In Jane Eyre the moon is a metaphor for change. The moon is either described or looked at many times throughout the novel when Jane's life will take on a new direction.
Food is used throughout the novel to represent want.
One example of this is when Jane is at Lowood School. Here the food is scant, and older girls often take it from Jane in the beginning. Examples such as the burnt porridge are given. However, the hunger Jane feels is not just a physical desire for food, but for personal growth as well. When she is accepted at the school and begins to accomplish things for herself in drawing class, she is no longer focuses on her hunger, as it has been fulfilled by her own achievements.