"It removed my veil from its gaunt head, rent it in two parts, and, flinging both on the floor, trampled on them."

"It removed my veil from its gaunt head, rent it in two parts, and, flinging both on the floor, trampled on them."

An illustration by F. H. Townsend for the second edition of Jane Eyre, published in 1847. Prior to her wedding day to Mr. Rochester, Jane is awoken by a dark figure in her bedroom, tearing her veil in two. The figure is later revealed to be Mr. Rochester's mentally ill wife, Bertha Mason, who has been kept secretly locked in the attic of the Thornfield Hall.

The novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë similarly demonstrates the recurrence of feminine influence and traumatic bond between women in gothic horror. The two women recognizably share a sexual role, as the romantic partner to Mr. Rochester. Bertha's repeated visits to Jane serve as an omen to the protagonist, warning of the entrapment and emotional corrosion they both face as Rochester's wives. Bertha Mason is frightening to Jane, but her understanding and empathy for the abuse which Bertha has faced at Rochester's hand causes her abandon him and the social station he would provide her. Jane's respect for herself and for Bertha cement a "sisterhood", rejecting the sexual space that threatens their personhood.

F. H. Townsend

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

Smith, Elder & Co. of London

1 January 1847

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