Which is more preferable: fire or ice? That would depend on the circumstances of which this question is being presented. It also depends on whom this question is being conferred upon as well. In this case, the "whom" is a young woman in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. The protagonist, Jane Eyre, faces this intriguing question of fire or ice. However, it is more complicated than that. The "fire" and "ice" merely acts as a symbolism for two main characters who hold these "elements" within their personalities: Edward Rochester (fire) and St. John Rivers (ice). The use of fire and ice in this novel serves to show Jane in a sort of intermediate position between the two men. Throughout the course of the novel the contrast between Edward Rochester and St. John Rivers becomes more eminent, putting forth the arduous decision of which man she should marry. She makes...