To what extent can Bertha be seen as ‘the repressed side’ of Jane’s personality?
In the novel Bronte makes several comparisons between Jane and Bertha to show Bertha to be the repressed side to Jane’s personality. To repress something means to hold back an act of volition. This means that Bertha is the personification of Jane’s hidden feelings and passions and is shown through her characteristics and mannerisms.
It can be argued that Bertha is the repressed side of Jane’s personality due to the fact that they are both described as animals. Jane is described as a ‘masterless and stray dog’. This gives the impression that Jane isn’t seen as anything more than a mere dog because she is very obedient to repress her passions which shows her to be subdued in her character. . The use of the verb ‘masterless’ could suggest that she doesn’t belong to anyone, this could be due to the fact that she moved from one place to another and so hasn’t been able to settle down with anyone. The use of the verb ‘stray’ suggests that Jane doesn’t belong anywhere and she has no real home. We know this to be true because, again, through her life she’s been moved from one place to another and so has nowhere in which she can call home. The theme of animals could link with Bertha because, just like Jane, Bertha is also described as an animal however a more vicious animal. Jane describes Bertha as ‘a clothed hyena’ and also states that she sounds like ‘a dog quarrelling’. This shows that even though Bertha is a full grown woman, she still behaves like a wild animal because she has wild mannerisms, just as Jane did as a child. However Jane has grown out of this and has been taught how to act and behave whereas Bertha never had this development and so carried on behaving the way she did. Describing Bertha as a ‘clothed hyena’ could link to the saying ‘wolf in sheep skin’ which shows her to be very deceptive and cunning which we know her to be as she is able to get out of her ‘prison’ most nights. Bertha sounding like ‘a dog quarrelling’ makes her sound very vicious which could suggest she never had proper development. This, therefore, shows that Bertha is the repressed side of Jane’s personality because they are both described as animals (more commonly dogs) but Bertha is more vicious and releases her passions just as Jane did as a child.
Another way in which it can be argued that Bertha is Jane’s repressed personality is the way in which society perceives them. Neither of them are noticed nor wanted and so neither of them fit into their environment. Jane notices ‘I was a discord in Gateshead Hall; I was like nobody there.’ This shows how isolated Jane felt whilst at Gateshead as she was always pushed out of anything the Reed’s did and was constantly referred to as a dependant which were seen as lower than the servants in the social hierarchy. This is shown through the use of broken clauses. The use of the noun ‘discord’ implies that Jane felt deeply upset and somewhat oppressed by the treatment she received at Gateshead. We can see this moment was very important to Jane because she’s looking back at it retrospectively. The theme of not fitting in with society can link to Bertha Mason, because Bertha, just like Jane, doesn’t fit into her environment and is seen as an outsider. She is described by various people as a ‘madwoman’ and a ‘mysterious lunatic kept under watch and ward’. This suggests people don’t regard her as ‘normal’ and so push her out and make her unwanted all because she’s ‘mad’. Describing her as a ‘madwoman’ suggests that no one actually understands what is wrong with Bertha and dismisses her as being mad so push her out of society by locking her up. The words ‘mysterious lunatic’ suggests that because she didn’t fit with the social norm, she didn’t belong there and so was locked up where no one could see her. This shows Bertha to be Jane’s ‘dark side’ because neither of them have ever really belonged in society but it’s because of this that Bertha ended up being locked up whereas Jane didn’t.
Bronte’s use of mirrors can be used to show Bertha Mason as Jane’s ‘dark side’. Jane looks into the mirror in the Red Room and sees ‘a strange little figure there gazing at me with a white face and arms specking the gloom’. This shows that when looking in the mirror Jane doesn’t see herself but someone else entirely which could suggest that she is still discovering herself as she doesn’t truly know who she is. The use of the adjective ‘strange’ suggests that the figure looking back at her may not necessarily be human but could be anything. The noun ‘gloom’ could suggest that the figure she sees perhaps isn’t happy or it could shows the unhappiness that Jane feels deep down, the figure is representative of Jane’s inner feelings and passions. This can link with the character of Bertha Mason, who Jane sees, through the mirror, dressed up in her wedding outfit. Jane looks into the mirror to see ‘a robed and veiled figure, so unlike my usual self that it seemed almost the image of a stranger’. The figure Jane sees is Bertha dressed up in Jane’s wedding outfit and it could suggest that Jane is looking at her doppelganger because Bertha shows all of Jane’s characteristics and mannerisms however in a slightly more exaggerated way. The noun ‘stranger’ links to when Jane saw herself in the Red Room she doesn’t see herself but another figure, but in this case she is actually seeing someone else but at the same time she is seeing herself and what she may become. This can be used as an argument for Bertha representing Jane’s dark side because she shows to Jane who she really is and what is going to become.
Another argument which can be used to show Bertha Mason as Jane’s ‘dark side’ is the fact that they have both been oppressed throughout their lives. Rochester says ‘Jane! Will you hear reason? Because, if you won’t, I’ll try violence.’ This suggests that even Rochester oppresses Jane despite how much loves her, which shows that Jane never gets rid of this oppression and has to live with it for the rest of her life. The use of ‘reason’ is Rochester threatening to rape Jane if he doesn’t agree to his proposal so ‘reason’ is rather ironic because there’s nothing reasoning about it. The use of short sentences could show Rochester’s desperation to be with Jane and is willing to do whatever it takes to make her stay. This links to Bertha who has also suffered oppression throughout her entire life. Bertha has been ‘shut up’ and hidden away in Thornfield. This suggests that Rochester may have been embarrassed to be married to a ‘madwoman’ and so locked her up where she couldn’t get out. Bertha never had a say in being locked up and so, just like Jane, was oppressed by Rochester. Saying that Bertha was ‘shut up’ makes her sound like an animal and she has been locked up just like an animal which shows that she isn’t even seen as a human being anymore as all the rights have been taken away from her, she’s not allowed out of her ‘prison’ for any reason whatsoever and so does everything in the room just like an animal, such as a dog. Therefore we can see the link between both Bertha and Jane as they both face oppression from Rochester especially.
Another way in which you can argue Bertha to be the repressed side of Jane’s personality is the fact that both of them are trapped. Jane is trapped in a figurative sense and paces up and down the corridors of Thornfield. ‘To walk along the corridor of the third story, backwards and forwards and allow my mind’s eye to dwell on whatever bright visions rose before it.’ This perceives Jane to be trapped in her own mind and the thoughts that come with it that she can’t escape from and so is trapped in that sense. Jane pacing the corridor ‘backwards and forwards’ is reminiscent of Bertha’s continual pacing about her room which suggests that Jane is trapped and has nowhere to go and so paces up and down. This links with Bertha who is literally trapped in the attic of Thornfield. She is described as the ‘madwoman in the attic’ this shows that she’s never been let out of the attic and so is literally trapped in the attic. The words ‘in the attic’ are significant because they show to us how Bertha hasn’t ever been let out and so whenever there’s reference to her people tend to add ‘in the attic’ which shows just how trapped Bertha is, she’s had all human rights taken away and has been shut away in a room never to see the light of day. This can be used to show Bertha to be Jane’s ‘dark side’ because they are both trapped however in different ways.
Overall I believe that Bertha is the repressed side to Jane’s personality because there is lots of evidence to support how similar, such as the fact that they’re both described as animals but more commonly, dogs. Describing them both as dogs shows their similarities however, Bertha’s descriptions and mannerisms seem to be a lot more exaggerated than Jane’s. It’s through these similarities that Jane sees who she is and who she could become (like Bertha.)