“In the deep shade, at the further end of the room, a figure ran backwards and forwards. What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight, tell…”

Brontë, pg 380

Comment: In this passage, Jane is describing the appearance of Mr. Rochester’s first wife, Bertha Mason, who has been locked away in his attic due to her madness. From the beginning of the novel, we can see Jane does not fit under the Victorian standards of how to act as a woman. Bertha in many ways can be seen as an interpretation of Jane’s mental state as she prepares for the commitment of confining aspects marriage. Marriage for a woman in Victorian times carried high expectations which Jane does not seem fit or ready to carry. Earlier in the novel, Jane also dreamed of Bertha tearing apart her wedding veil which could also symbolize her internal struggle of trying to accept the idea of marriage.

Question: Does Bertha represent the Victorian marriage? Will Jane allow herself to be confined to Mr. Rochester, eventually falling into madness as Bertha did or escaping the situation, or maybe even finding herself more stable with him and living a happier life?