats from England’s colonies represented through the imperial gothic quest put Jane’s life at risk and endanger her Englishness and the very nature of pastoralism and innocence. I support this argument by discussing the various elements of the imperial gothic within Jane Eyre. Firstly, I discuss the connections with the fairy tale and how the Bluebird story foreshadows some of the potential outcomes in the novel. Secondly, I look at the relationships Jane makes in the novel – most importantly, those with Rochester and Bertha. Lastly, I discuss the way in which Jane herself poses a threat to her own Englishness with her active participation and choices of engaging in the imperial gothic world. Looking at Jane Eyre through the lens of the imperial gothic allows a more sophisticated understanding of the novel and points toward what the everyday Briton may have experienced during the Victorian era. Jane Eyre is best read with the gothic in mind, and this paper serves to illuminate the connections therein.