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Mental Illness in Novels of the Bronte Sisters

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In the Bronte novels, Charlotte and Emily recognizes mental illness in society as a form of both moral depravity and inherited physical corruption. These novels display echoes of external reality and a hint of actual real life events that took place in the author’s lives. The authors portray the negative impact of mental illness on family life and relationships, not only to describe the negative impact on individuals but to fully demonstrate the severity of psychosis, neuroses, and personality disorders in society. “Psychosis is a loss of touch with reality, momentarily and experiencing and handling it in an altered state” (Information about Psychoses). Rochester’s insane wife, Bertha Mason, portrays this throughout the novel, as an uneasy and even threatening presence. She is considered the madwoman in the attic, willing and ready to attack anyone she wants, not matter who they are. After being locked up and rejected by her husband, Bertha’s main priority is to get revenge on Mr. Rochester. In attempt to destroy him, Bertha escapes from the attic, sets fire to Thornfield Hall, hoping to kill everyone inside the Hall, as well as destroying the place where she is trapped. Bertha throws herself off the roof ending her life, but still remains evil till the very end. Bertha also attempts to bite her brother, which is surprising because all he does is try to help her; however, in Bertha’s state, she would have thought he was trying to hurt her. Psychosis is not the only mental illness displayed throughout the novel, but neuroses is also portrayed though several characters. ?The results in difficulties of neuroses allow Bronte to emphasis the broad consequences of John Reed and Hindley Earnshaw’s negative life styles. Neuroses is “a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of disease, in various degrees and patterns, dominate th

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