What was wrong with Bertha Rochester?

She also suffers from congenital insanity (read: madness runs in her family). Rochester claims that she was drunken and promiscuous and that her excesses brought on her madness when she was young, but he's not exactly an objective witness.

What mental illness did Bertha Mason have?

During this period of enhanced recognition of what is now termed Huntington disease, Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre, which was published in 1847 and featured the enigmatic “woman in the attic,” Bertha Antoinetta Mason. Mason suffered from a progressive and familial psychiatric illness with violent movements.

Why was Bertha Rochester crazy?

The sexual repression, social isolation and emotional trauma that Bertha undergoes after being betrayed and cheated on by Rochester are shown by Jean Rhys in Wide Sargasso Sea as reasons responsible for Bertha's (supposed) madness.

Why couldn t Rochester divorce Bertha?

Rochester states in the book that he couldn't divorce her precisely because she was insane. The implication might have been that his wife's family was richer and more influential than he was. Insanity wasn't legal grounds for divorce, probably something to do with "in sickness and in health".

Why did Rochester put Bertha in the attic?

Her name is Bertha Mason and she is a character in Jane Eyre, a novel written by Charlotte Bronte. In the novel, Mason was the former wife of Edward Rochester and she was kept locked up in the attic because she was 'mad'.

Bertha Mason - Jane Eyre (2011)

What is the terrible secret in Jane Eyre?

Jane Eyre is a powerful novel with many secrets in the storyline between the characters. One of the most shocking secrets was finding out that Rochester has a wife. Since his older brother would inherit his father's fortune, Rochester needed to secure his own future with a marriage for the sake of money, not love.

Is Adele Rochester's daughter?

Adèle is Mr. Rochester's ward and the daughter of Céline Varens. Céline was Rochester's mistress during his time in France, but Rochester cut her off after discovering Céline cheating with another man. Céline claims Adèle is his daughter, but the truth of his paternity remains ambiguous.

What happens to Bertha at the end?

What happens to Bertha once the job is done? Bertha's front end will be carved up and trucked away. The rest will be pulled out of the Sodo end of the tunnel.

Did Mr. Rochester sleep with Amelie?

Amélie, Antoinette's maid at Granbois, sleeps with Rochester after he is poisoned by Antoinette. But she's not just a saucy vixen. Like Tia, she taunts Antoinette with racist slurs, and Rochester notes a disturbing similarity between her features and Antoinette's.

How was Rochester tricked into marrying Bertha?

Bertha seemed to be a dazzling woman and Rochester was aroused by her. He mistook this lust for love. Before he knew it, they were married.

Why is Rochester attracted to Jane?

Rochester furthermore admires the dark, passionate spirit that so alienated Jane throughout her childhood, appreciating her watercolors of supernatural subjects and admiring her outspokenness. In Chapter 22, Jane observes that she views Rochester as her home, emphasizing this kinship she feels with him.

How long was Rochester married Bertha?

Bertha is diagnosed as insane and kept in a locked room. After four years of marriage, Rochester takes Bertha back to England and confines her at Thornfield with Grace Poole as her nurse and jailer.

Why does Rochester call her Janet?

In the original novel, Mr. Rochester sometimes calls Jane by the name Janet, as a sort of pet name. I'm the author, and I knew it was kind of a risk to use the nickname, since most people, even if they have read Jane Eyre, would probably have forgotten about his use of the name.

What race is Bertha Mason?

She is a Creole, the daughter of a white European settler in the West Indies.

Why did Bertha set the house on fire?

Bertha uses fire to destroy the room where Jane, who stole Bertha's husband's love, lived. Fire symbolizes Bertha's unrestrained passions and madness. The inferno represents the fatal consequences of Rochester's secrets. He loses his eyes, symbols of his pride and power, as punishment from God.

Is Rochester blind at the end of Jane Eyre?

After having a vision of Rochester, Jane returns to Thornfield to discover that Bertha has burned the mansion down, leaving Rochester blind and disfigured. With Bertha dead, Jane agrees to marry Rochester. This ending culminates Jane's quest for stability and happiness.

What is Mr. Rochester secret?

He also has a dark secret: that of his first marriage to Bertha Mason. Mr. Rochester hides his first wife on the third floor of Thornfield because she is insane.

Is Jane in love with Rochester?

Introduction. The relationship between Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester plays a major part in the novel of Jane Eyre, as Rochester turns out to be the love of Jane's life. At first she finds him rather impolite and cold-hearted, but soon they become kindred souls.

Did Mr. Rochester try to make Jane jealous?

Rochester) responds in the affirmative. Mr. Rochester does this to make Jane jealous and does so again in the garden with her. He teases Jane into believing she has to leave Thornfield for a new governess position in Ireland; Jane becomes emotional and cries yet Mr.

What did the aunt fail to realize in Bertha's story?

The aunt failed to realise that Bertha was proud of her accomplishments. She delighted in her vanity and her medals reminded her as well as others that she was horribly good. Was this answer helpful?

What did the animal do to Bertha?

Being unable to trace her, the wolf tried to go in search of a pigling. But when Bertha trembled and her medals clinked, the wolf could locate her and killed her. The aunt terms the bachelor's story the most improper one.

How long was Bertha locked in the attic?

Charlotte Brontë's fictional character, the mentally ill Bertha Mason, is locked in the 'attic' for ten years by her husband Edward Rochester.

Was Mr. Rochester abusive?

Known as one of literature's most romantic figures, Charolette Bronte's Mr. Rochester has been viewed favorably in history despite his flaws. Bronte's Jane Eyre displays him as a controlling, abusive man, and yet it is all forgiven because of his love for Jane Eyre.

What is the age gap between Jane and Rochester?

seldom allow their affections to centre on those who are below them in social position." How To Behave does show how potentially scandalous Rochester's decision to marry Jane was — not because he was close to twenty years her senior, but because she was of a distinctly lower rank.

How many children did Jane and Rochester have?

Jane returns to Rochester and they get married. After two years, Rochester gets his sight back a little bit. Jane and Rochester have a son.