As the stereotypical Madwoman in the Attic, Bertha is presented as a clear antagonist to Jane in the novel. Rochester eventually returns with Dr. Carter who carries him away from Thornfield Hall to cure his wounds. Mr. Rochester reveals Mr. Mason's wounds to Jane, which still bleed freely. She is damn lucky to get him, all things considered. None of the furtive shabby manoeuvres of a younger son. and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account. She will find out exactly what happened the night Bertha attacked her brother. Why did Mason return to see his sister in April? Rochester is awarded the thirty thousand pound dowry, and when her father dies she inherits a great deal of money, which also goes to Rochester because he is her husband. Along with his sisters, Mary and Diana, St. John (pronounced “Sinjin”) serves as … Finally, the gypsy insists upon telling Jane's fortune. As Jane and the others leave, Mr. Briggs tells her that he and Mr. Mason know her uncle, Mr. John Eyre, who is currently living in Madeira. Change ). At first, Jane is somewhat impressed by the newcomer: “His manner was polite; his accent, in speaking, struck me as being somewhat unusual,—not precisely foreign, but still not altogether English: his age might be about Mr. Rochester’s,—between thirty and forty; his complexion was singularly sallow: otherwise he was a fine-looking man, at first sight especially.”. Jane immediately dislikes Mason's "unsettled and inanimate" face. Richard Mason is a fascinating character, created by Charlotte Bronte, for her novel Jane Eyre, and taken up a century later in the prequel written by Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea. Rochester tells Jane his marriage to Bertha had been arranged by their respective fathers and in Wide Sargasso Sea, Rochester writes a letter to his father informing him that the transaction has been conducted according to their plans: “All is well and has gone according to your plans and wishes. With guests at Thornfield, life is cheerful. Not only does she personify the chaos and dark animal sensuality that contrasts so sharply to Jane's calm morality, Bertha is ultimately the sole obstacle between Jane and Mr. Rochester and their eventual happiness. Richard Mason has some disquieting news for Jane Rochester which will turn her world upside down, once more. She is forced to be independent. Immediately disliking the tame vacancy of Mason's eyes, Jane compares him with Rochester, finding they differ like a gander and a falcon. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same Appreciating the time and effort you put into So she writes a scenewhere someone (Mr. Mason) is mysteriously stabbed (pg. Mason reappears in All Hallows at Eyre Hall, the sequel to both Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea, as one of the main characters. Many critics argue Jane's relationship with Rochester is marked by ambiguities of equality and independence: In their first meeting, for example, Rochester is dependent upon Jane to return to his horse. Thank you for dropping by and commenting. Jane believes him, as many readers have done in the last hundred and fifty years, but in any case, Jane leaves because, tricked or not, mad or not, Bertha Antoinette Mason is his legal wife; she is Mrs. Bertha Rochester. Jenna Starborn, by Sharon Shinn, is a science fiction retelling of the story which features "Jenna" (Jane) as a clone commissioned and then abandoned by Mrs. Reed. He is the owner of Thornfield Hall, the husband of Bertha Mason and then to the titular character. Really interesting take on Bronte’s writing. The worried and curious guests are sent back to bed while Rochester asks Jane to follow him upstairs: “Mr. His father died soon after I left for the West Indies as you probably know. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. John Eyre is a business associate of Mason's, so when Jane's letter arrived, announcing her engagement, he shared the information with Mason, who was resting in Madeira on his return voyage to Jamaica. He is naturally looking after his sister’s interests. You are going to love this villain! Have you ever read any of Jasper FForde’s books — the Wednesday Next series? bookmarked pages associated with this title. The Noble and Most Singular Order of the Blue Carbuncle. No longer interested in the charades, Jane watches the interactions between Rochester and Blanche. Removing #book# His witch's skill is being able to peer deeply into women's hearts, extracting their secrets: Notice that he does not tell the fortunes of any of the men in the party. Mason does not appear in  All Hallows at Eyre Hall by chance. His features were regular, but too relaxed: his eye was large and well cut, but the life looking out of it was a tame, vacant life—at least so I thought. However, I must warn you, there is another, unexpected villain in All Hallows At Eyre Hall, and he is even worse than Shakespeare’s greatest villain, Richard III. After the farce, which Jane discovers easily, she tells him that he has a visitor and he reacts with horror: “His name is Mason, sir; and he comes from the West Indies; from Spanish Town, in Jamaica, I think.”, Mr. Rochester was standing near me; he had taken my hand, as if to lead me to a chair. Look, it's Mr. Rochester returning! How does Jane Eyre compare to Bertha Mason? Mason first appears in the novel arriving at a lively, guest-filled Thornfield Hall in a horse drawn carriage, claiming to be an old friend, while Mr. Rochester is out riding: “The post-chaise stopped; the driver rang the door-bell, and a gentleman alighted attired in travelling garb; but it was not Mr. Rochester; it was a tall, fashionable-looking man, a stranger.”. No begging letters, no mean requests. He has become a more ambitious, vicious, and clever schemer. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Wide Sargasso Sea confirms the information Rochester tells Jane after Bertha’s discovery in Jane Eyre in another letter to his father: Dear Father. Why should I insist on a lawyer’s settlement when I trust him? Bertha’s presence was only one of the secrets at Thornfield Hall, and although both secrets were conveniently removed before Jane and Rochester married, Bertha’s shadow will haunt Jane once more twenty-three years after that fateful night. No provision made for her (that must be seen to). Thank you for following. It’s ( Log Out /  After a harsh childhood, orphan Jane Eyre is hired by Edward Rochester, the brooding lord of a mysterious They then enact the story of Eliezer and Rebecca, and end with Rochester as a prisoner in chains. Before leaving, Jane tells Rochester about Mason's arrival; he is visibly upset by this news. I have a modest competence now I will never be a disgrace to you or to my dear brother the son you love. He lets her know immediately that Mason is a big problem for him: “Jane, I’ve got a blow; I’ve got a blow, Jane!” He staggered. With Benji Bower, Will Bower, Craig Edwards, Laura Elphinstone. It turns out that Jane's uncle, Mr. John Eyre, is a friend of Mr. Mason's and was visited by him soon after Mr. Eyre received Jane's letter about her impending marriage. The arrival of Mr. Mason also prefigures change. You will not speak to him on any pretext—and—Richard, it will be at the peril of your life if you speak to her: open your lips—agitate yourself—and I’ll not answer for the consequences.”. Did he visit his sister frequently? Rochester denies being married, denying the authenticity of the marriage certificate, and later suggesting that if he ever had a wife she was not living, until Mason intervenes by answering the vicar’s question: Then addressing Mason, he inquired gently, “Are you aware, sir, whether or not this gentleman’s, “Courage,” urged the lawyer, “speak out.”, “She is now living at Thornfield Hall,” said Mason, in more articulate tones: “I saw her there last April. For example, she pushes Adèle away with "spiteful antipathy" and her treatment of Jane isn't much better: She "scorned to touch [Jane] with the hem of her robes as she passed" and quickly withdrew her eyes from Jane "as from an object too mean to merit observation." Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester is a major character in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. He then left her alone with him while he went to fetch Dr.Carter: “I shall have to leave you in this room with this gentleman, for an hour, or perhaps two hours: you will sponge the blood as I do when it returns: if he feels faint, you will put the glass of water on that stand to his lips, and your salts to his nose. from your Reading List will also remove any #JaneEyreFF Rereading Jane Eyre in #FlashFiction #Chapter12 #VictorianFiction #CharlotteBronte Jane meets Mr Rochester, at last! St. John Rivers. Mary Ingram and Amy and Louisa Eschton have their fortunes read together and return laughing, impressed by Mother Bunches' intimate knowledge of their lives. Wide Sargasso Sea is both a response and a prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, set in the West Indies and imagining the lives of Bertha Mason and her family. In Wide Sargasso Sea, it is Rochester who convinces Mason of his honesty. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys expands on the story of Bertha and Richard Mason, who plays a major role in this novel, too. There is no way of Richard Mason is a fascinating character, created by Charlotte Bronte, for her novel Jane Eyre, and taken up a century later in the prequel written by Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea. I have to admit that I read these books so many years ago, that I’ve lost many of the details I once knew. She is right in her suspicions; Rochester calls her to help him once again, this time to tend to Mr Mason, who has been viciously attacked, presumably by … Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. c c Mr Rochester asks Jane to marry him. Rochester's almost supernatural powers are highlighted in this scene: His ability to weave a magical web around Jane with words and, more importantly, his ability to look almost directly into her heart so she feels an "unseen spirit had been sitting for weeks by my heart watching its workings and taking record of every pulse." I have sold my soul or you have sold it, and after all is it such a bad bargain? He’s pale and passed out, and one of his arms is soaked in his own blood. After fifteen minutes with the old woman, Blanche returns, and has obviously received disappointing news. unwanted rehashed material. He was certain his possessions were real and vast: he made inquiries. As I spoke he gave my wrist a convulsive grip; the smile on his lips froze: apparently a spasm caught his breath.”. I think (with deference be it spoken) the contrast could not be much greater between a sleek gander and a fierce falcon: between a meek sheep and the rough-coated keen eyed dog, its guardian.”. Mason’s character is only briefly sketched; nevertheless the reader is able to identify him in his specific and crucial role as both villain and foil to Rochester. We will discover why she attacked him and what those strange animal noises and squeals coming from the attic were all about. ( Log Out /  Their intimate style of conversing leads Jane to believe they will soon marry. Mason will play a pivotal role in the plot of the story, and his presence provides another example of how foreigners are denigrated in this novel. Bertha deserves, and therefore will be the subject of another article, because on this occasion I want to focus all attention on Richard Mason’s character and role in the novel. Rochester worries that Mason has told them something grave or mysterious about him. Jane enters the library and finds the gypsy woman seated snugly in an easy chair. Later that night she hears Rochester happily leading Mason to his room. I am her brother.”. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Richard is the gullible and careless older brother who neglected to look after his sister’s financial well-being, allowing Rochester control over all her funds and finally take her to England, out of her family’s reach.