The_mystery_at_Thornfield.docx

The mystery at Thornfield: representations of madness in 'Jane Eyre.' Valerie Beattie Studies in the Novel.  28.4 (Winter 199!: p49". #opyri$ht: #%&)*+T 199 Johns +op,ins -niersity &ress http://000.press.h.ed  3stra5t: Bertha 6ason7 the insane 0oman 5onfined to the atti5 in 'Jane Eyre7' is #harlotte Bronte's analo$y for ho0 patriar5hal athority treats reellios females. eminist 5riti5s tend to ie0 Bertha either as a 0oman mar$inalied y male po0er or as a failed attempt to reel7 t Bertha is not po0erless. he spends more time ot of the atti5 than in it7 and she is ale not only onl y to oertrn Jane's 5ompla5en5y t she destroys Thornfield. Bertha and Bronte's portrayal of insanity arti5late ree5tion of the limitations assi$ned to most nineteenth;5entry 0omen. ll Te and that from parti5ipation in that mystery ) 0as prposely e<5lded. (Jane Eyre7 ?p. 11@!(1! Whether she is 5onstred as the 5hampion of female reellion7 or as the ima$e of monstrosity that Jane Eyre mst ree5t in the 5orse of her Bildn$7 Bertha 6ason7 #harlotte Bronte's paradi$mati5 mad0oman7 5ontines to 5ompel feminist 5riti5ism to address the hi$hly prolemati5 yet omnipresent 5onn5tion of madness and femininity. This intera5tion et0een feminist literary 5riti5ism and t he te
5onsiderale ody of feminist 5riti5ism 0hi5h7 settin$ ot to e se5ond7 of denyin$ her any a$en5y as an a5tie se5t 0ithin the narratie y interpretin$ her 0holly metaphori5ally> third7 y adoptin$ an n5riti5al identifi5ation 0ith the heroine/narrator7 and y e and forth7 of 5ollapsin$ the ie0s of athor and heroine. The se5ond reason mentioned aoe7 that is7 Bertha's do0n$radin$ to metaphor7 hin$es on 5on5epts of relations of po0er. )t is all too often assmed that Bertha is materially po0erless e5ase of her 5onsi$nment to the atti5 (and for some7 to the al0ays already

prolemati5 madness! 0hereas in fa5t7 she spends more narratie time ot of the atti57 erally and physi5ally7 than in it. )n this7 Bronte appears to e e at on5e a5tie and passie7 dan$eros and 5ontainale7 meanin$fl and meanin$less. There hae een notale e<5eptions to interpretations that Asht pA Bertha in the Aatti5A of patholo$i5al feminine se<ality. Ceorah Iloepfer's analysis7 dra0in$ on Jlia Iristea's 5on5ept of the semioti57 sees Bertha as an aspe5t of the repressed maternal for5e in lan$a$e7 ths e
(1"! otin$ the passa$e in 5hapter 2F 0here o5hester attempts to e<5se his treatment of his mad 0ife y referen5e to her Api$my intelle5t'7A and Anatre most $ross7 impre7 depraed'A (Jane Eyre7 p. "H4!7 estor ar$es that it is Bertha's li5entiosness not her madness per se that is 5ase for relsion. ) do not thin, it is sefl or possile to separate the t0o: madness7 feminine se<ality7 and the female ody are dire5tly ond p 0ith ea5h other in oth nineteenth;5entry and present day dis5orses on insanity7 so that ar$in$ for their mtal independen5e ltimately misrepresents oth. What is persistently la5,in$ in interpretations of Jane Eyre is a 5on5entrated fo5s on the te
The presen5e of the $enote the oer;determination of a le synta5ti5 irre$larities s5h as ellipses7 non;re5oerale deletions7 indefinite emeddin$s7 et5. (&. 28!(1! The deployment of madness $enerally in Jane Eyre 5an e 5alled semioti5 in so far as it ena5ts an oerdetermination of the si$nifier Amadness.A 3s Iloepfer has remar,ed7 Athere is an nsettlin$ sense of somethin$ 0or,in$ eneath the srfa5eA (emphasis mine> p. 28! in Bronte's noel. +o0eer7 e5ase of the 5entrality and po0er of AmadA ehaior in the narratie of Jane Eyre7 ) interpret this Asomethin$A as the disrptie for5e of madness $enerally7 rather than the threat of in5est7 or en$lfment y the mother. 3s ) hae stressed7 Bertha is not the sole representatie of sersion in the noel. Bt 0hat ma,es her piotal is that her 5hara5ter emodies the fsion of a 5ontinos literal and fi$ratie 5hallen$e to so5ial norms7 a 5hallen$e that other 5hara5ters ena5t in a perfn5tory 0ay. 3nd e5ase of her fi$ratie as5endan5y oer other 5hara5ters7 her threatenin$ presen5e is not e
topi5 ) started immediately re5eied from her a trn at on5e 5oarse and trite7 pererse and ime5ile.A (Emphasis mine> p. "H4! he oertrns Jane's tho$hts in a similar and eDally potent 0ay. )n relation to the noel's str5tre and its theme of feminist reellion7 ) thin, it is no 5oin5iden5e that the reader's and Jane's first en5onter 0ith Bertha is aral7 and that the sond 0e hear is her la$hter7 Aolt?in$@A oth reader and Jane ot of the symoli5 realm.(1F! While7 as =inda Iaffman asserts7 Athe master has the spreme athority to impose silen5e on all the 0omen of ThornfieldA (p. 1FH!7 Bertha is not rele$ated to silen5e. (18! )n effe5t7 she o55pies the foridden pla5e 0ithin symoli5 lan$a$e.  3dditionally7 $ien the $eneral s5hemati5 5onte
that the tales she hears A$enerally rn on the same theme;;5ortship> and promise to end in the same 5atastrophe;;marria$e'A (p. 194!. )t is y irte of her deformation of traditional meanin$s asso5iated 0ith middle;5lass femininity (A) had mar,ed neither modesty nor eneolen5e7 nor 5andor nor refinement in her mind or manners'A!> feminine se<ality (o5hester tells Jane that Bertha is dea5hed ?p. "H9@!> and marria$e (o5hester's inaility to l ead his 0ife's tho$hts alon$ his lines: Aher 5ast of mind 5ommon7 lo07 narro07 and sin$larly in5apale of ein$ led to anythin$ hi$herA ?p. "H"@!7 that the noel nites a 5on5ept of lin$isti5 reellion 0ith a redefinition of femininity. The a$en5y that Bronte esto0s on Bertha;;her 5al5lated atta5, on o5hester in his ed> her timely rendin$ of the 0eddin$ eil7 her la$h;; rns 5onter to interpretations of her offered y o5hester and y 5riti5s 0ho 5ollde 0ith his ie0point as simply mad and eyond rea5h. )n addition7 the personal7 se<al and so5ial enefits her reelliosness has for Jane pla5es her in a po0erfl position in the narratie7 one that elies disempo0erin$ dis5ssions of her as materially ineffe5tie7 or merely Jane's dole7 or not 0orthy of e it snat5hed and $ro0led li,e some stran$e animalA (p. 29H!. et the impli5ation of ime5ility this implies is 5ontradi5ted y *ra5e &oole's annon5ement that A%ne neer ,no0s 0hat she has7 sir: she is so 5nnin$: it is not in mortal dis5retion to fathom her 5raft'A (p. 291!. e<ally7 she is An5haste7A AdepraedA (p. "H4!7 and the imperialist o5hester ie0s her #reole ori$ins as a refle5tion of her se<al differen5e7 ma,in$ her antitheti5al to Jane's En$lish &rotestant prity. &atri5ia White has noted that in 5lassi5 horror films a potentially empo0erin$ affinity e Bertha is Ali,e some stran$e 0ild animalA 0ho sprin$s at o5hester and A$rapple?s@ his throat i5ioslyA (p. 291!. Thro$h the ariale eral and physi5al release afforded y madness7 oth 0omen 5ontest the se5ted positions into 0hi5h they hae een for5ed thro$h the restri5tions of $ender7 5lass7 and ra5e norms. rthermore7 it 5learly demonstrates Bronte's refsal7 5ontrary to nineteenth;5entry mas5line philosophi5al tho$ht7 to dior5e emotion and reason in her delineation of a reoltionary 5hara5ter. 3nd7 it is thro$h the resistan5e offered y madness that Jane a5hiees inte$rity of self. +er narratie ma,es it manifest that ho0eer distasteflly her sersion is ie0ed7 it is thro$h AmadnessA that prin5ipal and irte find a oi5e: pea, ) mst: ) had een trodden on seerely7 and mst trn: t ho0L What stren$th had ) to dart retaliation at my anta$onistL ) $athered

my ener$ies and lan5hed them in this lnt senten5e;;?...@ ACe5eit is not my faltKA ) 5ried ot in saa$e7 hi$h oi5e7 ?...@ ) 0as left there alone;;0inner of the field. )t 0as the hardest attle ) had fo$ht7 and the first i5tory ) had $ained. (Bronte's emphasis> pp. "H;"1!  3ltho$h she later re$rets the Amadness of my 5ond5tA (p. "2!7 it is a fleetin$ re$ret7 re5o$nialy ond p in the e5onomi5 impoten5e asso5iated 0ith 5hildhood. This is orne ot later 0hen the same anar5hi5 for5e fails to preent Jane from annon5in$ to +elen ho0 she 0old treat the loathsome 6iss 5at5herd if she str5, her 0ith a rod (p. GH!7 despite the threat of e san5tioned y manA (p. "14!. 3t 6oor +ose she pronon5es Ahosehold oysA AThe est thin$ the 0orld hasK'A (p. "88!. Thereafter7 as many 5riti5s hae noted7 Jane proidentially inherits the earth. ) noted earlier that Bertha's po0er e
for5ily at ni$ht 0hen others are asleep and 5ons5ios 5ontrol is at its minimm. The fire she sets in o5hester's 5hamer e5omes her oi5e: the Aton$es of flameA (p. 14G! annon5e her presen5e as m5h as her la$hter. +er fi$ratie position sstains her literal one: her primary symoli5 5olor is la5,7 5onnotin$ the n5ons5ios7 the n,no0n7 the repressed> and her atta5,s 5oin5ide 0ith the lnar 5y5les.(2"! Be5ase of the sersie si$nifi5an5e this ima$ery has thro$hot the noel7 it is note0orthy that its illstratie potential re5rs in the final 5hapters. 3s s5h7 it operates in a li,e manner to the metaphori5al leel of Villette: osemary #lar,;Beattie 5omments that the realist narratie in Villette Aneer a5hiees the ontolo$i5al priority oer fi$ratie lan$a$eA (p. 8"2!7 o that the endin$ remains ami$os.(24! The density of ima$es of dar,ness in the final 5hapters of Jane Eyre is stri,in$7 espe5ially $ien that the last t0o see Jane in erndean7 a pla5e ordinarily 5on5eptalied as the san5tary of the happy 5ople. )nstead of ima$es of eneolent happiness7 ho0eer7 0e find Jane married to a lind o5hester7 liin$ in a hose that is Aried deep in a 0oodA 0hi5h $re0 Aso thi5, and dar, ... aot itA that it is inisile een from Aa ery short distan5eA (p. 429!. The almost oer0helmin$ $loom prod5ed y this 5lastrophi5 enironment 5learly 5ompli5ates the happy endin$'. Essentially7 it si$nals the omnipresen5e of the dar, for5es that hae een at the heart of the narratie7 and 0hi5h 0ill not e anished. Een 0hen o5hester re$ains his si$ht si$nallin$ a respite from dar,ness7 a son is orn 0hose eyes are Alar$e7 rilliant and la5,A (p. 4G1!. The last 0ords in the noel 5ome from t. John 0ho is sain$ Adar,A sols in Adar,estA )ndia: and he is dyin$. Ths7 the ima$ery of the erndean 5hapters e<5eeds the noel's 5losed endin$. Car, for5es refse to e e
Bronte's n0illin$ness to anish the po0er she has represented7 ths ena5tin$ a lastin$ easion of the 5losre and disappointment *illian Beer sees as endemi5 to the Bildn$sroman (p. 11H!. 3s s5h7 the semioti5 5ontines to ena5t a split7 0ea,enin$ Jane's srfa5e re5peration of so5ially approed femininity and e<5eedin$ a 5losed endin$. =iteral madness has een e rpt.7 =ondon: #hatto M Winds7 19F2!. 3ll sseDent referen5es to this 0or, are to this edition and are 5ited parentheti5ally in the te Elisaeth Bronfen interprets her as Aan a$en5y of red's mrderos )d7A Jane's Adar,est doleA (p. 221!7 %er +er Cead Body: Ceath7 emininity and the 3estheti5 (6an5hester: 6an5hester -ni. &ress7 1992!7 pp. 219; 24. e5ent a55onts that tend to mar$inalie Bertha's role in the noel in5lde7 an5y Jane Tyson7 A3ltars to 3tti5s: The tate of 6atrimony in Bronte's Jane Eyre7A in The 35hin$ +earth: amily Violen5e in =ife and =iteratre7 ed. ara 6nson Ceats (e0 or,: &lenm7 1991!> 3lison 6ilan,7 Ca$hters of the +ose: 6odes of the

*othi5 in Vi5torian i5tion (e0 or,: t. 6artins7 1992!> #rai$ andall7 A=o$ophoia in Jane Eyre7A Jornal of arratie Te5hniDe 2".2 (prin$ 199"!: 94;11". (G! )n their readin$ of #harlotte &er,ins *ilman's AThe ello0 Wallpaper7A =ynne &ear5e and ara 6ills ta,e isse 0ith 5riti5s 0ho dior5e madness from its materialist asis in the te and Jean hys's fi5tional e 3e5tion7 6elan5holia7 and =oe: The Wor, of Jlia Iristea7 ed.

J. let5her and 3. Benamin (e0 or,: otled$e7 199H!> Ielly %lier7 eadin$ Iristea: -nraelin$ the Cole;ind (Bloomin$ton: )ndiana -ni. &ress7 199"!7 and Ethi5s7 &oliti5s and Cifferen5e in Jlia Iristea's Writin$7 ed. Ielly %lier (e0 or,: otled$e7 199"!. or Iristea's o0n detailed a55ont of the semioti5 see Cesire in =an$a$e: 3 emioti5 3pproa5h to =iteratre and 3rt7 ed. =eon . odie7 trans. Thomas *ara et al. (e0 or,: #olmia -ni. &ress7 198H! and The eoltion in &oeti5 =an$a$e7 trans. 6ar$aret Waller (e0 or,: #olmia -ni. &ress7 1984!. (1G! 6i5hel o5alt: Athe 5onstittion of madness as mental illness7 at the end of the ei$hteenth 5entry7 affords the eiden5e of a ro,en dialo$e7 posits the separation as already effe5ted7 and thrsts into oliion all those stammered7 imperfe5t 0ords 0ithot fi
(2G! a5hel Bo0ly7 till #ray 3fter 3ll These ears: Women7 Writin$ and &sy5hoanalysis (e0 or,: otled$e7 1992!7 p. 1". (6=3 Fth Edition! Beattie7 Valerie. AThe mystery at Thornfield: representations of madness in 'Jane Eyre.'.A Studies in the Novel  28.4 (199!: 49"N. General OneFile. We. "H Jan. 2H1. -= http://$o.$ale$rop.5om.eor.hi.a5.,/ps/i.doLidO*3=E PF#3192212HMO2.1MOhips0dMitOrMpO)T%Ms0O0MasidO9"11a"12dade" "eH19"81e5Fa"4 Source Citation

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*3=EQ3192212H