Rochester clearly sees her as responsible for her own situation. A portrait of bertha mason rochester, the madwoman of my favourite book, jane eyre. Bertha mason full name bertha antoinetta mason is a fictional character in charlotte brontes 1847 novel jane eyre. Susan gubar who were so taken by this idea that they called their classic book after her. Before we actually find out about bertha masons existence, we are aware of her as an uneasy and even threatening presence. Rochester attempts to proceed with the ceremony, but the stranger explains that rochester is already marriedhis wife is a creole woman whom rochester wed fifteen years earlier in jamaica. Bertha mason is a fictional character in charlotte brontes 1847 novel jane eyre. For charlotte bronte, bertha seems to become a strange kind of alterego. On the wedding day however, jane is finally told of rochesters wife bertha living in the north tower.
Bertha is rejected by the man who was supposed to love her. Even her seeing a shadow of a woman in her rooms is, according to rochester, part of her dream. Rochesters wife throughout most of charlotte brontes jane eyre. Bertha rochester has always been a fascinating character for me. She is the source of the mysterious, mocking laugh that jane hears as she stands on the battlements of thornfield hall, desperate for freedom from domestic routine. The first and most important point to make about her is that within the time span of the novel she is unable to give an account of herself. But, he promises them all, jane is completely ignorant of berthas existence. In giving a voice and an identity to mr rochesters first wife, antoinette aka bertha, the madwoman in the attic the novel has become a. Bertha is kept prisoner in a lonely house on the english moors. Rochesters first wife, a oncebeautiful creole woman who is ravaged by mental illness and is hidden away, locked up in a lonely room at thornfield. He tells jane that bertha came of a mad family, with a mother who was a. The book purports to tell antoinettes side of the story, as well as rochesters, and. Many critics have decried brontes delineation of bertha as both a racist and insensitive portrayal of insanity. She is described as the violently insane first wife of edward rochester, who.
He does not consider himself to be married to bertha because. The speaker explains that he is a solicitor from london, and he introduces himself as mr. I dont know if jane eyres bertha rochester really is a baddie. Bertha antoinetta mason, a creole woman he married fifteen years ago in jamaica. Culture the book that changed jane eyre forever bbc. Jane eyre is a progressive book in many senses far ahead of its. Bertha mason, edward rochesters first wife the madwoman from. This information is revealed by mason who turns out to be berthas brother. She is described as the violently insane first wife of edward rochester, who moved her to thornfield hall and locked her in a room on the third floor the 1966 parallel novel wide sargasso sea by jean rhys serves as a prequel to brontes novel. After a moment of inarticulate fury, rochester admits that his wife is alive and that. Charlotte fell in love with an unattainable man constantin heger.
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