As I've been reading Jane Eyre, I've been noticing her style and craft, especially in her use of vivid descriptions of the nature around her. In nearly every chapter thus far, Jane pauses her recollection of events to talk about the scenery of where she is; she does this when she's at Gateshall, Lowood, and Thornfield. Here's an excerpt from Chapter 9, for example:
"April advanced to May: a bright serene May it was; days of blue sky, placid sunshine, and soft western or southern gales filled up its duration. And now vegetation matured with vigour; Lowood shook loose its tresses; it became all green, all flowery; its great elm, ash, and oak skeletons were restored to majestic life; woodland plants sprang up profusely in its recesses; unnumbered varieties of moss filled its hollows, and it made a strange ground-sunshine out of the wealth of its wild primrose plants: I have seen their pale gold gleam in overshadowed spots like scatterings of the sweetest lustre. All this I enjoyed often and fully, free, unwatched, and almost alone: for this unwonted liberty and pleasure there was a cause, to which it now becomes my task to advert."
Here she describes the surroundings of Lowood as Spring was in full bloom. According to sources online, the purpose of her constant recollection of the landscape is to mirror and reveal her inner emotional state, and to show the internal and external restraints she faces. There are a lot of other reasons why as well, but I refrained from looking at them so as to not spoil anything (normally I don't mind spoilers, but it's taken so much time to read this book that I want some satisfaction).
So far, I think the book is pretty good. I especially love the pictures that are in digital versions of books from Project Gutenberg by F. H. TOWNSEND.
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