Bertha Mason Character Analysis in the Context of Feminist Theory - Essay Example

Bertha Mason: Character Analysis in the Context of Feminist Theory Contents Introduction 3 Feminist Perspective 3 Bertha Mason and Women in the Book 4 Bertha Mason and Female Autonomy 5 Arranged Marriage 7 Negative Treatment in Marriage 8 Adulterous Affair with Jane Eyre and Desire to Inherit the Mason Wealth 8 Conclusion 9 Bibliography 10 Introduction Feminism is a worldview that emerged and gained prominence in the 1950s. This paper examines the feminist perspective and how it relates to the character of Bertha Antoinetta Mason, a fictional character in Charlotte Brontës novel, Jane Eyre. The book was written almost a century before the advent of feminism. Hence, this book will examine the elements oand features of feminism in the era within which the book was set. This paper examines the core feminist perspective and feminist theories and how they apply to the case of Bertha Mason in the book. The paper will fundamentally examine how today’s feminist will view Bertha Mason’s character and how this shows the divergence between life in the Victorian era and the 21st Century. Feminist Perspective Feminism fundamentally asserts that men and women must be treated equally and viewed at the same level without the presumption that men are superior and heads of social institutions whilst women are to be treated as secondary members of the society or community (Hooks, 2011). Feminism views the inequalities in the society which goes against women and seeks to eliminate and remove these inequalities through the presentation of a position and discourse that will identify the inequalities and provide solutions to them (Zohrab, 2010). This implies that feminism fundamentally seeks to identify inequalities and unfairness in the society aimed at degrading and downgrading the role of women in the society in order to put in place men as heads of social structures. This is done through the presentation of a form of discourse that allows women to present their views and opinions in a way and manner that allows them to gain an equal footing through the elimination of various forms of discrimination against women. Feminist discourse involves the use of various discourses to present the suffering of women and the manifestation of inequality amongst the different women in the society and community (Campbell, 2010). These feminist discourses provide a series of discussion structured around the different roles in society that are steeped in gender differences (Lewis & S., 2012). “Feminist discourse is characterised by ambivalence, omissions and gaps that exists in society due to differences in gender.” (Flax, 2010, p. 179). Therefore, feminists critique things on the basis of these gender-based differences and segregation which are manifest in the lives of different people in the society. Bertha Mason and Women in the Book In the book, the first point in which Edward Rochester and Jane Eyre made contact, it was after Bertha Mason set Edward Rochester’s fire on Mr. Rochester’s bed and Jane Eyre rescued him. After the incident, Edward Rochester made the following statement: I knew you would do me good in some way, at some time; - I saw it in your eyes when I first beheld you: their expression and smile did not - did not strike delight to my very inmost heart so for nothing. People talk of natural sympathies: I have heard of good genii: - there are grains of truth in the wildest fable. My cherished preserver, good-night! This quotation suggests that the character of Bertha Mason itself was presented in a way and manner in which female discourse or the existence of women was seen as secondary at best or unimportant at worst. This is because the definition and identification of Bertha Mason as a person itself was not based on anything but the view and opinion of Edward Rochester. Edward Rochester defines and gives meaning to Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason by means of what he said to them. Thus, the book reflects fundamental masculinity as a way and a system through which women are defined in the eyes of men in the era that the book is set. There is no wonder that in the rest of the book, narrations and definitions of Bertha Mason was presented in the voice of Edward Rochester and she was seen as nothing more than a “mad woman”. In casting Bertha Mason as nothing more than a “mad woman”, Richard Mason, Bertha Mason’s own relative also presented nothing but negative words about Bertha Mason. Richard Mason’s words come with elements of chauvinistic undertones: She bit me. She worried me like a tigress, when Rochester got the knife from her...She sucked the blood: she said shed drain my heart. Clearly, no effort was made to present Bertha Mason as anything more than a sub-human because she was a woman with the misfortune of having some negative traits and negative situations in her life. She was therefore presented as not being human at all. This shows that female rights and female recognition was not respected in the life of Bertha Mason. Bertha Mason and Female Autonomy A second element of this book involved the lack of female autonomy. This is a feminist theory and perspective which asserts that females have the right to present their views and opinions about some aspects of their lives. It is apparent from Jane Eyre that it was an obligation for every woman to be given off to marriage. This is because in that era woman were to be take into some kind of marriage so that the family could be given some kind of protection and their families could be viewed as “normal”. This is because it is apparent that families where women were not given off in marriage were seen as problematic. Bertha Mason was clearly a woman with various forms of challenges which include a disturbed mind. However, her father was ready to part with so much consideration to ensure that she married Edward Rochester. This shows that the father wanted her married because it was somewhat unacceptable and almost illegal for Bertha Mason to remain single. Thus, her father was prepared to find ways and means to get Edward to marry her in order to remove this kind of negativity attached to the family name. In an equal society where men and women are treated equally, a woman like Bertha Mason would have been given care and guidance in order to get a peaceful life. If in her process of receiving care, Bertha Mason was also presented as a person who was not capable of inheriting family property and other rights. This is because as a woman in the period of the Industrial Revolution, she did not have the rights to inherit her father’s property. Hence, her father wanted a decent and stable individual to transfer his properties to. Therefore, the marriage that was arranged was done because the society was purely masculine and the family had to make this arrangement to ensure that family property could be inherited properly. This is absolutely a reflection of the masculine society and community within which Jane Eyre was written. Clearly, the feelings and opinions of women did not matter. Their rights to inherit property were non-existent. Therefore, there was an issue and a challenge for women in general and for mentally challenged woman like Bertha Mason in particular. Thirdly, Jane Eyre was written in a way and manner in which the views and ideas of Bertha Mason did not matter because she was viewed as a mad woman. The phrase “mad woman” had two negative connotations which included insanity which ruled a person incapable of exercising independent thoughts. On another hand, Bertha Mason was viewed from the eyes of another man because as a woman with a mental frailness, there was no point in putting her views and how she felt across. However, in an equal society where men and women are treated equally, there would have been a depiction of the views and opinions of a woman like Bertha Mason irrespective of how mentally challenged she was. This is because there are two sides of a divorce story. A radical feminist could even assert that perhaps the negative and evil treatment meted out to Bertha Mason by Edward Rochester contributed to her mental instability and challenges in her life. This might have accelerated her negative and insane acts. However, in a society where the opinion of women did not matter, a mentally challenged woman was doomed to be viewed by the vast majority of people, including a woman like Charlotte Bronte as a person meant to live in seclusion and in chains. Arranged Marriage An important and critical aspect of the marriage of Bertha Mason and Edward Rochester is the fact that women had little or no say in choosing who they loved. According to Edward, he was encouraged and urged by family members and competitors who encouraged him to marry Bertha Mason without even getting to know her. This shows that women had little or no influence in deciding who they married in their lives. Hence, there was a general sense that the marriage was an arranged and/or a forced one. Evidence from Edward Rochester’s uncle’s attempt to convince Edward to marry Bertha shows that women played little or no role in choosing their husbands. This is because he wanted Edward to take over from Bertha’s father and become wealthy. This shows that women’s choice of marriage was influenced by the inducements and offers that came with their marriages. This included the recommendations of third parties to men who were the only ones with the freewill to choose who they could marry. This shows that women had no role and no option in choosing who they were to marry. This is a form of discrimination which clearly puts women apart from men in an era where the rights of women were highly restricted. Negative Treatment in Marriage On their return to England as a couple, Edward was somewhat cruel and less affectionate and caring towards Bertha. First of all, he imprisons Bertha in the attic which was somewhat cruel and mean. This is something that will not go without any legal action in the 21st Century. This is because it was a mean way and method of treating a woman a man marries. First of all, if a man cannot afford to live with a woman, that man must not marry her. To this end, there will be an obligation on her family or on the state to provide some kind of custodial care for such a person. Edward’s action is tantamount to the cruel treatment of his wife and deserved to be given some kind of attention by social workers. Adulterous Affair with Jane Eyre and Desire to Inherit the Mason Wealth Edward Rochester’s affair with Jane Eyre was one of love and passion. In this case, it appears that Jane Eyre was given the right to make a choice. And this is unlike the case of Bertha Mason who did not really get the freewill to choose. However, the fact that Edward Rochester was having an affair was against the principles of an equal society where men and women are treated equally. Adultery is wrong and Edward Rochester should have either legitimately divorced Bertha to carry on the relationship or he should have at least told Jane Eyre about the situation in order to ensure Jane’s proper consent to the relationship. Apparently, the failure of Edward Rochester to give the full details of the affair shows that Edward was living in a society where men saw women as inferior. This is because if he knew about the need to respect and treat a woman fairly, he would have at least disclosed the fact that he was living with Bertha as a wife. On the other hand, it could be said that Edward wanted to inherit the wealth of Bertha Mason’s family. This is because no man would marry a mentally challenged woman without rushing to break up the relationship when they found true love. However, due to chauvinism and discrimination against women, Edward Rochester took a risk which ended up in the calling off of his wedding with Jane Eyre. Conclusion Feminism has its root in the maintenance of a just and fair society where men and women are treated equally. The character of Bertha Mason in the book, Jane Eyre shows that women were treated as people who served in the home and forcing one’s daughter into marriage with an ideal man was honourable for families. This culminated in Bertha, a mentally challenged lady being forced into marriage without even knowing it. Also, women’s denial of inheritance rights contributed to the marriage. In the marriage, Edward treated Bertha negatively due to the inequalities between the sexes. Finally, Edward’s affair with Jane Eyre in which he failed to divulge information about his marriage showed that women’s feelings and dignity were generally not respected by men in the era in which the book was written. Bibliography Campbell, J. (2010). Jacques Lacan and Feminist Epistomology. London: Routledge. Flax, J. (2010). Thinking Fragment: Psychoanalysis, Feminism and Postmodernism. San Diego: University of California Press. Hooks, B. (2011). Feminism is for Everyday Politics. London: Pluto Press. Lewis, R., & S., M. (2012). Feminist Postcolonial Theory: A Reader. London: Routledge. Zohrab, P. B. (2010). Sex, Lies and Feminism. London: Creative Commons. Read More