
OK. so i know that he is a fictional character in a Victorian fiction novel. but i love Mr Rochester. I know that he is not perfect and keeping a mad secret wife in his attic for several years was not a wise move. however i do feel it was justifiable. Bertha was mad, he did not love her, he was tricked into marrying her, and is now paying for it. She had also been unfaithful many times, yet he is expected to put up with it?? would you? No, in todays society divorce would be certain. however in a Victorian society divorce was not that easy. Rochester also did not want Bertha to go in to an institution for the mentally insane. Which i feel is admorable.
I do however, agree with all Rochesters critics - that he should have told Jane about Bertha before their wedding. i do appreciate that it was not the easiest topic to bring up in conversation "oh by the way i have a secret physco wife locked upstairs!" but surely he could have mentioned it?! i know he did not want to lose Jane but morally surely he felt the urge to be true.
We are studying Jane Eyre in our Vic Lit seminars and we did actually make some pro-Rochester tshirts! mine said "lady Rochester" (sad i know!!) my point for supporting Rochester is also backed up by the fact that in the BBC series he is god damn HOT!!!!!
