Jane Eyre Character Analysis - 1588 Words

Bertha Mason, Edward Rochester’s first wife, is generally considered the villain in the novel Jane Eyre, although, when taking a closer look at her most diabolical habit, escaping her captivity and setting fires, placing the role of the evil antagonist onto her an incorrect assumption. Jane Eyre is told through the eyes of Jane Eyre herself, in a first person account of her life. Jane, in the most nicely put way, dislikes Bertha, but understandably so. Bertha, in the eyes of the law, has the one thing Jane wants more in the world than anything else, Rochester. Because Bertha and Rochester are still technically married, Jane and Rochester cannot be together. The two lovers made it as far as the aisle before someone bothered to let Jane know†¦show more content†¦Bertha herself doesn’t do anything mad, but it is the perception of what she does that makes her appear insane. It has to be understood that she has been locked away from modern society for years on end, almost to a degree of solitary confinement by today’s standards. In 1951, McGill University signed off on a six-week study on the effects of leaving people in confined cells with moderate sensory deprivation. The study was suspended after just seven days. One week into the experiment and the participants were having visual and sonic hallucinations, and lost the ability to think clearly about anything, for any amount of time. This is what happened to Bertha. On top of that, â€Å"madness† is claimed to be hereditary in Bertha’s family, which is most likely schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, which are both common genetic disorders. Rochester subjected someone, with an already potentially fragile mind, to a state of living for years that would drive the average healthy person to the brink of madness after just one week. Bertha Mason is made the scapegoat for Rochester’s problems and is only as insane and evil as the reader perceives her to be. She most certa inly has her vendettas, but they are targeted at people or ideas, she does not aim to hurt everyone. Bertha has been vengeful toward not only Rochester, but also her family, as evident by her attacking her brother when he comes to visit, for allowing her to be kept in the state she has.Show MoreRelatedJane Eyre Character Analysis950 Words   |  4 PagesJane Eyre is one of many characters in literature that readers can show true empathy to. She is an honorable woman, humble and courageous, kind but strong-willed. While many stories rely on imperfect lead protagonists who fail in order to relate to the downtrodden nature of the human condition, Jane is altogether different. She appeals to the nobler parts of one’s self, a part that is equally common to everyone, but by which one is rarely reminded of. Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Brontà « demonstratesRead MoreJane Eyre Character Analysis1402 Words   |  6 PagesIn her novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontÃ'‘ depicts the ch aracters of Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason as being negatively perceived by society, as they are both treated unfairly and are seemingly undesirable and disregarded. Looked down upon by society, they are made to feel suppressed and as if their thoughts do not matter. Such feelings of oppression seem to drive both Jane and Bertha to madness; Bertha seems to embody the inner rage that Jane tries to control within herself throughout the novel. ThroughRead MoreJane Eyre Character Analysis1064 Words   |  5 PagesCharlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre is the story of an orphaned ten-year-old girl name Jane Eyre, who overcomes abuse and neglect to discover compassion and love. Jane lives with the Reed family at Gateshead Hall, who was despised Jane, and she is bullied by Mrs. Reed and her son, John. John bullied her when she was reading the book, he threw the book at her head, John tortured Jane mercilessly and cruelly. Jane totally afraid of John, but she didn’t cry and cower un der him. She did try to avoidRead MoreJane Eyre Feminist Analysis1066 Words   |  5 Pagesnature or their intuition. Jane Eyre, a semi-autobiography by Charlotte Brontà «, is an exemplary novel where an untraditional heroine defies societal normality. The female protagonist Jane Eyre exhibits a self-created drive for personal success and a perpetual ambition to learn, characteristics customary of men. After the publication of Jane Eyre, many critics has viewed it through the feminist literary lenses, claiming it to contain biblical feminism. In the literary analysis â€Å"Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Religion:Read MoreSummary of Clarkes Brontes Jane Eyre and the Grimms Cinderella1341 Words   |  6 PagesClarke, Micael M. Brontes Jane Eyre and the Grimms Cinderella. SEL: Studies in English Literature 1500-1900. 40.4 (2000): 695-710. Clarke explores the similarities and importance of Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s use of the Grimms’ version of Cinderella within the story of Jane Eyre. She outlines how the two stories are parallel and then skillfully explores the symbolism that is present in both. Through her analysis of the ways the two stories are similar, Clarke concludes that the combination ofRead MoreLiterary Analysis : Emily, Wuthering Heights, And Jane Eyre924 Words   |  4 PagesLiterary Analysis The novels Emma, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre were written by women in the 1800’s. The three writers chose to write and publish their novels under a different name from their own. Emma was written by Jane Austen, and published anonymously in 1815 (Behrens and Rosen 361). Emily Brontà « wrote Wuthering Heights, and was published in 1847 under the name Ellis Bell (Behrens and Rosen 368). The author of Jane Eyre, who was also the sister of Emily Brontà «, was Charlotte Brontà «. ThisRead MoreThe Upbringing Of Orphans By Charles Dickens And Jane Eyre1714 Words   |  7 Pagesorphans. The novels Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 1838 and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 1847 depicted much of the 19th century working class and illustrated the treatment of orphans with different socio-economic perspectives. The role of the two orphans in the novels (Oliver and Jane) leads the reader through a maze of experiences, encountering life s threats and grasping its opportunities. The no vels show an insight of the two characters with a common childhood who were often treated with disdainRead MoreJane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte1374 Words   |  6 PagesJane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Within the specter of the Gothic fictions arises the atmosphere of gloom, terror, and mystery with some elements of uncanny challenging reality. One major characteristic function of the Gothic fictions is to open the fiction to the realm of the irrational and perverse narratives, obsessions, and nightmarish terrors that hide beneath the literally civilized mindset in order to demonstrate the presence of the uncanny existing in the world known rationally through experienceRead MoreUse of Gothic Elements in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre1740 Words   |  7 PagesUSE OF GOTHIC ELEMENTS IN CHARLOTTE BRONTES ‘JANE EYRE Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre was published in the middle of the nineteenth century. Bronte was greatly influenced by the Gothic novels that were in fashion before the time of Jane Eyre. The Gothic novel was popularised in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and was defined by its use of suspense, supernatural elements, and desolate locations to generate a gloomy or chilling mood. The protagonist of the novel would generallyRead MoreUse of Gothic Elements in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre1729 Words   |  7 PagesUSE OF GOTHIC ELEMENTS IN CHARLOTTE BRONTES ‘JANE EYRE Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre was published in the middle of the nineteenth century. Bronte was greatly influenced by the Gothic novels that were in fashion before the time of Jane Eyre. The Gothic novel was popularised in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and was defined by its use of suspense, supernatural elements, and desolate locations to generate a gloomy or chilling mood. The protagonist of the novel would generally