Bertha Mason: Madwoman or Just Mad?

Paper Summary:

The essay examines the character of Bertha Mason, Rochester's first wife, in the book "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. The paper argues that Bertha was not insane, but an oppressed, possibly abused, woman who refused to submit to the societal norms of 19th century patriarchal society. The writer looks into the 19th century expectations of the "ideal woman", characteristics that were lacking in Bertha Mason, and concludes that Bertha was not crazy (mad), but rather angry (mad) at her ill-treatment.

From the Paper:

"Welter (1966) points out that women who engaged in sexual activity beyond duty to their husbands, especially premarital or extramarital, always ended in "madness" in Victorian literature. Did Bertha not subscribe to the "cult of true womanhood" in which a real woman was believed to be without any sexual feelings, to be responsible for the man's sexual behavior, to be religious, obedient to her husband, and to provide a serene haven for him?"

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