lindad_amato wrote:It's called The Madwoman in the Attic by Gilbert & Guber. Amazon has it. I also read it in college. The authors make a good argument and I remember a lively discussion in my class. I always felt ambivalent about Rochester's wife also.
Is this the book you mention lindad?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Madwoman_in_the_Attic
This book looks fascinating! This discussion reminds me of the short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper", Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Actually, we discussed this short story, if you are interested in reading it, look in the short story forum.
Of course Gilman was one of the pioneers of feministic literature, but "The Yellow Wallpaper" clearly demonstrates how women were percieved during this time period. Having a period, or having a baby, would render a woman ill, and sometimes this illness would be considered a mental illness, or a nervous condition if the woman presented any symptoms of depression. I have not read "
Jane Eyre", I have seen the movie. The wife is portrayed as being a cumbersome speed bumb to the love between
Jane Eyre and the husband, and is described by the husband as being beyond hope. Like I said, I have only seen the movie, the wife is portrayed as some type of monster. But, after reading stories like, "The Yellow Wallpaper", I have to take a second look, maybe the husband is the monster, and the one to be looked at with disgust. I do believe that "
Jane Eyre" will be short listed for my TBR list.
jill315 wrote:You know, when his wife throws herself over the banister, ultimately killing herself, the reader almost shrugs off the tragedy because they know Jane and Mr. Rochester can now be together, when, really, this "mad woman," whose story is never clearly explained from her perspective, ended her life for reasons we just assume, but don't know.
I have to agree with SeeSpot, this is disturbing. The diagonsis of "nervous condition" could result in an imprisonment for women. The book, "The Madwoman in the Attic" may shed some light on the reasons the wife in "
Jane Eyre" was imprisoned.
A big question that jumps out at me regarding "
Jane Eyre" is; Isn't she afraid that the same fate awaits her?
Very interesting discussion.