THE EXISTENCE OF AN IMPEDIMENT An analysis of Jane Eyres 26th chapter Filipe Malafaia Cerqueira filipemalafaia@gmail.

com Since Jane Eyre was first published in London in 184 ! the most famous and contro"ersial passage of Charlote #ront$%s no"el has been the one &nown as 'the madwoman in the attic(. )n this passage! *ane%s wedding with +ochester is interrupted and then completel, bro&en b, terrible news- her belo"ed one is alread, married. .o one in /hornfield is aware of this marriage! since +ochester &eeps his wife! #ertha Mason loc&ed awa,! imprisoned in the attic! under the care of 0race 1oole. /he fact is that #ertha is a madwoman! as stated b, +ochester and later! testified b, *ane herself! and this meeting is described b, her this wa,In the deep shade, at the farther end of the room, a figure ran backwards and forwards. What it was, whether beast or human being, one could note, at first sight, tell: it grovelled, seemingly, on all fours it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal: but it was covered with clothing, and a !uantity of dark, gri""led hair, wild as a mane, hid its head and face.# /he misterious woman 2or beast! perhaps34 who had ripped *ane%s wedding "eil is now disco"ered! and it is finall, identified a &ind of ri"al to *ane! ma,be a "illain to the stor,. 5es! #ertha is the madwoman in the attic! but could she actuall, represent *ane%s 'dar& side(3 6 t,pe of repressed *ane! which embodies her fear and anger against a male dominant societ,! that imprisons and a"oids an,one 7 man or woman 7 who cannot ser"e an,more to this so8called ci"ili9ed group of people. #ertha gi"es "oice to all the panic and fear that grow inside *ane: fear of marr,ing +ochester and not to adapt herself to his aristochratic wa, of life. 6lthough not merel, a s,mbol! #ertha represents the other! the un&nown! the obliterant animal! the 6pocal,pse. 6nd the other is alwa,s strange! unaware to a world which does not recogni9e the different. ;owe"er! we cannot blame +ochester for ma&ing such thing as imprisoning his mad wife. )t is not eas, to accept madness! to understand a beha"ior that threatens the status !uo. <e can notice 7 not onl, in this chapter 7 that +ochester%s world is not read, for neither #ertha Masons nor *ane =,res. /he, brea& the established rules! settled b, enpowered men and their narrow religions and beliefs. )f we thin& about >ictorian wifehood! this theor, will get e"en stronger. /he lac& of autonom, and freedom in >ictorian marriage suffocated women! threatening their mental and emotional health. 6nd when the, didn%t fit in these pre"iousl, drawn lines! the, would ha"e to go awa,! or to be loc&ed in attics! so that >ictorian sacred wa, of life couldn%t be disturbed. Fruit of men%s mista&es! women%s sadness went on and on. I was in my own room as usual $ %ust myself, without obvious change: nothing had smitten me, or scathed me, or maimed me. &nd yet where was the Jane Eyre of yesterday' $ Where was her life' $ Where were her prospects'#

)t was +ochester who had committed an error. #ut ,et it was *ane who would suffer its consequences. She would ha"e to mourn her disgrace! while he would continue to be the master! as *ane herself calls him man, times in the no"el. /hat is the fate of >ictorian women- the, are the ser"ants and their husbands and fathers are the masters. 6lthough this stor, is set in the >ictorian period! women continued to be mistreated and left to the edges of societ,. ?n this point of "iew! Jane Eyre is somehow a prophetic no"el. Charlote #ront$ &new 7 or ma,be imagined 7 that things would basicall, be the same for a "er, long time. 6nd the, were. /he, still are! in most of the nations in the world. /oda,! the madwomen in the attic are all those who suffer for not being allowed to e@press their feelings! their fears and their dreams. /herefore! we can see plent, of #erthas and *anes around the globe! struggling to be able to contemplate the light of the sun.