Ch. 25

- A strange, savage-looking woman, who took Jane’'s veil and tore it in two. Rochester tells her that the woman must have been Grace Poole and that what she experienced was really “"half-dream, half-reality."

- The suspense and mystery build when the mad–woman enters Jane’'s room. We know that all of this anxiety must lead to a revelation of some sort, and it is connected somehow to the upcoming marriage.

Ch. 26

-The mystery is exposed in this chapter and Jane is confronted with the information the reader has already guessed. Jane’'s anxieties and dreams have proven prophetic.

- When the priest asks if anyone objects to the ceremony, one of the strangers answers: “"The marriage cannot go on: I declare the existence of an impediment.”"

-He leads the group back to Thornfield Hall and up to the attic into the chamber. Inside the hidden room is Bertha Mason, under the care of Grace Poole.

- Interpretations of Bertha

1) One interpretation of Bertha is that she is a double for Jane herself, the embodiment of Jane’'s repressed fear and anger. For although Jane declares her love for Rochester, her dreams and apprehensions suggest that she also secretly fears being married to him, perhaps even that she secretly wants to rage against the imprisonment that marriage could become for her. Although Jane does not manifest this fear or rage, Bertha does. Thus, Bertha tears the bridal veil, and it is Bertha’'s existence that stops the wedding from going forth.

2) Bertha could represent the horror of Victorian marriage. Rochester claims to have imprisoned her because she is mad, but it is easy to imagine an opposite relation of cause and effect, in which years of enforced imprisonment and isolation have made her violently insane or, at least, increased her insanity. Thus, the mad woman in the attic could represent the confining and repressive aspects of Victorian wifehood, suggesting that the lack of autonomy and freedom in marriage suffocates women, threatening their mental and emotional health. Bertha’'s tearing of Jane’'s wedding veil could be seen as symbolizing her revolt against the institution of marriage.

3) Another interpretation is that Rochester’'s marriage to Bertha represents the British Empire’'s cultural and economic exploitation of the colonized. Bertha might have evoked British anxieties about having to deal with the other cultures under Britain’'s dominion, and Bertha’'s imprisonment might signify Britain’'s attempt to control and contain the influence of colonial cultures by metaphorically “"locking them in the attic.”"

** Each of these arguments provides an interesting way of thinking about the text, but it is also important to recognize that Bertha does not function merely as a symbol. Her presence is also a gripping story element and a source of external psychological distress for Jane, from which Jane develops and grows.

- Jane locks herself in her room and plunges into an inexpressible grief. She thinks about the almost calm manner in which the morning’'s events unfolded and how it seems disproportionate to the immense effect those events will have on her life.

Ch. 27

-Jane endures her most difficult trials in this section of the book: she resolves to leave Rochester although it pains her deeply

- He then offers her a new proposal—to leave England with him for the South of France, where they will live together as husband and wife. Jane refuses, explaining that no matter how Rochester chooses to view the situation, she will never be more than a mistress to him while Bertha is alive.

- In trying to convince Jane to stay, Rochester explains the circumstances of his first marriage. Unwilling to divide his property, Rochester’'s father left his entire estate to his other son, Rowland, and sent Rochester to Jamaica to marry Bertha, who was to inherit a massive fortune—-30,000 pounds(around 6 billion won/60억)

- Jane feels torn. She doesn’'t want to condemn Rochester to further misery, and a voice within her asks, “"Who in the world cares for you?”"

Yet her conscience tells her that she will respect herself all the more if she bears her suffering alone and does what she believes to be right. Jane leaves Thornfield.

- It takes all of Jane’'s strength to leave the only adult love she’'s ever known, but she cannot become a mistress. Once again, Jane proves her integrity by not succumbing to Rochester’'s offers. Brontë has Jane Eyre holding onto her sense of self here; Jane is afraid that if she were to become a mistress, she would turn into someone Rochester couldn’'t respect.