Question

9. Scenes of madness and insanity are among the most important plot devices in Jane Eyre. From the vision Jane sees when locked in the bedroom at Gateshead to her hearing the "goblin laughter" she attributes to Grace Poole, to the insanity and wretchedness of Bertha Mason, madness is of central importance to the plot and direction of the story. Give examples of madness in the text, and show how they affect the reader's understanding of the character experiencing the madness and how these examples affect the reader's understanding of the characters witnessing it.

Answer 1

Jane discusses the topic of madness when she talks about the characters and actions of John Reed. We learn that:

"He ruined his health and his estate amongst the worst men and the worst women. He got into debt and into jail: his mother helped him out twice, but as soon as he was free he returned to his old companions and habits. His head was not strong: the knaves he lived amongst fooled him beyond anything I ever heard."

From Jane's perspective, this is the behaviour of a mad man. She does not understand his inclinations, or the reason why he is so determined to make her life difficult. This allows us to understand Jane's character in a fuller, more developed way. It also allows us to understand John Reed and appreciate his development throughout the story.

Another example of insanity occurs with Jane. We learn about her feelings for Mr. and Mrs. Reed in the following quote:

"I am not deceitful: if I were, I should say I love you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed."

These lines are described as examples of insanity in Jane. She believers herself mad for speaking about her true feelings in such an obvious, assertive way. This allows us to understand the feelings of Jane in a deeper way. It also allows us to understand the social expectation that women dealt with during this time period.