Bertha Mason

In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, the reader follows the misfortunes of the main character as she overcomes obstacles in her life. Hardships, such as social abandonment from both her aunt and cousins, force Jane to live a dismal life until she discovers happiness with her employer, Edward Rochester. However, Jane soon uncovers the truth about her situation: Rochester is already married to a woman named Bertha, whom he confines on the third floor in Thornfield Hall. Although Bertha remains mute for the entirety of the novel, her defiant presence threatens Jane’s happiness. In Jane Eyre, Bertha Mason is introduced as the alter-ego of Jane as seen through the contrast between their physical descriptions, relationship with Mr. Rochester, and

Mr. Rochester describes Jane as “quaint” and “simple”, a partner whom he can talk to and confide in. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Bertha is a Creole woman with “purple…bloated features” (338) who Rochester views as an corrupt and uncontrollable individual. When Jane is first introduced to Bertha, she was unaccustomed to seeing a human being in such a deranged state: “What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first tell…” (289). The contrast between the two women is eye-catching to the point where Mr. Rochester addresses the differences aloud in an attempt to win over Jane’s hand in marriage: “Compare those clear eyes with the red balls yonder- this face with that mas- this form with that bulk…”

In an attempt to claim her as his own, the two are hastily matched up by their families and quickly married off. It was only until after the wedding that Rochester comes to the conclusion he and Bertha are not suited for one another. Rochester realizes he “‘never loved…never esteemed…her'” and that he was “‘not sure of the existence of one virtue in her nature…neither modesty nor benevolence, nor candour, nor refinement in her mind or manners'” (352). Rochester constantly puts down Bertha, describing her as a drunken and promiscuous mess. It is made apparent she and Rochester made a mistake in marrying each other and because of it, their relationship suffers. Instead of spending time with her husband, Bertha spends her time locked away on the third floor of Thornfield Hall.

On the other hand, Jane’s relationship with Mr. Rochester is the exact opposite. From the beginning of the novel, it becomes clear the two characters share a special bond. As the storyline progresses, Jane becomes more attached to Rochester but tries to conceal her feelings:

‘He is not to them what he is to me… he is not of their kind. I believe he is of mine; – I am sure he is, – I feel akin to him, – I understand the language of his countenance and movements: though rank and wealth sever us widely, I have something in my brain and heart, in my blood and nerves, that assimilates me mentally to him… must, then, repeat continually that we are forever