Jane Eyre and Madness

Mental illness is just about the last thing you would want to have in 19^th century England, or really anywhere in the 19^th century. During this time in our history, our knowledge and research of mental health was very minimal, resulting in the misdiagnosis and immense mistreatment of those unfortunate individuals. While those with severe mental illnesses were often institutionalized (which were their own horror in themselves), many people who suffered with things like depression and even mild schizophrenia were often simply shamed and hidden from the world.

Unfortunately, this imprisonment would often drive people even madder, as was the case with Bertha in Jane Eyre. Rochester was so embarrassed and horrified by his new wife’s insanity that instead of trying to cure her, he locks her up in his basement and leaves her there for years. You can see from comments such as Rochester’s aside that “since the medical man had pronounced her mad, she had, of course, been shut up” that simply locking someone away was a very common response to mental illness in 19^th century England (Bronte 292).

What’s even more interesting is the parallels between Bertha’s extreme insanity and Jane’s mild madness. Both Bertha and Jane exhibit insane behaviors such as seeing things that are not there and violent outbursts, however each of their stories have very different endings. This divergence in their lives could stem from Jane’s strong moral code and respect for herself that she clings to throughout the entire book. We can see this moral code begin when she is young, explaining to Helen Burns that if you don’t retaliate against someone, they will never learn to treat you better, but the contrast to Bertha is strongest in Jane’s interactions with Rochester. While Bertha marries Rochester because her family tells her to, Jane refuses to marry Rochester unlawfully (and even refuses to Mary St. John because she doesn't love him). This contrast between the levels of madness and resulting outcomes of these characters emphasizes the idea that echoes throughout all of Jane Eyre: if you stay true to your moral code, you can completely change your life.

Works Cited: Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Bantam Books, 1987. Print.

*Disclaimer: This post was written while sick and tired, I apologize for any inconveniences.