One of the fundamental opposites of the earth is fire and ice. One is cold, one is hot. One slows, and one speeds up. In Jane Ere, fire and ice represent passion, and its opposite, reason.
This is important, because it can relate to many choices we make today in our lives. Whether to give in to the whim, which is a product of passion, or to deny that whim because it may be harmful and instead think and do the logical choice. An example could be eating a second piece of cake. A passionate person might say, "oh that cake was excellent, Im going to eat another piece." A reasonable person might think, Well, this cake is really unhealthy, full of fat and sugar. It also might make me feel sick later. And will not take that second piece.
In Jane Ere, there are many examples of whether a passionate response to a situation, or one based on reason, are appropriate. These examples could help us decide which one is actually better, passion or reason. And in the end, maybe it is too complicated to sum up, because like in the book, there are many different scenarios where different responses are better, and it could just be up to the person to decide.
Zach,
ReplyDeleteKeep your focus on the novel and the actual examples it provides (don't let yourself wander into hypotheticals). You are a writer too easily sucked into the abstract, so let's make sure we find a suitable context (tracking down the fire and ice imagery, for example) that can keep your intelligence reined in.