Abstract
This paper argues that Jane Eyre’s struggle to develop epistemological authority in her own life is shaped by three key documents — a letter from her uncle, Richard Mason’s testimony, and her own signature — which are presented to her at climactic moments in her journey. The documents, in turn, present sites upon which Jane can confront the lasting influence of the past over her life and identity. In this regard, the documents are ‘Gothicized’, and interpreting their roles in the novel presents an opportunity for exploring how characters in the present, especially Jane, can create productive knowledge that gives them power over their own lives. Furthermore, by drawing on Jacques Rancière’s theories about the image, this paper argues that readers experience the aforementioned documents in unique ways that enable them to make connections between Charlotte Brontë’s novel and other forms of discourse, most notably legal discourse.
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