How does Bronte convey the psyche of the Victorian woman through Gothic themes in Jane Eyre?

Through the medium of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte was able to challenge the boundaries of Victorian female through the language of Gothic literature. The concept of the 'other' is presented to the reader consistently throughout the novel in a manner only acceptable in Gothic literature at the time. The sense of mystery and unease of the dark landscapes, unknown territories and dark encounters lay the perfect scene to explore the more sinister or usually taboo subjects. Bronte conveys the psyche of the Victorian female in several ways. Firstly, Jane Eyre is always depicted as the outsider, someone who does not fit in to her surroundings and is subsequently an oddity. Arguably, this opinion of Eyre, which is formed by the characters around her, is enforced by her intelligence and therefore her own agency. In this era, the educated woman was somewhat of a pariah and was often viewed as dangerous, as she did not conform to her patriarchal confines. Jane's sense of autonomy and freedom are enhanced when she is outside, observing the moon and crossing the fields. However, when she enters the Rochdale house she is confined within the small passages and overbearing walls of the structure. This is perhaps a commentary on the social confines faced by women under the patriarchy of men in Victorian society. The manner in which Bertha Rochester is imprisoned in the attic and treated like an animal is the more extreme portrayal of the trapped woman. The difference between Bertha and Jane is apparent, and gives added cause to her captors to keep her restricted to an even smaller space. Bertha is a challenge to Rochester. She is seen as wild, her behaviour seemingly coming to a crescendo every month suggesting that she would be at her most dangerous when menstruating. She is similar height to her husband, conveying a sense of physical power which can be seen as threatening and she ultimately cannot be moulded in to the perfect Victorian woman. For this reason, she must be locked away. The overall inference is that the psyche of a woman is damaged by imprisonment by the male in a patriarchal society.