The principal object of Gothic novel is the evocation of terror by exploiting mystery and a variety of other horrors. Because of its powerful writing, and because of its concern with moral and social issues beyond the immediate plot, Jane Eyre is not generally considered a Gothic novel as such. However, it makes use of many of the elements found in the Gothic genre popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Charlotte Brontë invests gothic elements in Jane Eyre with a symbolic meaning to create a new, ‘female’ language. It is through this female Gothic language that Brontë creates a heroine whose autobiographical mode of writing is used to trace a story of female rebellion and search for identity.

Narrated by Relux Aka Soha

This podcast comprises an intense reading from the Gothic romance novel 'Jane Eyrie'. It captures a scene where protagonist Jane, perceived as socially lower and different by her family, enjoys solitude with her books before an encounter with John Reed, her tormenting elder cousin. John's cruel behaviour leads to a violent act, hitting Jane with a book. Jane, with her blood and anger boiling, retaliates uncharacteristically, leaving her punished in the red room. The narrative subtly unravels the themes of social class, cruelty, and Jane's growing independence.

00:00 Introduction to Jane Eyrie's World
02:20 Jane's Solitude and Love for Books
07:32 Encounter with John Reed
11:33 Jane's Defiance and Punishment
14:52 The Aftermath and Jane's Confinement