2. Bertha Mason is one of the most mysterious characters ever to be written in literature. What are your thoughts about Bertha in the way that she is described/portrayed in Jane Eyre?!
Bertha Mason, the late wife of Mr. Rochester, has been described as the most mysterious character ever written. She comes to life in the Novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, and is only written about on a few pages of the text. She is only ever completely described by Jane because Jane thought she was a nightmare that had come to life. Bertha was unfairly wed to Mr. Rochester in the West Indies. The marriage had been arranged by Mr. Rochester’s father purely for his own financial benefit. Mr. Rochester had barely talked to her before their wedding day and once they were married he quickly realized what little they had in common. She was cruel and downright insane. Her insanity worsened over the years until Mr. Rochester finally locked her in the attic of Thornfield Hall and decided to tell no one about her. She was taken care of by Grace Poole who would go on stout binges and frequently fall asleep. Thus, leaving Bertha a window for escape. Bertha had set fire to Mr. Rochester’s bed and curtains, she ripped Jane’s veil in two, and she eventually set fire to the entirety of Thornfield hall and committed suicide by jumping off the roof. Based on the text it would only be fair to call this woman a lunatic. Mr. Rochester seemed like a reasonable man, so I would have to ask what drove him to lock her away? And did she get worse while she was locked away? When Jane had her first encounter with Bertha she seemed animalistic and without conscience. She had attacked her brother, Mason, with a knife after he tried to help her. Therefore, I can only imagine the kind of havoc she would cause if she wasn’t locked up. Jane’s description of her sounded heinous, how can a beautiful woman turn in to vampire-like creature straight out of a nightmare. Had this woman been presently alive she would be locked up in an institution. Apparently that would have been the better choice opposed to the attic in Thornfield Hall, which was escapable. Bertha Mason, although treated poorly, was not fit to walk the streets of England any day.
Based on Mr. Rochester's personality, I would guess that the reason he locked her away was because he was embarrassed of the situation but also because he cared about her safety. He seems to take pride in appearing powerful but he had little control in his marriage to Bertha or in her loss of sanity. Deep down, he is a sympathetic individual and that is probably why he wanted to keep her near him instead of sending her away where she could face danger or cruelty. He also seemed to care enough to try and stop her from committing suicide.
I think that once Mr. Rochester found out that the woman he was wed to was insane then he did not see any other fit explanation, but to lock her up. He is not the only person living in that house, there was Mrs. Fairfax and little Adele. For their safety too, Bertha needed to have restricted access to the house. Also, back in this time period your outer appearance was very important. How would people perceive Mr. Rochester if they knew he marred a lunatic? Would he belong to the same social class and hang around the same people as he did in the novel or would that not be allowed?
Marryn: On the contrary, I would ask what Mr. Rochester did to Bertha. He readily admits that ones she showed any small sign of possibly being insane, he grew to be very unhappy; Mr. Rochester was already bitter about his brother being the heir of his father's land, and now he was stuck with a woman who may not be the best partner. Driven by his bitterness, he very well could have mistreated her and then locked her in the closet, only worsening her condition. Since Mr. Rochester is the one who tells the story of Bertha, the reader is not given a truly accurate account of who Bertha is and how exactly she was driven insane.
Bertha Mason is indeed a very mysterious character. She is described as a woman with very dark features and mentally insane from Jamaica. Mr. Rochester said that this was an arranged marriage. He had no idea that Bertha was insane when he first met her. She acted completely normal, just as her mother did. The family deceived Mr. Rochester for him only to discover her insanity when he was married and back home at Thornfield Hall. The night before of Jane's wedding she is seen tearing up her veil and going to attack Jane. She is portrayed as an animal getting ready to hunt her prey. Bertha is also seen as malicious in her attack to set Mr. Rochester on fire, almost killing him. I wonder if Bertha would be less insane or malicious if Mr. Rochester did not lock her up? Do you think that escalated her insanity? From the circumstances that Mr. Rochester was in I think it was only safe for him to lock her up. Bertha even attacked her own brother, somebody she was familiar with for all of her life. If she was capable of doing that to family, then she most certainly has the power to hurt others.
That is a good point about Bertha attacking her own brother. Maybe Bertha never wanted to have an arranged marriage to Rochester but her family forced her into in and that is he reasoning for being to violent toward Rochester and her brother.
Bertha Mason and Jane Eyre are opposing figures, two sides of the same coin. While Jane was a poor orphan, Bertha Mason belonged to a wealthy family of Jamaican planters. Jane was described as small, quiet and somewhat homely, while Bertha was tall and once beautiful, although she became quite hideous after years of insanity. Despite these differences, Bertha and Jane have quite similar experiences; both women live in a world where they had little control. Bertha Mason married Mr. Rochester while she was only a young adult; he then loses interest and rejects her. She has no freedom beyond the loveless marriage and quite likely felt trapped by the quick marriage. Jane, too, was trapped from her childhood. She was trapped in a house with her hateful aunt and cousins, who taunted and abused her. Both women were dependent on others and unable to make decisions for themselves. Both of these women lashed out on those that oppressed them. The difference between Jane lashing out after her time out in the Red Room and Bertha lashing out at Rochester in an apparent fit of insanity, is that Bertha’s punishment never ends. After Jane is released from the Red Room, she is seen differently and eventually sent away to Lowood, but the event does not ruin the rest of her life. Bertha, on the other hand, does not ever receive her own freedom, and is then locked away in an attic for decades by her husband, Mr. Rochester. While Bertha Mason is dangerous and likely insane, her maltreatment by Mr. Rochester is by no means excusable. I personally believe Bertha Mason is unfairly portrayed, mostly due to the fact that all of the facts the reader learns of her is through Mr. Rochester, who is a biased and unreliable source. She is likened to a savage monster several times in the text. She is constantly “othered” by the characters, whether it be due to her Creole heritage, her insanity, or her appearance. While it is true that she is a danger to others, as seen by her attempted murder of Mr. Rochester several times and assault of her brother, I believe her condition was exacerbated by her treatment in her cruel prison in the Thornfield attic. Had she been cared after rather than shunted away, it is possible that Bertha Mason would not have become so dangerous and unhinged. Even in the text, she is treated more monster than man, as Jane even refers to her as looking alike to a “vampyre” and fearfully recalls her dark skin and features unusual to a typical Englishwoman. Because she was treated inhumanely and described as something “other” and inhuman, she thus became less than human as her humanity was stripped from her.
I never thought of how similar Bertha was to Jane. This is a great point. I do see how the reader cannot get a clear and truthful depiction of Bertha considering Rochester is the only one to comment on it. I feel we need another explanation from an outside source to understand Bertha more. Locking her up probably did not make her insanity any better, but I am not sure in Mr. Rochester would think the same thing.
I see Bertha Mason as a great example of internal versus external beauty and their importance in a relationship/love. Immediately, Mr. Rochester was attracted to Bertha and her physical features. At the time, he was content with their marriage because he himself was not a particularly handsome man that a woman like Bertha would ever love. Their pairing was based mainly on money and family assets. As Mr. Rochester aged and matured, Bertha's true colors came to light. Her physical beauty wore away and with the facade that she hid behind gone, her internal features were more apparent. Her insanity and animalistic impulses took over her mind and she gradually becomes the person that is introduced to the reader. Despite the fact that it was a forced marriage, Mr. Rochester was not upset with the woman chosen for him. Rochester admits, "I was dazzled, stimulated: my senses my senses were excited; and being ignorant, raw, and inexperienced, i thought I loved her...I never loved, I never esteemed, I did not know her" (290). In real-life relationships, physical attraction fades and a deeper emotional attraction is necessary for a relationship to thrive. Emotionally, Bertha is unstable and therefore a healthy relationship with her is nearly impossible. Another noteworthy point about Bertha is that she was living in a time where many did not understand mental illness. She was never given proper treatment so her symptoms and actions worsened over the years. She is portrayed as a wild, untamable beast that turns on her own family even though her mental state is not something she can help. Her characterization is, therefore, somewhat unfair because she is made up to be a devil-like antagonist that is a hindrance to Jane and Edwards relationship. Do you think that if Bertha were to live in today's society and given the correct medical care and guidance, she would be able to regain sanity and function in society normally? On another note, the veil is also a prominent symbol in regards to Bertha Mason's character. In the beginning of the novel, Bertha hides behind the "veil" of Grace Poole. Mr. Rochester is keeping her hidden and is using Grace as the reasoning behind all of the mysterious events in the house. The first time Jane actually sees Bertha is when she is tearing her literal veil, and in turn, she is coming out from behind the figurative veil.
I think that the veil does have significant importance to Bertha. I do understand what you mean when you say she was being hidden and kept a secret, but there may be another meaning. Bertha may of ripped the veil because she might actually understand that Mr. Rochester is going to be married to Jane and she may not like that. Ripping the veil could be her trying to stop the wedding and displaying her anger.
While ripping the veil does have its symbolic merits, I do not think she was necessarily angry at the wedding- at least not at Jane. It is clear to the reader that Bertha can do a whole lot more than just rip a veil, as seen in her attempt to kill Mr. Rochester in his sleep, or later in her attack on him when he brought Jane and the two men to see what a monstrous figure she has assumed. So, I do not think that she is really angry at the wedding; if she were, she would probably have attempted a whole lot more. Instead, I think ripping the veil \is more of a warning to Jane, in addition to the symbolic meaning that Lydia discussed.The fact that Mr. Rochester certainly did not treat her properly in locking her up in a single room for nearly the entirety of her adult life, compounded with the fact that marrying Jane would make Mr. Rochester a bigamist, motivated her to rip the veil.
I think Bertha is portrayed as a monster in Jane Eyre. When Rochester “showed” his clandestine wife to the clergymen and Mr. Mason, she is described as “a figure” that no one can tell “whether [it was a] beast or human being... it grovelled, seemingly, on all fours; it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal.” (Brontë 278). Furthermore, Rochester compares Jane to Bertha: “Compare these clear eyes with the red balls yonder-- this face with that mask -- this form with that bulk,” as way to show the difference between a sane human and insane beast (279). This comparison is like comparing Jane’s angelic presence to a demonic being; but like Emily said the two are similar. Meaning Bertha Mason acts as Jane’s “dark mirror”, Bertha represents the animalistic and impulse side of Jane. Jane has to repress her feelings so she can fit into the Victorian society that is depicted in the novel. Furthermore, when Jane runs into doubts or any trouble with her relationship with Rochester, Bertha acts out. For example, when Jane was having doubts about the wedding and Bertha ripped the veil in two, when Jane is tricked by Rochester to share her feelings when he dressed up as a gypsy and Bertha stabs her brother, and when Rochester yells at Jane about Adele’s mother and Bertha tries to set Rochester on fire. It is as if Bertha is protecting Jane by putting up red flags all over the mansion and for Jane to see how dangerous Thornfield is and leave, yet, Jane is blindly in love with Rochester that she does not pay mind to those. It is not till after Jane leaves Thornfield that she finally gains enough vision and knowledge to see past her love and her apparent surroundings. Also, Bertha is the only thing that comes between Jane and Rochester, signifying that Jane’s repressed emotions and hidden desires must be killed in order for Jane and Rochester to be married. This is succeeded when Bertha throws herself into the fire. Moreover, Jane attempts to show some grace for Bertha when Rochester is dehumanizing her, “you [Rochester] are inexorable for that unfortunate lady: you speak of her with hate -- with vindictive antipathy. It is cruel -- she cannot help being mad.” (286) Although, Brontë portrays Bertha as a monster, I see Bertha as an embodiment of subconscious desire and repressed emotions. Furthermore, this subscious activity is deep within not only Jane, but within us all. As humans, we have repressed feelings and impulses that we cannot share/do due to societal rules and expectations. If everyone did whatever they wanted, when they wanted, then chaos would ensue. That is what Bertha is. Her existence represents the repressed impulses we feel and the attic is the societal trap that contains our innermost emotions and desires; and, especially, in Victorian times a woman could not show any sign of their subconscious desires or they would be deemed mad and insane.
I also agree that, in the book, Bertha is portrayed as a character that is almost not human. The way Bronte described Bertha as snarling, makes her appear as some sort of uncontrolled wild animal. The analysis between Bertha being Jane's demons can be very accurate if you consider how Jane sees Bertha when she's thinking about marriage for example, compared to what she actually says about marriage. Her real take on marriage might of been depicted by the dreams she had followed by the way saw Bertha when her wedding dress was torn apart. Whereas when she confronted Rochester, it was more simple.
Bertha Mason is not only a mysterious character, but also complex. As a reader, my reaction to her was one of both pity and fear. I pity her because she was forced into an arranged marriage under the pretenses that she was someone she’s not. Bertha had to present herself as a young man’s dream; her family hid her true history and age behind her beautiful face, as if she was nothing more. From the beginning, Bertha Mason was immersed in a lie, and as a woman, she did not have the power to remove herself from the situation. She probably did not even have the mental stability to recognize the negative situation. Of course, there is also pity on account of the fact that she was mentally ill in some form and would never receive proper care due to the lack of medical knowledge and resources of the time. Once her mental state deteriorated completely, Bertha transformed into what was portrayed as a murderous beast without any sense of humanity. Her multiple attacks and attempts on the lives of Mr. Rochester and then her brother were quite frightening. The most horrid moment was when she appeared in Jane’s room before her wedding. I find it interesting that she made no attempt to physically harm Jane; perhaps that illustrates some bit of humanity left in her, or perhaps it just displays a sense of awareness, meaning she would only harm those who she knew had done her wrong. She attempted to murder Mr. Rochester, for example, because he had locked her away and hid her existence for years. He treated her as nothing more than a deranged animal because he was ashamed of his own display of naivety in marrying a woman he knew nothing about, a woman who turned out to be insane. I think he once again acted with a great deal of naivety in thinking he could just hide his problems in his attic and act like everything was dandy and sweet. He did not properly handle the situation and eventually had to face the consequences. What would have been the right course of action? I’m not sure, as there is no real indication that taking care of Bertha would have ensured her recuperation, and it could have put Mr. Rochester and those in his residence in danger. Nonetheless, it is clear that Bertha Mason was depicted in a negative light in Jane Eyre, and unfairly so. Although she died as something akin to a monster, she was once a human, but that is so often forgotten.
When Jane comes along, Bertha is naturally upset that her husband would completely push her aside and take a mistress; in this context, Bertha lurking through the night and tearing Jane’s veil does not seem so bad. I think Bertha recognizes that Jane is by no means at fault for Mr. Rochester's attempt at making her his mistress, so tries to warn Jane by coming into her room at night and tearing her veil. While she definitely had intentions of harming Mr. Rochester, she did never wanted to harm someone who did not knowingly do her wrong. Mr. Rochester, who locked her up, and Mr. Mason, who shipped her across the ocean to be married, were her only real targets in the story.
Bertha Mason was written to be the skeleton in the closet, so that is all that she is meant to be. She isn’t a dynamic character. She is interesting and strange and mysterious, but she is by no means dynamic. One should not expect to get more out of her character than is given. She is mysterious because of the static nature of her role in the novel, and, thus, is never elaborated upon. Bronte did not feel the need to give her more than the strange details and the minimal “stage time” because Bertha Mason is not supposed to be more than the woman who keeps Jane and Mr. Rochester from being together at first. She is so mysterious and doesn’t seem to have much depth because then Bronte would not have to write too much about her. Bertha is not the focus of the story. Because her background and position in life is so strange, it would have taken away from Jane’s story to write too much about her. I understand why some people might think that her underdeveloped character lessens the impact of the story or is not fair to her as a character, but, looking at it from Bronte’s point of view, Bertha is only meant to be a curve ball, so beyond that, she doesn’t need to be developed.
I agree that Bertha was meant ot be mysterious just because she had very little purpose. She was not dynamic and she was only there to keep Jane and Rochester apart, but she also needed to be there to build up the trust between Rochester and Jane. Without her Jane would not have saved Rochester from the blaze within his bedroom.
When viewing Bertha Mason, it is important to keep in mind the environment she developed her mental state in. She is repeatedly dubbed a monster, recalled by her grotesque appearance and her mad behavior; however, how she got there is frequently overlooked. As previously stated, Bertha and Jane lived pretty similar lives, to the point that Bertha can be presented as Jane’s foil. The important piece to note is at what point their paths diverged, resulting in one trapped, mentally unstable woman, and one free, composed women. Bertha and Jane both began their lives trapped: Jane, at Gateshead, stuck as a dependent in a family who loathed her presence, and Bertha, with a drunk and unstable mother. It is also crucial to note that as part of a wealthy family, it is more than plausible that Bertha was consistently trapped in nineteenth century high society’s gender norms, learning in a highly controlled environment and taught etiquette more than anything else. Jane, on the other hand, was considered less than a servant when she was young, and therefore had nothing to lose by picking up History of British Birds to educate herself, or learning to speak up against those who did her wrong. In this way, Jane had a much easier time breaking down the walls of gender norms that were constructed in that time period, resulting in an independent young woman. Bertha, in comparison, had no way of learning how to break out of the gender norms, and remained trapped as she was sent off to Mr. Rochester for financial purposes instead of for love and was transplanted into a new life across the sea. When she showed her apparent madness to Mr. Rochester, he stuck with what society had depended on to keep everyone in line: he trapped her- locked her in a room with a single nurse to keep her company, and went off to look for a new, more suitable bride. I trust that being trapped throughout life as Bertha was would cause anyone’s sanity to deteriorate. Further, Bertha is necessary to the novel for more than just foiling Jane. When Bertha Mason burnt down the estate, she allowed Jane to finish her journey of transformation and return to Mr. Rochester. While Jane became independent and acquired a sustainable amount of money, Mr. Rochester lost much of his fortune. When Jane came back, therefore, she was on equal standing with Mr. Rochester and would not be dependent upon him. This gave her the option to marry him freely for desire’s sake, and nothing else. Bertha’s madness is therefore crucial for the ending of the novel and the significance of Jane’s relationship with Mr. Rochester.
Bertha acts as a foil to Jane. While Jane is plain, petite and pale, Bertha is describes as a dark, promiscuous, and attractive. Jane and Bertha also come from different sociancomincal stauts, Jane grew up poor and orphaned; Bertha came from a very wealthy family. Jane maintains the standards of a proper English woman, nevering really talking back and always apologizing. Bertha , on the other hand, manifests her feelings through her insanity. Bertha acts on her impulses when she express her feelings of hate and betray to Mr. Rochester and Mr. Mason by attacking them. Another interesting point is that Bertha acts out when Jane encounters emotional experiences, as if she were acting to express Jane. Bertha also warns Jane, in a way, by breaking the wedding veil. Jane and Bertha are also similar in that they are both suppressed by a patriarchal society. Bertha was rushed into marriage by her family to avoid her insanity and with Mr. Rochester she is locked in the attic. While I do believe it was harsh, I do not think that there were many other options for her. During this time period, treatment for insanity was very limited. Jane rejects men who seek to claim dominion over her like Mr. Rochester and Mr. Rivers. Jane is able to make her own decisions, demonstrated by her leaving Mr. Rochester and Mr. Rivers. Bertha also made a choice to leave Thornfield by ending her life. Finally, Jane is able to become the proper Victorian wife, only after Bertha’s death, as if Jane needed to let go a darker side of her that is displayed in Bertha.
I agree that Bertha acts as Jane's dark mirror image. Bertha is the manifestation of all of Jane's vulgar and devilish thoughts and temptations. The need for Bertha symbolizes the strict rules that the Victorian society had put on woman; which emphasizes the reason why Bertha had to die in order for Jane to be fully assimilated into the society.
I do not think that Bertha is described fairly in the novel. She is described as insane and savage. The reader is led to believe that she is quite insane and monstrous throughout the book from all of the screams and sounds that come from the third floor leading up to her introduction in the story. Berta and Rochester’s marriage was not out of love but instead for Rochester to have wealth and status. Once Bertha became insane Rochester merely threw her aside. He locked her up away from all other people, which was probably not helpful to her, but at the same time at least he still cared for her and gave her a place to stay instead of throwing her away and sending her off somewhere. Bertha was also a safety hazard to herself and others. She lit Rochester curtain on fire more than once and then set the entire house ablaze and jumped to her death from the roof. It is safe to say that Bertha needed help but at that time there wasn’t much information about mental illness. Rochester did his best to deal with her and care for her. I think he should have been more open about Bertha with Jane instead of having the news come out at their wedding ceremony. Rochester was probably embarrassed that his wife was insane which was why he kept her locked up in the third floor. Rochester was probably humiliated with how his life ended up during out up until he met Jane. His father gave his inheritance to Rochester’s brother and was forced to marry into wealth, then his wife ended up going insane. I think that Bertha is a very mysterious character but was also not given a chance in her portrayal.
I think you may be giving Bertha too much credit and Rochester too little. She was clearly insane and Rochester even said that it was all he could do to lock her up for both the protection of the staff and her own protection. He was forced in to the marriage by his father and never loved her. I agree that he should have told Jane but I think Mr. Rochester was never in the wrong.
Bertha Mason was supposed to be a typical wife, married off even before knowing her husband well. Everything about the situation was normal: she came from a wealthy family, had beautiful features, and was not too much younger than Mr. Rochester. Jane, on the other hand, is poor, plain, and over twenty years younger than Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester and Bertha Mason were set up to be married, while Jane and Mr. Rochester met naturally, with no intention of romance. Therefore, the two are foils of each other. It would seem that his marriage to Bertha Mason would have been the successful one, and his love for Jane foolish. However, it is the opposite. Bronte makes Bertha out to be a monster to accentuate how the situation is reversed. When Bertha comes into Jane's room while she is sleeping, Jane thinks her to be some sort of monster or vampire. Jane thinks this might be a nightmare. Later on, though, Bertha's presence does become Jane's living nightmare, in that her existence prevents her marriage to Mr. Rochester.
The existence of Bertha Mason was a shocking discovery for me as I read. Initially upon finding out that she had been Mr. Rochester's wife, I was shocked. She was portrayed as being crazy, demonic, vampire-like, and satanic. The way she was said to have behaved had me taken aback, as I did not expect that behavior or those descriptions to take place in a book such as Jane Eyre. The whole thing seemed sort of out of place, as if it belonged to horror story instead of this Victorian tale. When Mr. Rochester explained his marriage situation to Jane Eyre, I got suspicious. It seemed to me like Bertha was a perfectly normal woman, thrown into marriage for money and the benefits for each of their families, not love. From Bertha's perspective, this is pretty saddening, because she is with a man that she barely knows who keeps her upstairs in a room all of the time. Having her husband dissociate with her probably added to her mental struggle. If she were truly mentally ill as they described her, then that is the last place she should have been spending her time. It was evidently worse for her mental state, as she gradually caused more trouble in the house, leading up to the big fire and her eventual death, a tragic suicide. These events seemed to be cries for help or attention. I think it was ignorant of Mr. Rochester to label her as "mad" and stick her in a room upstairs. Bertha Mason was a woman with an unconventional mind. I can't help but feel sorry for her, especially as a character in a book where the protagonist is another woman with an unconventional mind. The only difference is Jane's unconventional nature is respected in most cases, and she is regarded highly by Mr. Rochester and other characters, while poor Bertha is kept away and neglected. The story of Bertha Mason is truly an intriguing addition to the story.
Bertha Mason is said to be one of the most mysterious characters ever to be written in literature, and after reading 'Jane Eyre', I can completely comprehend why. Although Bertha's role in the book 'Jane Eyre' was not as long as the other events that occurred in the book, it certainly left quite an impression on me. What surprised me the most about Bertha's character was not the fact that she married Rochester then started showing her true self, but later on when Jane comes and Bertha is on full throttle with her insanity. Personally I do not think that Bertha was exaggerated at all by Rochester when he talked about their past because based on the things she did to the people in the house, for example trying to set her husband on fire and later setting the whole house on fire, falls coherently with the reason as to why he had her locked up and why he did not even want to consider her as his wife. The book does a good job of portraying Bertha as insane with Bertha actually completing many actions that deem her as insane.
Bertha Mason, the late wife of Mr. Rochester, has been described as the most mysterious character ever written. She comes to life in the Novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, and is only written about on a few pages of the text. She is only ever completely described by Jane because Jane thought she was a nightmare that had come to life. Bertha was unfairly wed to Mr. Rochester in the West Indies. The marriage had been arranged by Mr. Rochester’s father purely for his own financial benefit. Mr. Rochester had barely talked to her before their wedding day and once they were married he quickly realized what little they had in common. She was cruel and downright insane. Her insanity worsened over the years until Mr. Rochester finally locked her in the attic of Thornfield Hall and decided to tell no one about her. She was taken care of by Grace Poole who would go on stout binges and frequently fall asleep. Thus, leaving Bertha a window for escape. Bertha had set fire to Mr. Rochester’s bed and curtains, she ripped Jane’s veil in two, and she eventually set fire to the entirety of Thornfield hall and committed suicide by jumping off the roof. Based on the text it would only be fair to call this woman a lunatic. Mr. Rochester seemed like a reasonable man, so I would have to ask what drove him to lock her away? And did she get worse while she was locked away? When Jane had her first encounter with Bertha she seemed animalistic and without conscience. She had attacked her brother, Mason, with a knife after he tried to help her. Therefore, I can only imagine the kind of havoc she would cause if she wasn’t locked up. Jane’s description of her sounded heinous, how can a beautiful woman turn in to vampire-like creature straight out of a nightmare. Had this woman been presently alive she would be locked up in an institution. Apparently that would have been the better choice opposed to the attic in Thornfield Hall, which was escapable. Bertha Mason, although treated poorly, was not fit to walk the streets of England any day.
ReplyDeleteBased on Mr. Rochester's personality, I would guess that the reason he locked her away was because he was embarrassed of the situation but also because he cared about her safety. He seems to take pride in appearing powerful but he had little control in his marriage to Bertha or in her loss of sanity. Deep down, he is a sympathetic individual and that is probably why he wanted to keep her near him instead of sending her away where she could face danger or cruelty. He also seemed to care enough to try and stop her from committing suicide.
DeleteI think that once Mr. Rochester found out that the woman he was wed to was insane then he did not see any other fit explanation, but to lock her up. He is not the only person living in that house, there was Mrs. Fairfax and little Adele. For their safety too, Bertha needed to have restricted access to the house. Also, back in this time period your outer appearance was very important. How would people perceive Mr. Rochester if they knew he marred a lunatic? Would he belong to the same social class and hang around the same people as he did in the novel or would that not be allowed?
DeleteMarryn: On the contrary, I would ask what Mr. Rochester did to Bertha. He readily admits that ones she showed any small sign of possibly being insane, he grew to be very unhappy; Mr. Rochester was already bitter about his brother being the heir of his father's land, and now he was stuck with a woman who may not be the best partner. Driven by his bitterness, he very well could have mistreated her and then locked her in the closet, only worsening her condition. Since Mr. Rochester is the one who tells the story of Bertha, the reader is not given a truly accurate account of who Bertha is and how exactly she was driven insane.
DeleteBertha Mason is indeed a very mysterious character. She is described as a woman with very dark features and mentally insane from Jamaica. Mr. Rochester said that this was an arranged marriage. He had no idea that Bertha was insane when he first met her. She acted completely normal, just as her mother did. The family deceived Mr. Rochester for him only to discover her insanity when he was married and back home at Thornfield Hall. The night before of Jane's wedding she is seen tearing up her veil and going to attack Jane. She is portrayed as an animal getting ready to hunt her prey. Bertha is also seen as malicious in her attack to set Mr. Rochester on fire, almost killing him. I wonder if Bertha would be less insane or malicious if Mr. Rochester did not lock her up? Do you think that escalated her insanity? From the circumstances that Mr. Rochester was in I think it was only safe for him to lock her up. Bertha even attacked her own brother, somebody she was familiar with for all of her life. If she was capable of doing that to family, then she most certainly has the power to hurt others.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point about Bertha attacking her own brother. Maybe Bertha never wanted to have an arranged marriage to Rochester but her family forced her into in and that is he reasoning for being to violent toward Rochester and her brother.
DeleteBertha Mason and Jane Eyre are opposing figures, two sides of the same coin. While Jane was a poor orphan, Bertha Mason belonged to a wealthy family of Jamaican planters. Jane was described as small, quiet and somewhat homely, while Bertha was tall and once beautiful, although she became quite hideous after years of insanity. Despite these differences, Bertha and Jane have quite similar experiences; both women live in a world where they had little control. Bertha Mason married Mr. Rochester while she was only a young adult; he then loses interest and rejects her. She has no freedom beyond the loveless marriage and quite likely felt trapped by the quick marriage. Jane, too, was trapped from her childhood. She was trapped in a house with her hateful aunt and cousins, who taunted and abused her. Both women were dependent on others and unable to make decisions for themselves. Both of these women lashed out on those that oppressed them. The difference between Jane lashing out after her time out in the Red Room and Bertha lashing out at Rochester in an apparent fit of insanity, is that Bertha’s punishment never ends. After Jane is released from the Red Room, she is seen differently and eventually sent away to Lowood, but the event does not ruin the rest of her life. Bertha, on the other hand, does not ever receive her own freedom, and is then locked away in an attic for decades by her husband, Mr. Rochester. While Bertha Mason is dangerous and likely insane, her maltreatment by Mr. Rochester is by no means excusable. I personally believe Bertha Mason is unfairly portrayed, mostly due to the fact that all of the facts the reader learns of her is through Mr. Rochester, who is a biased and unreliable source. She is likened to a savage monster several times in the text. She is constantly “othered” by the characters, whether it be due to her Creole heritage, her insanity, or her appearance. While it is true that she is a danger to others, as seen by her attempted murder of Mr. Rochester several times and assault of her brother, I believe her condition was exacerbated by her treatment in her cruel prison in the Thornfield attic. Had she been cared after rather than shunted away, it is possible that Bertha Mason would not have become so dangerous and unhinged. Even in the text, she is treated more monster than man, as Jane even refers to her as looking alike to a “vampyre” and fearfully recalls her dark skin and features unusual to a typical Englishwoman. Because she was treated inhumanely and described as something “other” and inhuman, she thus became less than human as her humanity was stripped from her.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of how similar Bertha was to Jane. This is a great point. I do see how the reader cannot get a clear and truthful depiction of Bertha considering Rochester is the only one to comment on it. I feel we need another explanation from an outside source to understand Bertha more. Locking her up probably did not make her insanity any better, but I am not sure in Mr. Rochester would think the same thing.
DeleteI see Bertha Mason as a great example of internal versus external beauty and their importance in a relationship/love. Immediately, Mr. Rochester was attracted to Bertha and her physical features. At the time, he was content with their marriage because he himself was not a particularly handsome man that a woman like Bertha would ever love. Their pairing was based mainly on money and family assets. As Mr. Rochester aged and matured, Bertha's true colors came to light. Her physical beauty wore away and with the facade that she hid behind gone, her internal features were more apparent. Her insanity and animalistic impulses took over her mind and she gradually becomes the person that is introduced to the reader. Despite the fact that it was a forced marriage, Mr. Rochester was not upset with the woman chosen for him. Rochester admits, "I was dazzled, stimulated: my senses my senses were excited; and being ignorant, raw, and inexperienced, i thought I loved her...I never loved, I never esteemed, I did not know her" (290). In real-life relationships, physical attraction fades and a deeper emotional attraction is necessary for a relationship to thrive. Emotionally, Bertha is unstable and therefore a healthy relationship with her is nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteAnother noteworthy point about Bertha is that she was living in a time where many did not understand mental illness. She was never given proper treatment so her symptoms and actions worsened over the years. She is portrayed as a wild, untamable beast that turns on her own family even though her mental state is not something she can help. Her characterization is, therefore, somewhat unfair because she is made up to be a devil-like antagonist that is a hindrance to Jane and Edwards relationship. Do you think that if Bertha were to live in today's society and given the correct medical care and guidance, she would be able to regain sanity and function in society normally?
On another note, the veil is also a prominent symbol in regards to Bertha Mason's character. In the beginning of the novel, Bertha hides behind the "veil" of Grace Poole. Mr. Rochester is keeping her hidden and is using Grace as the reasoning behind all of the mysterious events in the house. The first time Jane actually sees Bertha is when she is tearing her literal veil, and in turn, she is coming out from behind the figurative veil.
I think that the veil does have significant importance to Bertha. I do understand what you mean when you say she was being hidden and kept a secret, but there may be another meaning. Bertha may of ripped the veil because she might actually understand that Mr. Rochester is going to be married to Jane and she may not like that. Ripping the veil could be her trying to stop the wedding and displaying her anger.
DeleteWhile ripping the veil does have its symbolic merits, I do not think she was necessarily angry at the wedding- at least not at Jane. It is clear to the reader that Bertha can do a whole lot more than just rip a veil, as seen in her attempt to kill Mr. Rochester in his sleep, or later in her attack on him when he brought Jane and the two men to see what a monstrous figure she has assumed. So, I do not think that she is really angry at the wedding; if she were, she would probably have attempted a whole lot more. Instead, I think ripping the veil \is more of a warning to Jane, in addition to the symbolic meaning that Lydia discussed.The fact that Mr. Rochester certainly did not treat her properly in locking her up in a single room for nearly the entirety of her adult life, compounded with the fact that marrying Jane would make Mr. Rochester a bigamist, motivated her to rip the veil.
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ReplyDeleteI think Bertha is portrayed as a monster in Jane Eyre. When Rochester “showed” his clandestine wife to the clergymen and Mr. Mason, she is described as “a figure” that no one can tell “whether [it was a] beast or human being... it grovelled, seemingly, on all fours; it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal.” (Brontë 278). Furthermore, Rochester compares Jane to Bertha: “Compare these clear eyes with the red balls yonder-- this face with that mask -- this form with that bulk,” as way to show the difference between a sane human and insane beast (279). This comparison is like comparing Jane’s angelic presence to a demonic being; but like Emily said the two are similar. Meaning Bertha Mason acts as Jane’s “dark mirror”, Bertha represents the animalistic and impulse side of Jane. Jane has to repress her feelings so she can fit into the Victorian society that is depicted in the novel. Furthermore, when Jane runs into doubts or any trouble with her relationship with Rochester, Bertha acts out. For example, when Jane was having doubts about the wedding and Bertha ripped the veil in two, when Jane is tricked by Rochester to share her feelings when he dressed up as a gypsy and Bertha stabs her brother, and when Rochester yells at Jane about Adele’s mother and Bertha tries to set Rochester on fire. It is as if Bertha is protecting Jane by putting up red flags all over the mansion and for Jane to see how dangerous Thornfield is and leave, yet, Jane is blindly in love with Rochester that she does not pay mind to those. It is not till after Jane leaves Thornfield that she finally gains enough vision and knowledge to see past her love and her apparent surroundings. Also, Bertha is the only thing that comes between Jane and Rochester, signifying that Jane’s repressed emotions and hidden desires must be killed in order for Jane and Rochester to be married. This is succeeded when Bertha throws herself into the fire. Moreover, Jane attempts to show some grace for Bertha when Rochester is dehumanizing her, “you [Rochester] are inexorable for that unfortunate lady: you speak of her with hate -- with vindictive antipathy. It is cruel -- she cannot help being mad.” (286) Although, Brontë portrays Bertha as a monster, I see Bertha as an embodiment of subconscious desire and repressed emotions. Furthermore, this subscious activity is deep within not only Jane, but within us all. As humans, we have repressed feelings and impulses that we cannot share/do due to societal rules and expectations. If everyone did whatever they wanted, when they wanted, then chaos would ensue. That is what Bertha is. Her existence represents the repressed impulses we feel and the attic is the societal trap that contains our innermost emotions and desires; and, especially, in Victorian times a woman could not show any sign of their subconscious desires or they would be deemed mad and insane.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that, in the book, Bertha is portrayed as a character that is almost not human. The way Bronte described Bertha as snarling, makes her appear as some sort of uncontrolled wild animal. The analysis between Bertha being Jane's demons can be very accurate if you consider how Jane sees Bertha when she's thinking about marriage for example, compared to what she actually says about marriage. Her real take on marriage might of been depicted by the dreams she had followed by the way saw Bertha when her wedding dress was torn apart. Whereas when she confronted Rochester, it was more simple.
DeleteBertha Mason is not only a mysterious character, but also complex. As a reader, my reaction to her was one of both pity and fear. I pity her because she was forced into an arranged marriage under the pretenses that she was someone she’s not. Bertha had to present herself as a young man’s dream; her family hid her true history and age behind her beautiful face, as if she was nothing more. From the beginning, Bertha Mason was immersed in a lie, and as a woman, she did not have the power to remove herself from the situation. She probably did not even have the mental stability to recognize the negative situation. Of course, there is also pity on account of the fact that she was mentally ill in some form and would never receive proper care due to the lack of medical knowledge and resources of the time. Once her mental state deteriorated completely, Bertha transformed into what was portrayed as a murderous beast without any sense of humanity. Her multiple attacks and attempts on the lives of Mr. Rochester and then her brother were quite frightening. The most horrid moment was when she appeared in Jane’s room before her wedding. I find it interesting that she made no attempt to physically harm Jane; perhaps that illustrates some bit of humanity left in her, or perhaps it just displays a sense of awareness, meaning she would only harm those who she knew had done her wrong. She attempted to murder Mr. Rochester, for example, because he had locked her away and hid her existence for years. He treated her as nothing more than a deranged animal because he was ashamed of his own display of naivety in marrying a woman he knew nothing about, a woman who turned out to be insane. I think he once again acted with a great deal of naivety in thinking he could just hide his problems in his attic and act like everything was dandy and sweet. He did not properly handle the situation and eventually had to face the consequences. What would have been the right course of action? I’m not sure, as there is no real indication that taking care of Bertha would have ensured her recuperation, and it could have put Mr. Rochester and those in his residence in danger. Nonetheless, it is clear that Bertha Mason was depicted in a negative light in Jane Eyre, and unfairly so. Although she died as something akin to a monster, she was once a human, but that is so often forgotten.
ReplyDeleteWhen Jane comes along, Bertha is naturally upset that her husband would completely push her aside and take a mistress; in this context, Bertha lurking through the night and tearing Jane’s veil does not seem so bad. I think Bertha recognizes that Jane is by no means at fault for Mr. Rochester's attempt at making her his mistress, so tries to warn Jane by coming into her room at night and tearing her veil. While she definitely had intentions of harming Mr. Rochester, she did never wanted to harm someone who did not knowingly do her wrong. Mr. Rochester, who locked her up, and Mr. Mason, who shipped her across the ocean to be married, were her only real targets in the story.
DeleteBertha Mason was written to be the skeleton in the closet, so that is all that she is meant to be. She isn’t a dynamic character. She is interesting and strange and mysterious, but she is by no means dynamic. One should not expect to get more out of her character than is given. She is mysterious because of the static nature of her role in the novel, and, thus, is never elaborated upon. Bronte did not feel the need to give her more than the strange details and the minimal “stage time” because Bertha Mason is not supposed to be more than the woman who keeps Jane and Mr. Rochester from being together at first. She is so mysterious and doesn’t seem to have much depth because then Bronte would not have to write too much about her. Bertha is not the focus of the story. Because her background and position in life is so strange, it would have taken away from Jane’s story to write too much about her. I understand why some people might think that her underdeveloped character lessens the impact of the story or is not fair to her as a character, but, looking at it from Bronte’s point of view, Bertha is only meant to be a curve ball, so beyond that, she doesn’t need to be developed.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Bertha was meant ot be mysterious just because she had very little purpose. She was not dynamic and she was only there to keep Jane and Rochester apart, but she also needed to be there to build up the trust between Rochester and Jane. Without her Jane would not have saved Rochester from the blaze within his bedroom.
DeleteWhen viewing Bertha Mason, it is important to keep in mind the environment she developed her mental state in. She is repeatedly dubbed a monster, recalled by her grotesque appearance and her mad behavior; however, how she got there is frequently overlooked. As previously stated, Bertha and Jane lived pretty similar lives, to the point that Bertha can be presented as Jane’s foil. The important piece to note is at what point their paths diverged, resulting in one trapped, mentally unstable woman, and one free, composed women. Bertha and Jane both began their lives trapped: Jane, at Gateshead, stuck as a dependent in a family who loathed her presence, and Bertha, with a drunk and unstable mother. It is also crucial to note that as part of a wealthy family, it is more than plausible that Bertha was consistently trapped in nineteenth century high society’s gender norms, learning in a highly controlled environment and taught etiquette more than anything else. Jane, on the other hand, was considered less than a servant when she was young, and therefore had nothing to lose by picking up History of British Birds to educate herself, or learning to speak up against those who did her wrong. In this way, Jane had a much easier time breaking down the walls of gender norms that were constructed in that time period, resulting in an independent young woman. Bertha, in comparison, had no way of learning how to break out of the gender norms, and remained trapped as she was sent off to Mr. Rochester for financial purposes instead of for love and was transplanted into a new life across the sea. When she showed her apparent madness to Mr. Rochester, he stuck with what society had depended on to keep everyone in line: he trapped her- locked her in a room with a single nurse to keep her company, and went off to look for a new, more suitable bride. I trust that being trapped throughout life as Bertha was would cause anyone’s sanity to deteriorate.
ReplyDeleteFurther, Bertha is necessary to the novel for more than just foiling Jane. When Bertha Mason burnt down the estate, she allowed Jane to finish her journey of transformation and return to Mr. Rochester. While Jane became independent and acquired a sustainable amount of money, Mr. Rochester lost much of his fortune. When Jane came back, therefore, she was on equal standing with Mr. Rochester and would not be dependent upon him. This gave her the option to marry him freely for desire’s sake, and nothing else. Bertha’s madness is therefore crucial for the ending of the novel and the significance of Jane’s relationship with Mr. Rochester.
Bertha acts as a foil to Jane. While Jane is plain, petite and pale, Bertha is describes as a dark, promiscuous, and attractive. Jane and Bertha also come from different sociancomincal stauts, Jane grew up poor and orphaned; Bertha came from a very wealthy family. Jane maintains the standards of a proper English woman, nevering really talking back and always apologizing. Bertha , on the other hand, manifests her feelings through her insanity. Bertha acts on her impulses when she express her feelings of hate and betray to Mr. Rochester and Mr. Mason by attacking them. Another interesting point is that Bertha acts out when Jane encounters emotional experiences, as if she were acting to express Jane. Bertha also warns Jane, in a way, by breaking the wedding veil. Jane and Bertha are also similar in that they are both suppressed by a patriarchal society. Bertha was rushed into marriage by her family to avoid her insanity and with Mr. Rochester she is locked in the attic. While I do believe it was harsh, I do not think that there were many other options for her. During this time period, treatment for insanity was very limited. Jane rejects men who seek to claim dominion over her like Mr. Rochester and Mr. Rivers. Jane is able to make her own decisions, demonstrated by her leaving Mr. Rochester and Mr. Rivers. Bertha also made a choice to leave Thornfield by ending her life. Finally, Jane is able to become the proper Victorian wife, only after Bertha’s death, as if Jane needed to let go a darker side of her that is displayed in Bertha.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Bertha acts as Jane's dark mirror image. Bertha is the manifestation of all of Jane's vulgar and devilish thoughts and temptations. The need for Bertha symbolizes the strict rules that the Victorian society had put on woman; which emphasizes the reason why Bertha had to die in order for Jane to be fully assimilated into the society.
DeleteI do not think that Bertha is described fairly in the novel. She is described as insane and savage. The reader is led to believe that she is quite insane and monstrous throughout the book from all of the screams and sounds that come from the third floor leading up to her introduction in the story. Berta and Rochester’s marriage was not out of love but instead for Rochester to have wealth and status. Once Bertha became insane Rochester merely threw her aside. He locked her up away from all other people, which was probably not helpful to her, but at the same time at least he still cared for her and gave her a place to stay instead of throwing her away and sending her off somewhere. Bertha was also a safety hazard to herself and others. She lit Rochester curtain on fire more than once and then set the entire house ablaze and jumped to her death from the roof. It is safe to say that Bertha needed help but at that time there wasn’t much information about mental illness. Rochester did his best to deal with her and care for her. I think he should have been more open about Bertha with Jane instead of having the news come out at their wedding ceremony. Rochester was probably embarrassed that his wife was insane which was why he kept her locked up in the third floor. Rochester was probably humiliated with how his life ended up during out up until he met Jane. His father gave his inheritance to Rochester’s brother and was forced to marry into wealth, then his wife ended up going insane. I think that Bertha is a very mysterious character but was also not given a chance in her portrayal.
ReplyDeleteI think you may be giving Bertha too much credit and Rochester too little. She was clearly insane and Rochester even said that it was all he could do to lock her up for both the protection of the staff and her own protection. He was forced in to the marriage by his father and never loved her. I agree that he should have told Jane but I think Mr. Rochester was never in the wrong.
DeleteBertha Mason was supposed to be a typical wife, married off even before knowing her husband well. Everything about the situation was normal: she came from a wealthy family, had beautiful features, and was not too much younger than Mr. Rochester. Jane, on the other hand, is poor, plain, and over twenty years younger than Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester and Bertha Mason were set up to be married, while Jane and Mr. Rochester met naturally, with no intention of romance. Therefore, the two are foils of each other. It would seem that his marriage to Bertha Mason would have been the successful one, and his love for Jane foolish. However, it is the opposite. Bronte makes Bertha out to be a monster to accentuate how the situation is reversed.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bertha comes into Jane's room while she is sleeping, Jane thinks her to be some sort of monster or vampire. Jane thinks this might be a nightmare. Later on, though, Bertha's presence does become Jane's living nightmare, in that her existence prevents her marriage to Mr. Rochester.
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ReplyDeleteThe existence of Bertha Mason was a shocking discovery for me as I read. Initially upon finding out that she had been Mr. Rochester's wife, I was shocked. She was portrayed as being crazy, demonic, vampire-like, and satanic. The way she was said to have behaved had me taken aback, as I did not expect that behavior or those descriptions to take place in a book such as Jane Eyre. The whole thing seemed sort of out of place, as if it belonged to horror story instead of this Victorian tale. When Mr. Rochester explained his marriage situation to Jane Eyre, I got suspicious. It seemed to me like Bertha was a perfectly normal woman, thrown into marriage for money and the benefits for each of their families, not love. From Bertha's perspective, this is pretty saddening, because she is with a man that she barely knows who keeps her upstairs in a room all of the time. Having her husband dissociate with her probably added to her mental struggle. If she were truly mentally ill as they described her, then that is the last place she should have been spending her time. It was evidently worse for her mental state, as she gradually caused more trouble in the house, leading up to the big fire and her eventual death, a tragic suicide. These events seemed to be cries for help or attention. I think it was ignorant of Mr. Rochester to label her as "mad" and stick her in a room upstairs. Bertha Mason was a woman with an unconventional mind. I can't help but feel sorry for her, especially as a character in a book where the protagonist is another woman with an unconventional mind. The only difference is Jane's unconventional nature is respected in most cases, and she is regarded highly by Mr. Rochester and other characters, while poor Bertha is kept away and neglected. The story of Bertha Mason is truly an intriguing addition to the story.
ReplyDeleteBertha Mason is said to be one of the most mysterious characters ever to be written in literature, and after reading 'Jane Eyre', I can completely comprehend why. Although Bertha's role in the book 'Jane Eyre' was not as long as the other events that occurred in the book, it certainly left quite an impression on me. What surprised me the most about Bertha's character was not the fact that she married Rochester then started showing her true self, but later on when Jane comes and Bertha is on full throttle with her insanity. Personally I do not think that Bertha was exaggerated at all by Rochester when he talked about their past because based on the things she did to the people in the house, for example trying to set her husband on fire and later setting the whole house on fire, falls coherently with the reason as to why he had her locked up and why he did not even want to consider her as his wife. The book does a good job of portraying Bertha as insane with Bertha actually completing many actions that deem her as insane.
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