Post by briwiegand on Nov 17, 2015 21:16:16 GMT
The article of "The Madwoman in the Attic" specifically looks at the comparison between Jane and Antoinette aka Bertha. In this comparison however there is one very prominent similarity: Mr. Rochester. It is seen through Bertha and Jane how Rochester really develops as a character.
At first, Rochester is a very typical man of the Victorian era. When he meets Antoinette he behaves no differently. The marriage was arranged for money purposes so it was already not based on love. Rochester repeatedly refers to Antoinette as his property. Because of this, it is obvious that he does not really care for her. Their relationship as a whole is very rocky. The two never talk and their only communication revolves around sex. This further proves the point that he only uses her as a possession. It is described that he is afraid of her eyes because they are so big. This implies that she is knowledgable and even an intellectual but he refuses to accept her as any more than property. He also gives her the name Bertha which in itself is a very mundane and controlled name, like something you would name a dog. He does not love her and refuses to see her as a person.
This continues to be Rochesters personality until he meets Jane. Upon meeting Jane, he still condescends her as he did with Antoinette. He calls her pet names like "little friend" and "fairy". With Jane however, he starts to notice how smart she is. It is here where he starts to change his views on women as he sees the differences between Jane and the high class women like Miss Ingram. It can be inferred that he learns new morals from Jane and their interactions. This is a major stepping stone in Rochesters developing character.
After Jane leaves, Rochester is devastated, but something peculiar happens. When Bertha succeeds in burning down the Rochester manor, Rochester tries to save her from jumping off the top of the roof. The old Rochester probably would have let her fall, but since his character has developed from Jane, he seems to realize that he truly cares for Bertha. He realizes his mistakes in their relationship and is able to move on. He cannot save her however for she falls to her death. Her death however can be seen as a sacrifice to Rochesters realization of what love truly is.
Finally when Jane returns, Rochester has changed. He is now more aware of what love is like. He has been blinded from his old self and granted a second vision of knowledge. Now that he knows that he and Jane are equal, he can finally be happy and marry her. He would never have come to this realization though if it weren't for the comparison between Jane and Bertha. Because of this, both of them contribute to his developing character.
At first, Rochester is a very typical man of the Victorian era. When he meets Antoinette he behaves no differently. The marriage was arranged for money purposes so it was already not based on love. Rochester repeatedly refers to Antoinette as his property. Because of this, it is obvious that he does not really care for her. Their relationship as a whole is very rocky. The two never talk and their only communication revolves around sex. This further proves the point that he only uses her as a possession. It is described that he is afraid of her eyes because they are so big. This implies that she is knowledgable and even an intellectual but he refuses to accept her as any more than property. He also gives her the name Bertha which in itself is a very mundane and controlled name, like something you would name a dog. He does not love her and refuses to see her as a person.
This continues to be Rochesters personality until he meets Jane. Upon meeting Jane, he still condescends her as he did with Antoinette. He calls her pet names like "little friend" and "fairy". With Jane however, he starts to notice how smart she is. It is here where he starts to change his views on women as he sees the differences between Jane and the high class women like Miss Ingram. It can be inferred that he learns new morals from Jane and their interactions. This is a major stepping stone in Rochesters developing character.
After Jane leaves, Rochester is devastated, but something peculiar happens. When Bertha succeeds in burning down the Rochester manor, Rochester tries to save her from jumping off the top of the roof. The old Rochester probably would have let her fall, but since his character has developed from Jane, he seems to realize that he truly cares for Bertha. He realizes his mistakes in their relationship and is able to move on. He cannot save her however for she falls to her death. Her death however can be seen as a sacrifice to Rochesters realization of what love truly is.
Finally when Jane returns, Rochester has changed. He is now more aware of what love is like. He has been blinded from his old self and granted a second vision of knowledge. Now that he knows that he and Jane are equal, he can finally be happy and marry her. He would never have come to this realization though if it weren't for the comparison between Jane and Bertha. Because of this, both of them contribute to his developing character.
