PORTRAIT DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN THE NOVEL BY CH. BRONTË “JANE EYRE”

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the portrait description of the main character in Charlotte Brontë’s novel “Jane Eyre” at the content- figurative and stylistic levels. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing interest of modern philological science in studying the individual- authorial worldview and the ways of its representation through artistic images of characters. Studies devoted to the analysis of portrait characteristics as a means of revealing the author’s worldview and the cultural-historical context of the epoch are gaining particular relevance. The aim of the work is to identify and systematize verbal means of portraying the main character, to analyze stylistic techniques for creating portrait characteristics, to clarify the role of portrait details in revealing the inner world and evolution of Jane Eyre’s image, and to determine the specificity of the author’s approach to portraiture in the context of the Victorian era. The research material is Ch. Brontë’s novel “Jane Eyre” (1847) in the original, from which fragments containing portrait descriptions of the main character were selected using a continuous sampling method. The work employs methods of stylistic, semantic, and contextual analysis, which allow for revealing the multi-level structure of portrait characteristics. The study demonstrates that the portrait description of the heroine is created through a complex system of verbal means that perform not only descriptive but also profound characterological functions. The basis of portraiture consists of somatisms and stylistic devices that reveal the inner world of the character. The most productive means proved to be metaphors, animalistic comparisons, and personification. Metaphorization creates multi- layered images that identify the heroine with light and natural phenomena, demonstrating her spiritual transformation. Animalistic comparisons reveal the evolution of the image from negatively marked to positive associations, reflecting the dynamics of the protagonist’s character. Eyes play a special role as the central element of the portrait, symbolising the heroine’s inner strength and emotional depth. In the context of the Victorian era, portrait characteristics serve as a means of creating an atypical female image that combines external tenderness with inner strength and independence, challenging established gender stereotypes.