WHAT DO BERTHA MASON IN THE JANE EYRE AND EDNA IN AWAKENING AND DESIREE BABY BY KATE CHOPIN SUFFER

Abstract

This paper explores three popular novels Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, and The Awakening and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin, mainly the sufferings of the main female characters due to the biased treatment of women at that time. Thus, Bertha Mason and Edna Pontellier are accurately compared and contrasted concerning the similarities and differences of their struggle against the traditional view on womanhood, the oppressive behavior of their husbands, and the total ignorance of their needs. The analysis of the works, related to the topic, and the consideration of the womanhood peculiarities in the 19th century suggest that both females are quite similar due to their points of view, high expectations of the surroundings, and the way they end their lives. However, the differences can be explained by the way they express their opposition, the women’s significance in the novels, and the encouragement of the surroundings.