Bertha Mason in Charlotte Bronte´s Jane Eyre

720 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How does bertha mason influence her

The Novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte took a surprising twist when Bertha "Mason" Rochester was introduced. Bertha leaves a traumatizing impression on Jane’s conscious. However, this particular misfortunate event was insidiously accumulating prior to Jane’s arrival at Thornfield. Through Bertha, the potential alternative dark turn of events of Jane’s past are realized, thus bringing Jane closer to finding herself. Bertha and Mr. Rochester were set up and pressured into marrying each other. Mr. Rochester claims that isolating Bertha in a secret room is a justifiable act because of her mental instability. However, The Bertha that the reader gets to see exhibits an accumulated maniacal rage as a result of her imprisonment. Jane describes her as a savage woman. The very sight of her when she attacked her brother or when she ripped the wedding veil traumatized Jane. However, Bertha impacted more than her safety. When Bertha is revealed to be Mr. Rochester’s wife, Jane finds out that despite the love she and Mr. Rochester have for each other; Jane can be nothing more than a mistress because it is illegal to divorce an insane women who is not in control of her actions. With that being said, Jane is lost between following her passion and love for Mr. Rochester and her love for herself and reason. This is exhibited when Mr. Rochester attempts to explain everything to Jane and reassure her of his love for her. Jane tells the reader, "I wanted to be weak that I might avoid the awful passage of further suffering I saw laid out for me; and conscience, turned tyrant, held passion by the throat" (303). In addition to Jane’s moral dilemma caused by Bertha, Berthas appearance forces Jane to retreat to God. This was true; and whi... ... middle of paper ... ... the red room and likewise, saw a reflection of her in Mr. Rochester. In both traumatizing situations, Jane ironically experiences an outer body experience from within her body. In the red room she literally saw herself and fainted because of the sight of herself, but when conversing with Mr. Rochester she saw the hatred she had for Mrs. Reed in his hatred for Bertha. For example, "the paroxysms, when my wife is prompted by her familiar to burn people in their beds at night, to stab them, to bite their flesh from their bones," (306) Jane made many compromises prior to the revealing of Bertha, but sacrificing her morals for love was not an option for her. Bertha Threatened Jane’s safety but enhanced Jane’s sense of self worth and faith in God. With that being said, some people could argue that, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." (Friedrich Nietzsche)

Show More
Related

  • Pain, Misery and Dissapointment in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Charlotte Bronte utilizes the character of Bertha Rochester to interrupt Jane’s potential happy ending with Mr. Edward Rochester. Bertha is announced by Mr. Briggs as a way to stop the wedding and it also shows how hopeless Jane’s situation is. “That is my wife “said he. ‘Such is the sole conjugal embrace I am ever to know—such are the endearments which are to solace my leisure hours! And this is what I wished to have,’” (312) and “’I wanted her just as a change after that fierce ragout,’” (312) are quotes that express Mr. Rochester’s reasons for trying to remarry while he already has a wife, meanwhile showing his disposition towards said wife. Had Mr. Briggs and Mr. Mason not been present for the ceremony, Jane may have lived happily in ignorance. Due to Bertha’s involvement however, Jane could never truly call herself Mr. Rochester’s wife. She says, “’Sir, your wife is living: that is a fact acknowledged this morning by yourself. If I lived with you as you desire—I should then be your mistress: to say otherwise is sophistical—is false.’” (323) This quote shows that as a result of Bertha’s exposure, Jane refuses to marry Mr. Rochester. The influence that Bertha’s brief debut had on Jane’s life was significant enough to hinder the growth of her relationship with Mr. Rochester.

    Read More

  • Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    1771 Words  | 4 Pages

    realizes that they both need each other, Rochester is now physically dependent on her. But, Jane

    Read More

  • Theme Of Betrayal In Jane Eyre

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is an early 19th-century English literature; a literary work that is evocative and riveting. It depicts acts of betrayal between family members, loved ones and self-inflicted betrayal. The acts of betrayals are done by Mrs. Reed, Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre herself.

    Read More

  • Bertha Mason´s Appearance in Charlote Bronte´s Jane Eyre

    678 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mr. Rochester’s wife, Bertha Rochester has created a twist in Jane’s life. Due to Bertha being married to Mr. Rochester, Jane’s marriage is postponed and it affects her mentally. Jane is affected by Bertha from Mr. Rochester’s dishonesty and Bertha’s madness that drove Mr. Rochester to hide her. From the experience she leaves Thornfield to escape the disappointments instead of taking responsibility. Charlotte Bronte introduces Bertha to strengthen Jane’s character and to show Berthas point of view.

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre Mr Mason Quotes

    1519 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is the first encounter between Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason; inasmuch, Jane is observing Bertha and no longer needs to speculate on the figure behind these noises and actions that have been taunting her. Jane is standing in front of Bertha,

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Jane Eyre And The Yellow Wallpaper

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Jane’s case, she knew her place as soon as she went to go live at Gateshead. “I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed or her children.” (Norton 639) Here it is very clear that Jane understands that no one in that house cares what happens to her. On the other hand, the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” believes that what her husband is doing to her is merely out of love. I believe that what her husband is doing is not far off from attempted murder. I believe that he truly wants her to die with the way that he talks to her. He speaks to her as if he is speaking with a small child. He would read to her at night so she would go to sleep and then talk to her and say things like “darling” and “my delight”. What is strange about this is the fact that John never once lets her out of the room. He keeps stating that she must get better before he can let her out. This is very close to how Rochester speaks to Jane. Before their wedding, he tries to tell her what to do and buys her gifts. In this case, both men begin to attempt to take control of their significant other’s lives. In this sense, we can get a feel for how Bertha grew into how she is. Rochester tried to strip away all of the independence that she had and lock her up in the house. Which then eventually drove her to become the madwoman in the attic just like our narrator in “The

    Read More

  • Bertha Mason and her Impact in the Novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bertha had a big effect on Jane future. Since she is still legally married to Mr. Rochester and Jane couldn’t move forward and be happy. The significance of Bertha is that she has an effect on some people. The things she does either brings people goes or farther apart. Jane has been disappointed multiple times and she just has to move forward. Jane doesn’t let certain things get to her. She thinks about them but doesn’t go crazy that she starts to worry. Jane has experienced things that have really shaped the person she has become.

    Read More

  • Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    The situation when Jane in locked in the Red Room occurs because she has retaliated against John Reed hitting her and the fact that she is being punished for doing so. The mere fact that she is being locked in the Red Room can already accumulate sympathy within the reader because she is seemingly being very unfairly punished whereas her cousin John has attacked her already and managed to escape any punishment whatsoever. However in the events leading up to being locked in the room, the reader could not feel sympathy for Jane Eyre as she did in a way bring the punishment upon herself for attacking Mr. Reed in the first place. If she has not retaliated she would have not been locked in the room. Most readers however probably do feel sympathy for her as she was acting more in self-defence. She was also unfairly spoken too as they were dragging her to the room itself as they say things like ‘she's like a mad cat' and do not seem to be letting her give an explanation at all for her actions, and only listening to what John had too say. They make sure that she knows her place by telling her that ‘You are under obligation to Mrs. Reed' and that she is ‘less than a servant'. These are not kind words and the reader will probably feel sympathetic as she is being treated as a worthless object. The room that she is sent too is a dark and unpleasant place with memories of the dead Mr. Reed. For a child of Jane's young age it would seemingly be very distressing for her, and with the added experience of her seemingly seeing a ‘ghost' of some kind, it would be a terrible experience. Even if the reader has not felt sympathy for Jane before this incident they would surely feel so now, as she is in a distressing situation alone. When Jane first screams out for help from someone it does seem as though people are coming too help her as Bessie and Abbot come to open the door and ask her what is wrong and what has made her cry for help.

    Read More

  • Bertha Mason´s Appearance in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

    529 Words  | 2 Pages

    The reason why Bertha is introduced into the text is because she is supposed to be and obstacle in janes life and happiness. Bertha Mason...

    Read More

  • The Purpose of Sati in Jane Eyre

    2078 Words  | 5 Pages

    ... the anger that she had expressed as a young girl, due to the fact that her society does not accept it. This anger that she once held inside is prevelant in Bertha's act. It is in the Red Room that Jane "became increasingly alive with bristling energy, feelings, and sensations, and with all sorts of terrifying amorphous matter and invisible phantoms" (Knapp 146). This igniting energy and flow of feelings, are very similar to those that Bertha realises at Thornfield.

    Read More

  • The Oppressed Female in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë clearly demonstrates the relationship between sexuality and morality in Victorian society through the character of Bertha Mason, the daughter of a West Indian planter and Rochester's first wife. Rochester recklessly married Bertha in his youth, and when it was discovered shortly after the marriage that Bertha was sexually promiscuous, Rochester locked her away. Bertha is called a "maniac" and is characterized as insane. Confining Bertha for her display of excess passion reinforces a prevalent theme in Jane Eyre, that of oppressive sexual Victorian values. Bertha's captivity metaphorically speaks on the male-dominated Victorian society in which women are inferior and scorned for acts of nonconformism.

    Read More

  • Allusions In Jane Eyre

    1583 Words  | 4 Pages

    The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man.” (Bronte 284). In this quote the reader can see that Jane asserts her strong sense of moral integrity over and against her intense feeling for Rochester. Rochester is trying to convince Jane to stay with him even though he is still married to Bertha Mason.

    Read More

  • Physical & Emotional Abuse in Jane Eyre: How This Affected Jane’s Evolution Into a Dynamic Character

    1183 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jane Eyre has been acclaimed as one of the best gothic novels in the Victorian Era. With Bronte’s ability to make the pages come alive with mystery, tension, excitement, and a variety of other emotions. Readers are left with rich insight into the life of a strong female lead, Jane, who is obedient, impatient, and passionate as a child, but because of the emotional and physical abuse she endures, becomes brave, patient, and forgiving as an adult. She is a complex character overall but it is only because of the emotional and physical abuse she went through as a child that allowed her to become a dynamic character.

    Read More

  • Temperance In St. Augustine's The Confessions

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    At Thornfield, Jane has to deal with Mr. Rochester. Jane knows that she should not love Rochester, so she tries to prevent it, and tell herself that he doesn’t love her. Jane knows that Rochester loves Blanche Ingram (Bronte 126). After a while, Rochester starts to flirt with Jane, and Jane lets her guard down and the two of them fall in love. At Jane and Rochester's wedding, Jane learns that Rochester has a wife (Bronte 237). This is shocking and hurtful to Jane, because she allowed herself to fall to her desires. Jane knows that she cannot stay at Thornfield, despite what she may want, so she

    Read More

  • Comparing The Narrator In Turn Of The Screw And Jane Eyre

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    Whereas, Jane’s experiences with the entities Bertha and Grace Poole are humanised on four occasions by Mrs Fairfax and Rochester. First, Grace’s laugh “repeated in its low, syllabic tone [and] odd murmur” has Mrs Fairfax respond with “perhaps Grace Poole” (108) which drains Jane’s paranoia and fear. On the event where Rochester leaves Jane with Richard Mason’s injury, it is clear her paranoia and fear are restored with: “I hope it is…not something worse” (151). And so, keeping secrets can have this affect Eugenia Delamotte explains that “[gothic heroines] tremble in fear of the unknown” (205).

    Read More

More about Bertha Mason in Charlotte Bronte´s Jane Eyre

Open Document