Crazy ran in the family, but it was very well hidden when Rochester was wooing Bertha. Rochester became friends with Richard Mason, met Richard's sister Bertha and fell in love (she was beautiful, demure, quiet, yielding. You know, "all that is feminine.") The Mason family did a VERY good job of hiding Berta's brand of crazy and made sure that Rochester didn't spend too much time alone with their darling, "virtuous" child; all very good ways to keep Rochester from realizing that Bertha was batshit insane under that pretty exterior.
How long after they married did he realize she was insane? And did it grow worse as time went on? Did he immediately shut her up in the attic or was that like a last resort type thing?
Again, thank you so much. I am so fried right now; it's hard keeping all these plotlines straight.
I think it was nearly immediately after the wedding. I remember thinking she was probably been totally doped up while being courted -- I vaguely remember reading about Rochester talking about how out of control Bertha was during their honeymoon period. (I wikied it and it's towards the chapters 20-26 that shit blows up in his face and he has to confess to Jane, in case you have a copy handy.)
I'm assuming it got progressively worse. I googled (magical google!) her timeline: http://www.shmoop.com/jane-eyre/bertha-mason-timeline.html (http://www.shmoop.com/jane-eyre/bertha-mason-timeline.html). It looks like they were married for 4 years where he tried to get her treatment, but ended up locking her crazy ass in Thornfield.
No problemos. I LOVE Jane Eyre - loved it when I first found it on the bookshelf when I was in 6th grade, and it's still my go to book when I'm feeling schmaltzy and in need of super-saturated gothic romance.
I have not actually read the book. *hangs head in shame* I've been reading tons of criticism *about* the book, though. LOL I know I'll love it when I get the chance. :)
hahahah! No big - read it when you can and then gush and wibble (I can't wait to go home now, I'm gonna dig out my copy and read it tonight.) I'm afraid I'm alone amongst my friends in my deep deep love for Jane Eyre. They're all Wuthering Heights fans. To which I say "Pheh. Heathcliff is a whiny pansy jerk. And I want to smack Catherine up like the prissy beeeetch she is." And then there are fights.
I'm with you. I've read Wuthering Heights fans and it just makes me want to wander the moors and hope I die. Jane has balls. Catherine's a bitch and Heathcliff is a jerk. Of course, Mr. Rochester is kind of a jerk too. :)
I just couldn't get into Catherine's or Heathcliff's headspaces. They were just too neurotic and dysfunctional and GOD the whining. My friends love the book because it's the height of romance (but I call foul because they loved it thanks to Laurence Olivier's portrayal. No fair! My response is if Sir Olivier played Rochester, they'd love JE too. Then we fight.)
I have to recommend a series that sends off WH, JE and a bunch of other literary characters that totally tickles my lit-nerd bone. You guys HAVE to read Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next (http://www.amazon.com/Jasper-Fforde/e/B000APXZAC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1271299573&sr=1-2-ent) series. How could you not love a series where the Earnshaws and the Lintons have banded together to create a "We hate Heathcliff" support group, and have to attend an anger management class (moderated - with a pistol! - by Ms. Havisham of Great Expectations) where they do nothing but rag on how much they hate Heathcliff and Catherine, AND where Heathcliff gets horribly upset because Rochester won "Most romantic character of the year", breaking Heathcliff's 7 year winning streak? It is hysterical!
Did you know there's fanfic? Really, really good fanfic?
I don't think WH is the height of romance because never once have I thought to myself that digging up my husband's dead body would be totes awesome LOL but I do think it's this gorgeous and fucked up picture of obsession and passion and insanity. Yum.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME (ok, ok, this is the intarwebs and of course there's fanfic, but why have I never thought to LOOK?) Where are the good TH fanfic? Recs, please please pretty please omg.
And you're right - Heathcliff and Catherine define obsessive, possessive, insane, seriously jacked up love. But I still want to do massive violence to those two because, OH GOD grow up you two!
I don't think WH is the height of romance because never once have I thought to myself that digging up my husband's dead body would be totes awesome LOL but I do think it's this gorgeous and fucked up picture of obsession and passion and insanity. Yum.
Umm, because she's a hot piece of Carribbean ass? At least that's how it was explained to me in The Wide Sargasso Sea. Though, that's a pretty sexist/racist reason to marry someone.
altyronsmaker: There's definitely a bit of "well, what can you expect from those not-English women? Of course they're going to be sexy, and therefore at risk of insanity." There's also a hint that Bertha might be of mixed race, which at that time was even more associated with sexuality and insanity. Which, as we all know, are the same thing anyway.
lunabee34: hey, when you have some time on your hands you'll really be able to appreciate my B7 version where Jane is a mutoid and Rochester is Travis...
I had read 'The Wide Sargasso Sea' in college in a Post-colonial lit class, and in discussing the novel it came out that it was intended to be the prequel to Jane Eyre - taking that hint of Bertha being of mixed race and exploring her life before the Rochesters.
It's been...oh my goodness...um, eight years since I read it though. Yikes. I was being a little too flippant in my original answer to Lunabee.
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How long after they married did he realize she was insane? And did it grow worse as time went on? Did he immediately shut her up in the attic or was that like a last resort type thing?
Again, thank you so much. I am so fried right now; it's hard keeping all these plotlines straight.
*hugs*
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I'm assuming it got progressively worse. I googled (magical google!) her timeline: http://www.shmoop.com/jane-eyre/bertha-mason-timeline.html (http://www.shmoop.com/jane-eyre/bertha-mason-timeline.html). It looks like they were married for 4 years where he tried to get her treatment, but ended up locking her crazy ass in Thornfield.
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*hugs*
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Ahem.
But there's necrophilia! Doesn't that count for something?
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Also, the servant who tells the story is not very believable. I cry unreliable narrator.
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*beams*
(Is it totally geeky that I am grinning to split my face because VICTORIAN NOVELS ROCK!)
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But I am also equally sure there is mad love in my heart for JE. :)
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I have to recommend a series that sends off WH, JE and a bunch of other literary characters that totally tickles my lit-nerd bone. You guys HAVE to read Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next (http://www.amazon.com/Jasper-Fforde/e/B000APXZAC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1271299573&sr=1-2-ent) series. How could you not love a series where the Earnshaws and the Lintons have banded together to create a "We hate Heathcliff" support group, and have to attend an anger management class (moderated - with a pistol! - by Ms. Havisham of Great Expectations) where they do nothing but rag on how much they hate Heathcliff and Catherine, AND where Heathcliff gets horribly upset because Rochester won "Most romantic character of the year", breaking Heathcliff's 7 year winning streak? It is hysterical!
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Did you know there's fanfic? Really, really good fanfic?
I don't think WH is the height of romance because never once have I thought to myself that digging up my husband's dead body would be totes awesome LOL but I do think it's this gorgeous and fucked up picture of obsession and passion and insanity. Yum.
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And you're right - Heathcliff and Catherine define obsessive, possessive, insane, seriously jacked up love. But I still want to do massive violence to those two because, OH GOD grow up you two!
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Here's one! I thought I'd recced more.
Here's all the Yuletide fic: http://yuletidetreasure.org/archive/fandom_jasper_fforde__thursday_next_series.html
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LOL
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THIS! Wuthering Heights yay!!!!
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Or am I getting my stories mixed up?
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lunabee34: hey, when you have some time on your hands you'll really be able to appreciate my B7 version where Jane is a mutoid and Rochester is Travis...
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It's been...oh my goodness...um, eight years since I read it though. Yikes. I was being a little too flippant in my original answer to Lunabee.
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*grins*
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