Three of the worlds most concerning psychological disorders are Huntingtons disease, schizophrenia, and dissociative identity disorder (DID). Over ten million adults in the United States are affected by a severe mental illness. The difficulty people must face to cope with the effects along with the recovery of one of these diseases is a constant battle. Today, the concept of recovery for these patients is a determined mindset with international concord. The notion of recovery is a commitment to the principle that people should be helped to live their lives to the fullest extent possible within the limitations of their illness (Kirby). The people that are affected by a mental illness go against their own mind invariably. The character Bertha Mason in Jane Eyre is a perfect exemplar of someone who is dealing with a mental illness. She displays similar side effects and emotions to a more severe disease. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte was first published in 1847 and is about an orphan named Jane Eyre, who grows up longing for love, independence, and has a passion for life. She lives with her aunt and cousins at Gateshead Hall. After years of being awfully mistreated, she is sent to Lowood Institution. After spending six years at Lowood, Jane finds a job as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets her employer: Edward Rochester. Jane gradually falls in love with Rochester, but
he is put to the standard of marrying the socially eminent Blanche Ingram. Eventually, Rochester declares his love for Jane. He proposes to get married. On the wedding day, Jane finds out they cannot be legally married because Rochester is already married to Bertha Mason, who is mentally unstable and locked away for becoming a flight risk to herself and others. When Rochester brought Jane to see who Bertha Mason truly was, Jane witnessed how, the lunatic grappled (Mr. Rochesters) throat viciously and laid her teeth to his cheek. They struggled. She was a big woman […] more than once did she almost throttle him (Bronte). After her encounter with Bertha Mason, Jane leaves Thornfield and Rochester for the Moor House, where she finds her cousins, whom she never knew about. Jane lives at Moor House for a year until she receives an alluring call from Rochester and returns to Thornfield. Jane comes back to the entire estate burned down, set on fire by Bertha, who jumped to her death shortly after. Rochester became blind as a result of his attempt at saving Bertha. In the end, Jane and Rochester marry and have a son. From lighting Rochesters bed on fire to eventually committing suicide, it is evident that Bertha Mason has serious psychiatric issues. After finishing Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, an essential question is what mental disorder drove Bertha Mason to the brink of insanity.