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She represents the gothic element of the novel as she aimlessly drifts through the вЂgloomyвЂ™ halls of Thornfield in the dead of night, setting fire to RochesterвЂ™s bed. In Jane Eyre, she is presented as the antagonist and is seen as an obstacle to JaneвЂ™s happiness, but little else is known about her. The вЂMadwomanвЂ™ Bertha Mason is a pivotal character in both novels acting as the central confrontation in BronteвЂ™s novel.

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Upon securing JaneвЂ™s hand in the promise of вЂmarriageвЂ™, Rochester attempts to assume the all-encompassing role of a вЂmisogynisticвЂ™ Victorian husband seeking to gain full ownership of his wife. Jane is also unwilling to be imprisoned in a lifetime of domestic servitude as merely a вЂmistressвЂ™. The expensive wedding вЂveilвЂ™ is another representation of the вЂunequalвЂ™ status between Jane and Rochester which Bertha Mason вЂrips apartвЂ™ into two and вЂњtrampled on themвЂќ exemplifying JaneвЂ™s inner struggle between her вЂloveвЂ™ for Rochester and her Christian morals. Furthermore, despite proclaiming to Jane that she is his вЂequalвЂ™ and his вЂlikenessвЂ™, he wants to adorn her with a вЂdiamond chainвЂ™ around her вЂneckвЂ™ and вЂbraceletsвЂ™ on her вЂfine wristsвЂ™. This is clear in the way he changes AntoinetteвЂ™s name to вЂBerthaвЂ™, essentially erasing her вЂidentityвЂ™ and autonomy. In both novels, Rochester exercises his dominant male power and authority over the protagonists. This is reflected in Victorian society in which women had no equal rights and subsequently, no ways to escape oppression.

From her tyrannical cousin John Reed to the вЂhypocriticalвЂ™ and cruel Brocklehurst, Jane is constantly reminded of her вЂorphanвЂ™ and вЂfemaleвЂ™ status in society with the disheartening knowledge that the only means of escape is through вЂflightвЂ™ or вЂstarvationвЂ™. Through a feminist critical reading, the misogyny of men is prominent throughout much of JaneвЂ™s life. Once published, victorian male critics deemed the novel вЂanti-ChristianвЂ™ and вЂrebelliousвЂ™ against Victorian ideals of вЂfemininityвЂ™ and вЂdomesticityвЂ™ which highlights the sexism of the 19th century. Bronte consequently had to use the male pseudonym вЂCurrer BellвЂ™ in order to have her novel published as female authors were not taken seriously enough due to the patriarchal вЂnorms and valuesвЂ™ of the nineteenth century. Feminism in BronteвЂ™s time was just beginning to take root although it was not yet fully established.