Vernon Lee

Vernon Lee - the pen name of the prolific British author and critic Violet Paget( 14 October 1856 - 13 February 1935). She was a travel writer, critic, musician, novelist etc. Her works on supernatural fiction and aesthetics made her an international fame. She was an outspoken follower of Walter Peter. Walter Horatio Peter was an English essayist, literary and art critic and a writer of fiction. She was one of the first to bring the concept of Einfuhlung, or empathy, into English criticism. "Prince Alberic and tha Snake Lady" (1895) was her first story. Most famous of her  short fiction were collected and published under the title,"Hauntings" in 1890. Themes of haunting and possession are mostly found in her short fiction. Vernon Lee authored numerous number of books and travel writings. Some of her works are listed below:

     

     • Studies of the Eighteenth Century in 

        Italy (1880)

     • The Prince of the Hundred Soups: A 

        Puppet Show in Narrative (1853)

     • Miss Brown (1884)

     • Hauntings - Fantastic Stories (1890) 

     • Art and Life

     • The Spirit of Rome

     • Snake Lady and Other Stories(1954)

     • Supernatural Tales (1955)

Anoinette Cosway

Through "Antoinette", Jean Rhy's creates a prehistory for Bronte's madwoman,"Bertha". Antoinette is the story's principal character. Rhy's traced the development of Antoinette's character from a young girl in Jamaica to the wild lunatic in the attic in Wide Sargasso Sea. From her childhood onwards she lead a life of loneliness. Her mother was always indealt with her brother,Pierre. She was a sensitive girl. Apart from her home, she was an outcast in society, termed'white cockroach'. Antoinette and her family of white Creoles were forced to flee from their estate due to some conflicts with blacks on the Island. Antoinette was pushed to marry an Englishman. She could not  find a peaceful place even after her marriage, as it was a mismatch of culture and customs. The history of her childhood relation with one of her half brothers, Sandy Cosway, turned her husband against her. The newly-wed bride was dipped into a world of madness and 

beyond as her mother was.She was  also called as "Bertha" and "Marionette" by her husband. She was locked in the attic  of an unknown house and was guarded by a servant arranged by Rochester. At this point, Bronte's character is born - a woman of utter madness and violence.

             

Bertha Mason

Bertha Mason - a being of the Creole heritage, is the only daughter of a very rich family in Jamaica. The character comes to the fore of the reader only after the completion of the half of the narrative.  Bronte describes Bertha only through the description of her unhappy husband, Rochester. Rochester claims that he was unaware of the violent insanity ran in her family and his father arranged this marriage only for the vast fortune the marriage would bring him. Bertha's existence is mentioned only at the time of Rochester's marriage with Jane. Loud laughs, utterances are heard at the earlier sections of the narrative. When enquired, Rochester answered that it is made by Grace Pool, the servant. Though,  Bertha was not insane at first she became violent when locked up for ten years. Bertha's physical appearances totally changed by the years of confinement. Eyre while seeing Bertha describes her as "savage". Bertha freed Rochester from the bond of marriage by perishing her life.