Respect is the basis of marriage. You can not love, but please respect. A marriage without even respect is destined to be a tragedy.
Speaking of Bertha Mason, few people know who she is, but when it comes to "the crazy woman in the attic", many people know.
, as a role in Charlotte Bronte’s "Jane Eyre", Bertha used her tragic fate to reveal the cruel reality of marriage: a marriage that is not respected is the one that forces her to become " The real culprit of "lunatic".
In the marriage of Rochester and Bertha, there was no respect at all. This marriage can be roughly divided into four parts.
The first part: a strange marriage
The union of Bertha and Rochester originated from the marriage of two noble families. Before they got married, Bertha and Rochester had never met. They got married without knowing nothing about each other's family background.
In this marriage, Rochester and Bertha have different moods. As far as Bertha was concerned, she could not oppose the decision of her parents, she could only marry Rochester with anxiety and expectation.
For Rochester, this marriage does more harm than good. The marriage was planned by his father and brother. They planned to use a marriage to drive him out of the family. They cruelly determined their future. As a result, Rochester had preconceived resistance to this marriage and Bertha, the object of the marriage.
From this marriage, Rochester misunderstood Bertha. The family marriage was not Bertha's fault, but Rochester was unable to resist the family's decision, nor did he dare to violate his father and brother, so the cowardly he could only blame Bertha for all his mistakes, which was unfair to Bertha.
The second part: the husband's indifference
Rochester's indifferent and mean attitude, leading to no happiness in Bertha's married life. Under the social background of
at that time, a woman married with a husband can only become a male vassal, and Bertha understands this better. She understands that her husband is the biggest reliance after marriage, so she tries to build a good relationship with Rochester, and at the same time hopes to live a happy life. After
got married, she and Rochester separated from their respective families and began to worry about life. At this time, both people depended on Bertha’s dowry for their living expenses, because in Britain at the time, the law required that after a woman was married, her dowry would belong to her husband. Rochester also legally obtained all Bertha's dowry.
But no matter how much material, it still can't cover Rochester's heart. What Bertha received from him was indifference and ignorance. Bertha's expectations for marriage and her husband were all shattered. In the long years, she lived a long depressed and lonely life.
Apathy and loneliness can kill a person's mind most.
In this marriage, Rochester never regarded Bertha as a person, but just regarded her as an object and placed it at home. In his heart, Bertha did not treat Bertha as his wife, let alone respect.
The third part: imprisonment and madness
The long-term depressed Bertha finally broke out, she became crazy and irritable, and became the legendary mad woman. At this time, Rochester not only failed to take on the responsibility of her husband to treat and care for Bertha, but imprisoned her in a remote attic, making Bertha a "crazy woman in the attic."
Rochester's various performances reflected his cowardice and coldness. During Bertha’s imprisonment, he flirted with dancing girls and wanted to marry Jane Eyre. At this time, his marriage contract with Bertha still exists, and his marriage with Jane Eyre is a bigamy.
At the wedding with Jane Eyre, Bertha's brother came to the scene, Rochester complained of his grievances, and expressed his injustice in a word. At this time, Bertha, who was truly aggrieved and tortured, was locked in the attic, unable to argue for herself. After
reversed the facts in Rochester, everyone knew his grievances. Everyone knew that he was an unfortunate man who was deceived to marry a lunatic. But no one has explored. Even though she has the genetics of a madman, she was a smart girl before marrying Rochester. Why did she become a madman after she got married? No one really cares about what the truth is. The author of
used a metaphor here. Bertha was forced to become a madman by marriage and society, and how did the madmen before her go crazy? It is not difficult for a careful reader to think that marriage and society at that time were the real culprits that poisoned women.
Rochester ruined Bertha,He deals with Bertha who is crazy, like an animal. From beginning to end, he was not a responsible man, and he did not have the slightest respect or tenderness towards his wife.
The fourth part: the final destruction
Bertha’s death is not clearly shown, the news of her death comes from what Jane Eyre heard. She died silently, no one was sad for her death, everyone was feeling the feelings of Rochester and Jane Eyre, Bertha's death did not cause a splash.
Bertha's fate tragedy is also the tragedy of women in that era. In the novel, Bertha is a character who must "die" because she is a love barrier between Rochester and Jane Eyre.
In her marriage to Rochester, Bertha was kept in the attic like an animal. From marriage to death, she did not receive the respect and kindness she deserved.
In a marriage, if even the minimum respect cannot be guaranteed, what is the meaning of such a marriage? A marriage without even respect is destined to be a tragedy. In a marriage, the marriage of husband and wife may not stem from love. The two parties can not love each other, but they cannot be without respect. Only by respecting each other can we guarantee basic personality and freedom.
-end-
