Thornfield Hall
Encyclopedia
Thornfield Hall is the home of the male romantic lead, Edward Rochester, in the 1847 novel Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Brontë
. Thornfield Hall is also where a large part of the action takes place.
Brontë uses the depiction of Thornfield in a manner consistent with the gothic tone of the novel
as a whole. It is an isolated mansion of unspecified size, with a number of apparently unused rooms, which, during the Bertha Mason section of the plot, become important to the narrative. The Hall's gloomy character also expresses and amplifies the sense of Rochester's depression and malaise before he falls in love with Jane.
In contrast, the grounds surrounding Thornfield are sublime and healthful to the novels many troubled characters, and serves as a backdrop to many of the happier scenes.
It is suggested that Brontë based Thornfield on Haddon Hall
, near Bakewell
, Derbyshire
, although the evidence for this is unclear and is doubtful, perhaps based on the BBC editor's decision to use it in filming. Haddon Hall has, however been used to depict Thornfield on two occasions, in 1996 for Franco Zeffirelli
's Jane Eyre
and in 2006 for the BBC
mini series directed by Susanna White, and the 2011 feature
starring Mia Wasikowska
and Michael Fassbender
directed by Cary Fukunaga. Another theory is that North Lees Hall in Hathersage is in fact the inspiration for Thornfield, particularly given that "Morton" in the novel is believed to be based on Hathersage and Bronte's stay in the area prior to writing the novel.
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published in London, England, in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. with the title Jane Eyre. An Autobiography under the pen name "Currer Bell." The first American edition was released the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York...
by Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
. Thornfield Hall is also where a large part of the action takes place.
Brontë uses the depiction of Thornfield in a manner consistent with the gothic tone of the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
as a whole. It is an isolated mansion of unspecified size, with a number of apparently unused rooms, which, during the Bertha Mason section of the plot, become important to the narrative. The Hall's gloomy character also expresses and amplifies the sense of Rochester's depression and malaise before he falls in love with Jane.
In contrast, the grounds surrounding Thornfield are sublime and healthful to the novels many troubled characters, and serves as a backdrop to many of the happier scenes.
It is suggested that Brontë based Thornfield on Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye at Bakewell, Derbyshire, one of the seats of the Duke of Rutland, occupied by Lord Edward Manners and his family. In form a medieval manor house, it has been described as "the most complete and most interesting house of [its]...
, near Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, although the evidence for this is unclear and is doubtful, perhaps based on the BBC editor's decision to use it in filming. Haddon Hall has, however been used to depict Thornfield on two occasions, in 1996 for Franco Zeffirelli
Franco Zeffirelli
Franco Zeffirelli KBE is an Italian director and producer of films and television. He is also a director and designer of operas and a former senator for the Italian center-right Forza Italia party....
's Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre (1996 film)
Jane Eyre is a 1996 film adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name. This Hollywood version, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, is similar to the original novel, although it compresses and eliminates most of the plot in the last quarter of the book to make it fit into a 2-hour...
and in 2006 for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
mini series directed by Susanna White, and the 2011 feature
Jane Eyre (2011 film)
Jane Eyre is a 2011 British romantic drama film directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. The screenplay is written by Moira Buffini based on the 1847 novel of the same name by Charlotte Brontë...
starring Mia Wasikowska
Mia Wasikowska
Mia Wasikowska is an Australian actress. After starting her career in Australian television and film, she first became known to a wider audience following her critically acclaimed work on the HBO television series In Treatment...
and Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
directed by Cary Fukunaga. Another theory is that North Lees Hall in Hathersage is in fact the inspiration for Thornfield, particularly given that "Morton" in the novel is believed to be based on Hathersage and Bronte's stay in the area prior to writing the novel.