![]() ![]() ![]() The century separating Brontë and Rhys produces the very different tellings of the mad woman in the attic, Bertha Mason. Social and economic factors restricted the status of Victorian women whereas physical confinement was used to control women who did not conform to the behavioral rules. Bertha’s story in both novels demonstrates that hurried marriages meant to secure women’s futures often lead to unhappy or even dangerous situations for women. These two women must confront similar forms of confinement such as social, economic, and physical. However, upon further examination they are two sides of the same coin trying to survive in a patriarchal society. At first glance Jane Eyre and Bertha (Antoinette) Mason are completely different conveying separate pathways for Victorian women. Together these two novels present a better understanding of Bertha Mason. In addition, Rhys examines how women’s status was affected by race. ![]() The companion novel Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys does the same by giving a backstory to Bertha (Antoinette) Mason, a character Brontë gave very little page space. Abstract: Through her novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë uses the characters Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason to shine a light on the hardships of Victorian women and challenge gender inequality. ![]()
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