Bertha Mason epitomizes oppression in a male-controlled marriage. She was Rochester’s first wife and a foil to Jane. She makes Jane look better by showing how clear headed Jane is, while Bertha is mentally unstable and must be locked away on the third floor never to be seen by visitors. Even Jane, a resident of Thornfield who was in a relationship with the owner of the house and husband of Bertha, had no idea of her existence despite the fact that Rochester trusted her immensely. She is seen as a villain in the story because she was an obstacle on Jane’s course to happiness, but does her mental illness make her a monster, or is there more to the story. Bertha Mason is a symbol for women in male dominated marriages because of how controlled
