Novel reclaims voice of imprisoned character
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Lilia Hassaine, a French author, wrote the novel JE to explore the story of Bertha Mason, a character first created by Charlotte Brontë in Jane Eyre.
Brontë initially presented Bertha as a madwoman locked away in an attic, an obstacle to a love story. Later, Jean Rhys gave Bertha a Creole childhood and placed her story within the context of colonialism in the Caribbean.
Hassaine wanted to further examine the dynamic between Bertha and her husband, Rochester, and the forces that led to her imprisonment. Hassaine’s novel portrays Bertha’s marriage as a trap, showing how Rochester gradually controls her life, identity, and body, ultimately labeling her insane. The author argues that this control doesn’t rely on direct violence, but on subtle manipulation that turns a woman against herself, a pattern that extends beyond the 19th century.
JE also considers why women stay in damaging relationships, citing fear of failure, societal expectations, and age as barriers to leaving. Hassaine connected with the character on a personal level, finding that literature helped her understand a difficult experience in her own life. She aimed to restore Bertha’s individuality, imagining the events that led to her downfall where Brontë left gaps in the story.
Hassaine believes that readers now view these dynamics differently, recognizing behaviors once considered romantic as potentially manipulative. She expressed gratitude to Brontë for laying the groundwork for her reimagining of Bertha’s story.
