Bertha Antoinetta Mason is a minor character with a pivotal role in Jane Eyre (2011). She is the main source of conflict between the titular main character and the master of Thornfield Hall, Edward Rochester, as well as a cause of suspense. Bertha has a very unique character space, as her character’s presence at Thornfield Hall is alluded to throughout the film by means of mysterious laughter, attempted arson, and an attack on Mr. Mason (who is later revealed to be the brother of Bertha). Bertha’s existence is not revealed until later on in the film, as Mr. Rochester keeps her locked away in the attic due to her intense mental condition. Her existence is only revealed as Jane and Mr. Rochester are about to be wed, when Bertha Mason’s brother Mr. Mason crashes the wedding in order to stop the marriage from taking place. Mr. Rochester finally confesses the dark secret he has been keeping from Jane, taking her to the attic to meet Bertha. When Bertha is finally revealed on screen in the flesh she embodies the opposite of Jane. She has long, dark untamed hair, is wearing tattered clothes, and is violent and vicious towards Jane. Her screen time is limited to this depiction of her as being closer to a wild animal than a woman, which is an example of “social identity in its simplest form – stereotypification” (Straw 79). Bertha embodies the stereotype of the misunderstood “mad woman” in the Victorian era, and is a character foil to Jane. Bertha represents the potential fate of women who dare to push boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour or life choices in the 19th century. Her character space represents a kind of “submerged savagery” and her existence is a taboo in Mr. Rochester’s life, lurking “beneath the polite surface of society” and preventing him from marrying Jane at his whim (Williams 102). The stark contrast between the two women emphasises Jane’s eloquence and calm demeanour. Though Bertha has a rather small “character space” within the “character system” of the film, she still has a large narrative impact on the story (Woloch 14). Bertha’s character space is expanded by Jean Rhys in her 1966 novel Wide Sargasso Sea, giving a potential look at what led to her becoming the “mad woman in the attic.”
Works Cited
Fukunaga, Cary, director. Jane Eyre. Universal Pictures, 2011.
Straw, Will. Screen, Volume 52, Issue 1, Spring 2011, Pages 78–81, https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjq057
Williams, Melanie. Screen, Volume 52, Issue 1, Spring 2011, Pages 97–104, https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjq064
Woloch, Alex. The One Vs. The Many : Minor Characters and the Space of the Protagonist in the Novel. Princeton University Press, 2003.
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