Fire and ice are the central motifs of Jane Eyre, which Bronte introduces to us for the first time in this passage. Bronte expresses fire as an emblem of Jane's passion which is "alive, shining (and) all-consuming". Ice stiffens and limits those it affects and throughout the novel it is used in an attempt to control this fire, and in this extract it symbolizes Mrs Reed as she responds to Jane coldly in an attempt to control her. The result of these two opposites is an explosion of feelings, passion and power that allows the reader to see more fully the character of Jane Eyre. The red room is the place that ignites Jane's passion. The red room is one of the great paradoxes of the novel as it parallels the ice in that it limits Jane's freedom and imprisons her; yet the experience gives her the courage to stand up to her aunt. The fire that the red room lights in Jane allows her to jump the 'containment lines'; to break her aunt's bonds that are limiting her and achieve freedom. The red room becomes very symbolic of Jane's fight for freedom. Every time she suffers from that point on, Jane emotionally returns to the red room and adds new fuel to the fire, while reminding herself why she wants to break free from oppression. This passage shows how Mrs. Reed loses control over Jane. The passion born in Jane from her experience in the red room allows her to burn the coldness and restrictions imposed by Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed still sees Jane through an "icy eye" when this passage begins, and tries to thwart her by using a "tone in which a person might address an adversary in adulthood (rather) than that normally used for a child." ". This is an attempt to remind Jane which of them is the adult, and so in... the middle of the paper... she destroys Thornfield. While Jane lives in Thornfield, the place is consistent with a "lighted moorland ridge , alive, watching and devouring" as her passion for love and kindness is satisfied by Mr. Rochester. The place then dies when she leaves, and it is still "the same ridge, (only) black and ravaged after the flames have gone out" when Bertha burns him. In conclusion, the central motifs of fire and ice that shape the story, are presented to the reader at the beginning of the play, through this passage. This provides real insight into the character of Jane Eyre and her passionate nature, which is one of her natural strengths. This passion shapes many of her actions in the novel. The other characters who try to dominate Jane respond by trying to control her with their emotional coldness Jane will not controlled by nothing that might try to suppress its fire.