In paragraphs 9 and 10, Jane refers to Mr. Brocklehurst as "gaunt", a "black column" and "longer, narrower, and more rigid than ever". She also explicitly calls the man a "piece of architecture". Automatically, the readers see Mr. Brocklehurst as a looming and dark figure, which has a negative connotation to it. The readers already know that this person is not trustworthy and he is someone that the narrator does not view in a favorable light. This is what I picture based on Jane's initial description of him:
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| Mr. Brocklehurst would be the building on the right with smoke coming out from the openings |
Even though this picture was drawn in South Carolina during the Civil War, you get the idea.
Later on in the passage, Jane depicts him as a hypocritical and overly strict man who continually uses religion as a flimsy justification for his various decrees. He humiliates Jane for dropping a slate on accident, and he also tells the caregiver to cut off all of the girls' hair, which explains why she is resentful towards him. This is one of the reasons she depicts him as a dark figure. Furthermore, a tall and slim building that was made in the early 1800's was unlikely to maintain its structure. Similarly, Jane might be foreshadowing at his downfall later on in the novel (I did some research, and I found out that people find out about Mr. Brocklehurst's unfair treatment of the girls and they subsequently reprimanded him for his actions).
