I think that Bertha’s differences to Jane mark her individualism, she is a woman in her own right, not just a Creole spin on Jane. The first section in the novel is very important in forming Bertha’s character; from it the readers can build up an opinion of Bertha, and get to know her through her thoughts and opinions on the world around her.

I found that the description and language used in the first section of the novel was useful in getting to know Bertha, the way she views her world, (p6) ‘Orchids flourished out of reach or for some reason not to be touched. One was snaky looking’The Coulibri garden is wild and out of control and she builds on it with a great imagination, she likes the wildness and the sense of not being in control, it reflects her life I suppose.

Another way in which Rhys characterises Bertha is through her interaction with the other characters, a moment that one could take as an example is where she visits her mother. Bertha’s language and actions in this moment are somewhat child-like, her language portrays excitement and hope, she cannot understand that her mother could still be the same person, when she herself is in such a safe environment, ‘She was part of Coulibri, that had gone, so she had gone, I was certain of it.’. When she gets to the house she runs to her mother, she clings to her, and then is rejected by her, ‘flung me from her.’ Jane and Bertha are similar, they are both rejected by their family.

In the second and third sections of the novel it is interesting to see how Bertha is viewed by other people, a perception which is unavailable in Jane Eyre. It would however be interesting to see the novel through Bertha’s eyes in the second and third sections, where she turns ‘mad’, as I personally think that she doesn’t go ‘mad’, she’s just very very misunderstood.