Gothic is a term originally refers to aGermanic tribe living in northern Europe in third CenturyAfter the West Rome empire was perished,the Italian used the term to refer to the medieval Gothic style of architecture. .In the eighteenth Century, it became a name of new novel.This kind of novel often use medieval castles or temples as backgrounds to describe murder or persecution. The atmosphere of the Novel is often gloomy and strained, filled with madness,violence, superstition and the spirit of vengeance.
The Gothic novel had a wide influence in British literature and provided reference for many writers. In "Jane Eyre", Charlotte Bronte decorated the Gothic form with a realistic content and dramatic emotion.And with its breaktaking power,the novel demostrated female’s rebellion against patriarchy and finally realized the equaility between man and women. The novel had surpassed the mainstream literature tradition of Victorian age and achieved the perfect combination of realism and romanticism. Extensive use of the Gothic style to show the characteristics of horror, mystery and supernatural.
From the very beginning,Jane Eyre demostrated a typical gothic atmosphere. Jane was clapped in a ghastly red house where her uncle died by her cruel aunt .Putting in a room like this, of course she would be frightened and restless. Then, Jane was sent to Lowood school.Not only was this school harsh but also the living conditions extremely bad so that many orphans were infected with typhoid and malaria and died.Jane's friend Helen Burns died in her very arms. This environment often gave Jane a feeling of the terror of death. After her graduation from Lowoodschool, Jane became a governess and came to Thornfield .It was an old castle and its typical Gothic environment fashioned an atmosphere of terror and mysterious. Firstly the strange laughter in the attic ,then Rochester’s room caught fire in the middle of a night, and Mason’s brother was badly bitten in the midnight , all of which makes Jane feels the gloomy and horror of Thornfield. In addition to that, the main character Rochester in the novel also has a Gothic style. Rochester is not handsome: he was of medium height, broad chest,black face , thick eyebrows with a broad forehead.In the first place,Jane thought Rochester is a mysterious, cold, harsh man, too profound to be understood. Charlotte’s description of Rochester accord with Gothic style.。