It is difficult to explain "romanticism" in a concise definition without omitting major aspects of it, so romanticism can be delineated by describing a number of common characteristics to romantic literature such as the role of nature, travel, Gothic elements including the supernatural, and individualism. In Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, these characteristics are easily recognizable, particularly in the passage describing Jane and Mr. Rochester's first meeting. Whereas the 17th and 18th centuries had valued scholarly allusions, convolution, and grandeur, the new Romantic taste relished simplicity and naturalness ( Brians par. 6). In Jane Eyre, nature is frequently referred to in the form of descriptions of the landscape and weather. This particular passage takes place in January, when the cold of winter becomes increasingly severe. Jane, who was previously averse to long walks outside in the cold, now seems eager for the opportunity and volunteers to make the two-mile journey on foot to post Mrs. Fairfax's letter. This willingness to go out into a hostile outdoor environment continues the growth she experienced during her early years at Lowood, when many students had contracted typhus and the healthier ones were left to play alone in the woods. Jane developed a taste for the communion with nature and the freedom that was associated with her at that time. However, the proximity of Helen's death, a tragic turning point in opposition to Jane's healthy character development and life improvement, here foreshadows a similar moment; namely the beginning of more difficulties for Jane from the moment she meets Mr. Rochester. The landscape is described as bare and desolate, paralleling Jane's loneliness in Gateshead. ...... middle of paper ...... He is intrigued by her, which sets her apart from the rest of the women who will enter and be dismissed from Gateshead. The mixture of Jane's submissiveness to Mr. Rochester and outbursts of boldness make her a truly prototypical female character and it shows how Jane is, in herself, a very extrusive trait of romanticism. From this passage, it is therefore clear that Jane Eyre is deeply imbued with elements of romanticism and the ideas that go with it. Works Cited Abrams, MH A Glossary of Literary Terms: Third Edition. United States of America: Cornell University. 104-108 Brians, P. Romanticism. Washington: Washington State University, 2004. Bronte, C. Jane Eyre. Ed. Margaret Smith. Oxford: Oxford Univesity Press, 2000. 111-115Buckton-Tucker, R. “Romanticism and the Philosophy of Travel” International Review of Arts and Sciences 3.10 (2010): 258