Jane Red Red Whining in the Red Red Room

"The red-room was a spare chamber, very seldom slept in.."

"This room was chill, because it seldom had a fire; it was silent because remote from the nursery and kitchens; solemn because it was known to be so seldom entered...."

"Mr Reed had been dead nine years: it was in this chamber he breathed his last...."

"My heart beat thick, my head grew hot; a sound filled my ears, which I deemed the rushing of wings; something seemed near me, I was oppressed, suffocated; endurance broke down; I rushed to the door and shook the lock in desperate effort.."



I think the red-room is a symbol for several things.
First, I think it symbolizes or brings about insanity in Jane. It is proven that red makes people more frantic or on edge and being locked in a room that is almost entirely red for a long period of time could make someone go crazy or hallucinate, especially someone who is already distraught.
Second, I think the room symbolizes Hell. Jane has had a pretty bad life, being orphaned at such a young age and having to live with a neglecting aunt. Being locked in a room that is entirely red, a color associated with Hell, is a very severe punishment. In this situation, her aunt could symbolize God, who condemns her to this punishment.
Third, I think the room could symbolize a coffin. Coffins are often lined with a red cloth on the inside. Since her uncle died in this room, it can be associated with death. Jane's hallucinations of ghosts could be because the room is thought to contain spirits of the dead (her uncle) like a coffin would. Aside from functioning as a coffin for her dead uncle, it could also represent a coffin for Jane. She could be seen as being "dead" because she has no outlet to express her emotions and has basically no life and no reason to live.