Real Existing Socialism and State Socialism in Romania

Real Existing Socialism and State Socialism in Romania â€Å"Real existing socialism in the GDR and State Socialism in Romania:  A Comparison Introduction Over the course of the last two decades, following the collapse of communism in Russia and other Eastern Bloc states, there has been a considerable amount of debate in academic and political circle relating to the re-definition of socialism, which as a political ideology then became separated from communism. In its purist form, socialism is perceived as the organisational concept within a society whereby the means of production, including factories and farms, is deemed to be held in ownership terms by the whole of a particular community or nation (Caldwell 2003, p.17). Thus, in theory every worker and citizen should benefit equally from his or her share of that ownership. However, as with every other political ideology, in practice such purism does not exist. However, as with other forms of political ideology, a perfect form of socialism does not exist within any national state. As has been witnessed in the Eastern Bloc countries in Europe, there is a significant difference in the way that socialism manifests itself in individual cultures and nations, and this depends upon the prevailing political structure and cultural environment. For example, whilst there are democratic and dictatorship led countries that exercise a socialist agenda, this does not equate to the method of state socialism practiced in other states, even those within the same region. The purpose of this study is to compare two distinct forms of socialism; at the same time seeking to distinguish between the ways that each is operated in their respective societies. To assist with this objective, it is intended to use two nations that have experienced differing political structures. These are GDR[1], which operates a system known as â€Å"real existing socialism† and Romania, which enjoys a state socialism political environment. Socialism There has been a substantial amount of literature produced that has concentrated upon the study of socialism. Much of this has concentrated upon the various divergent forms of the ideology that have emerged within and outside of a communist environment. Although there is still some debate about terminology for these divergent forms of socialism, the vast majority have adapted the two most prominent as being â€Å"real existing socialism† and â€Å"state socialism.† Real existing socialism The studies that have led to the defining of real socialism only really commenced following the breakdown of socialism in areas such as the former communist block (Von Hirschhausen 1995, p.8). From this it has been found that the foundations of real socialism bore no resemblance to the â€Å"planned economy† message that was being projected by the state, and thus cannot be measured or compared with the political systems that exist within the democratic regimes of the western world. Despite it’s similarity to state socialism, the real existing version has none of the unique elements of capitalism. For example, individual property rights, commodity markets, freedom of capital and labour do not exist. Economics was dominated by politics and the two were therefore closely interwoven. This in itself can be seen as part of the cause for their being a lack of planning within these economies, which resulted in problems in three main areas. Firstly, monetary controls and restraints did not exist in the sense that we know in the West. Instead, paper money formed only a part of issues such as workers salaries, with basic goods at low prices or rationed, as can be witnessed by the fact that the price of bread in 1987 had not changed for over fifty years (Von Hirschhausen 1995, p.9), and the higher priced goods were used as rewards for merit rather than available to the citizen as a right. Secondly, there was no attempt to aim for maximum or optimum output from the countries industrial plants as these formed just a part of the party’s objectives, along with welfare and house and a raft of other priorities. Unlike commercial corporations, those within this socialist environment paid little attention to profit and success. Similarly, the idea of plant closure was contrary to the countries socialist identity and beliefs. In itself, this proves the case that there was no economic basis for the nations industrial production and output. The final aspect is planning. As has been discovered since the fall of communism, the official documents issued by the regimes, which purported to be official plans, none of these where implemented or controlled within the industrial environment. This was partially due to the fact that these plants lacked the basic equipment needed to do so, and also because the state showed little interest in the results (Von Hirschhausen 1995, p.9). State Socialism There are many who would argue that state socialism is actually a misnomer. The reason for this is that in this type of socialist community, although there is a limited recognition of private capitalism, the state itself is the centre of power. This power not only includes their ownership of the â€Å"means of production† mentioned earlier in this paper, but also extends to other significant areas as well. For example, their ownership and control extends to the media, transport and communications and, in addition, to the workers, police and military. Similarly, the state uses its power to control dissidents and â€Å"so-called† reactionaries. During the communist era in Eastern Europe, what stopped the nation that followed â€Å"state socialism† from being described more appropriately as bureaucratic regimes was the fact that the state itself was controlled by the communist party, which was essentially determined as a party for the people and thus their representatives. Case Study GDR and Romania The GDR and Romania have been chosen as a comparison case study for this paper as they operate within the two different areas of socialism being discussed, with GDR following the route of real existing socialism and Romania being a state socialism environment. GDR Prior to its reunification with West Germany, the German Democratic Republic was run by a communist regime and operated a system that has latterly become known as belonging to the â€Å"real existing socialism† The economy was controlled and planned centrally by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, who also strictly controlled prices within the economy, particularly those of a basic nature such as basic foodstuff and housing. In these cases the party heavily subsidised production to ensure that prices remained low and manageable for the ordinary citizen. As has been indicated to be the case with such political structures, virtually all of the production process were centrally owned and controlled. Even in the small private sector (around 2.8%), these were subjected to oppressive regulations and taxation, sometimes with the latter exceeding 90%. In essence, at least in the early years, and to a large degree up until a few years short of the fall of the Berlin wall, one of the central intentions of the states plan was the â€Å"total governance† of society (Caldwell 2003, p.2). However, this centralisation of control provided an ideal breeding ground for corruption, with many managers within the publicly owned business sector lining their own pockets and those of party officials, thus creating an even worse economic situation in terms of the production output of their factories. In an attempt to address some of these issues GDR ruling party moved to a more autonomous level of social control (Caldwell 2003, p.15). They adopted the slogan of â€Å"real existing socialism† as a way of showing that, although there was still a large degree of state control, the lives of the individual was said to be, to a large degree, independent and autonomous to the state, which stated that its regime allowed their citizens to live unfettered lives in private, although dissidents claimed that this pretence of â€Å"normalcy† was just an attempt to cover up the high levels of repressions that existed (Maier 1999, p.22). In reality the individual’s emancipation was against wishes of the state but by allowing it to occur it had the opposite effect to that which could have been expected, this being a tendency towards more the creation of more conflict and unrest. However, as Maier (1999, p.42) later shows, the lack of substance in the opposition by ordinary citizens was probably quelled by the measures taken by the state to repress their citizens. Whilst in some cases, such as the media, this was achieved by s strict process of censorship, as far as ordinary citizens a â€Å"stick or reward† policy was operated. For example, rationing and the reward system in terms of luxury goods, which were always accompanied by the threat that the benefits gained through these measures, tended to opposition voice down to a muted level (Maier 1999, p.49). Similarly, the dispersal of the states secret police force led to a situation where fear of neighbours replaced trust as many people responded to the implied threat by showing a willingness to report opposition in secret. This was not only done to curry favour but also to avoid becoming embroiled with the police on a personal level. Thus, as Maier (1999, p.42) states â€Å"real existing socialism thus rested on a double distortion. It transformed the public sphere into one of negotiated bargains, while it twisted the idea of a private sphere into a domain of complicity and secrecy.† Similarly, as has been evidenced within the performance of the state, despite its repressive measures, is more closely linked to the ideals that were previously expressed by Mark (2004). Perhaps the one benefit that East Germany has derived from the real existing socialism that has become inherent within the culture, particularly in terms of the previous movement towards members of the public having an element of a certain degree of autonomy to their lives, is that this has made it easier for the nation to become integrated within the larger German nation following its reunification with the Federal Republic of German (Crow 2001). Romania In certain respects the Romanian socialist structures is similar to that of the GDR. This is certainly true in the case of the party’s control of the media, which has yet to find an independent voice and the state ownership of a large number of commercial assets. However, following the fall of the communist regimes in the Eastern Block, this country has retained a communist political regime, which observers feel results from the fact that the general public are reluctant to involve themselves in politics in a direct manner (Carey 2004, p.10). When compared with the GDR it is found that the population of Romania is distinctly different to those of neighbouring countries. The culture is much more centralised in its thinking. Evidence of this can be found in the fact that most citizens within the Romanian society have a bias towards â€Å"paternalistic protection of authoritarian institutions† rather than being concerned with their own democratic freedom and values (Carey 2004, p.14). A similar situation exists within the business sector. At the present time the state controls and owns most of the production organisations and, in addition, all of the financials institutions are in public ownership. It would be difficult to sell the latter, because of the problem of non-recoverable loans and other debt crisis. Similarly, although many of the countries vast production plants are inefficient and losing money, the ethos of the ruling classes is such that closure of these organisations is an unacceptable option (Carey 2004, p.17). Furthermore, there is a reluctance to allow these to move into private ownership. Even if the state were prepared to look at this option, as Carey shows within his research (Carey 2004, p.18), the vast majority of business and other citizens in Romania are of the opinion that â€Å"the privatisation† process was dishonest. The overwhelming preference within the country and its culture is in favour of state control, particularly in resp ect of what are considered to be the most important issues, these being â€Å"prices and wages.† However, despite the views of the population, the state does have to address the issue of corporate control and, although some attempt has been made in this area, this has yet to lead to a stable environment. One of the problems they have in this respect is that the workers are union controlled and, with the current wish for central state control of wages, negotiating a productivity based working environment would, at present, be very difficult to achieve. It is anticipated that it will take some time for Romania to be able to convert either its political structure to a more democratic cultural base or its production and manufacturing industries to a situation of optimisation and a success based agenda (Carey 2004, p.229). Conclusion It is clear that socialism is still in the process of undergoing radical change, particularly following the collapse of communism in areas such as Russia and the former Eastern Bloc countries. However, as has been seen from the case study of the German Democratic Republic and Romanic, the cultural impact of this varies between nations. For example, prior to the 1989 revolutions the GDR was already experiencing a significant amount of unrest, which was being generated â€Å"from below,† in other words from a groundswell of public opinion and active opposition (Kornai 1992). This country is therefore moving rapidly towards a culture of democratic rights and away from their former position of being subject to real existing socialism. Conversely, in the state of Romania, the movement away from state socialism has yet to begin in earnest. For example, the current ruling party is still based upon a communist stance and, despite the fact that it retains control over areas such as production and the media, which in some cases can be seen to be repressive, there is little will amongst the populace to effect a change at this time (Federal Research Division 2004). However, one area that has certainly added to the differential between the two countries in terms of their movement towards a democratic culture and political environment is the location and structural differences. For example, East Germany (GDR) is situated adjacent to a Western democracy, albeit it with socialist tendencies, whereas Romania was previously surrounded by communist and socialist states. In addition, Romania has become an independent whilst the GDR has lost its independent identity within the enlarged German nation. To this extent for the GDR the dissolution of the communist based socialist environment has been a much smoother transition (Maier 1999). References Brie, Michael (1991). The General Crisis of Administrative Centralised Socialism: A Sketch Towards a Theory of Reproduction. Available: http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5id=15370fa8-8415-4f96-8ae7-a4580ee58991 Caldwell, Peter C (2003). Dictatorship, State Planning, and Social Theory in the German Democratic Republic. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK. Carey, Henry F (ed.) (2004). Romania since 1989: Politics, Economics and Society. Lexington Books. Langham, US. Crow, Graham (2001). Social Solidarities: Theories, Identities and Social Change. Open University Press. Buckingham, UK. Federal Research Division (2004). Romania: A Country Study. Kissinger Publishing. New York, US. Kornai, Jà  nos (1992). The Socialist System: The Political Economy of Communism. Clarendon Press. Oxford, UK Maier, Charles S (1999). Dissolution, the Crisis of Communism and the End of East Germany. Princeton University Press. New Jersey, US. Nove, Alex (2001). Marxism and Really Existing Socialism. Routledge. London, UK. Von Hirschhausen, Christian (1995). Five years after the collapse: The socialism debate revisited, and the limits of economic thought. CERNA. Paris, France. Available: http://www.cerna.ensmp.fr/Documents/CVH-WP95.pdf 1 Footnotes [1] German Democratic Republic

Insulting language Essay

Great expectations might be read as a bildungsroman because it charts the progress of the main character, Pip, from childhood to adulthood. Traditionally, a bildungsroman contains a hero, who usually suffers early on in life, maturing and clashing with the social settings and eventually being accepted into it. The story focuses around this theme but doesn’t always play by its rules. In my essay I will be discussing to what point Great expectations can be read as a bildungsroman. â€Å"Great expectations† conforms to the genre of a bildungsroman right from the start of the book, in the opening scene we meet old pip talking about charting his life from when he was a little boy to a young gentleman. Like in most bildungsroman books Pip has suffered a loss at an early age, his parents, brothers and sisters. Pip has also had a harsh start to life because he lives with his sister who, even thought she is looking out for him, treats him quite badly. To even more extent the social hierarchy is established very early on as we find out that Mr. Joe is a blacksmith and this is important in order to judge Pip’s development, we can even tell from the language that he uses that he has a hard knock life and is not well off. The structure of the opening scene tells us a lot about how it conforms to the bildungsroman genre, the way Dickens immediately introduces us to both Pips. The old omnipotent storyteller Pip, who tells the story as he remembers it skipping out bits and stretching the truth a little. And the young â€Å"actor† Pip who acts out what is happening while narrating it in 1st person which allows us to feel the harshness and changes that he is going through as he does which supports the bildungsroman framework. As I have mentioned before the language shows a lot about the type of life and the harshness of his life. E.g. Dark, flat, wilderness, low leaden line. Finally Dickens introduces the Convict who reinforces the social order and emphasises the harshness of Pips life, lastly he introduces the beginning of Pip’s great expectations. We first meet young pip in a cold and desolate church yard, looking at the graves of his parents and brothers this is important as it shows the harsh life he has had. In Chapter 1 we find out that Pip Has not had a childhood, he was bought up â€Å"By hand† suggesting that he has been disciplined harshly and ill Treated But with only the best in mind. We also found out that Pip’s Sister, Mrs. Joe, his only Relative in the world Who disciplines him so severely, Married the local town blacksmith which shows that Pip’s Family is poor and that pip is not so well educated As he calls himself Pip which is the only words he could pronounce. Even with the convict Pip’s Personality shines through, it shows that even though the Convict is threatening him severely But Pip still feels sympathy for him â€Å"if he were eluding the hands of the dead people†, even when he is told that he must go and fetch him a file he still has the courtesy to say â€Å"good night, sir† but Pip was also nervous â€Å"he faltered† and scared â€Å"I was dreadfully frightened†. Old Pip is reporting what young Pip said and felt. As I have said in previous paragraphs Pip has had a hard life, Pip’s house is a small â€Å"wooden house† with a â€Å"ditch clock† which is a cheap clock. Pip is also mistreated as he â€Å"served as a connubial missile† and that he gets regular beatings from â€Å"tickler†. Pip is not the only one beaten â€Å"Knowing her (Mrs. Joe) to have a hard and heavy hand, and to be much in the habit of laying it upon her husband as well as upon me†. Mrs. Joe is important because she represents the raising of the children in Victorian society, she helps us to lets us see how truly far Pips has come from being forced to intimidate higher class to actually being it. Joe is a â€Å"fellow-sufferer† of Mrs. Joe and he and Pip both treat each other like equals and share secrets more of having an older brother than him actually raising him as a father figure. It is important to see Pip at his home as we can feel sympathy for him and empathize what he â€Å"is† going through. Dickens wants us to fell sympathy for him so we can realize what his life was like and how he has changed since his childhood. The robbery of the pie shows us how Pip’s fear for both Mrs. Joe and the convict and that his conscience about stealing from his sister, the one who brought him up â€Å"by hand† and fear from being caught or, if not doing it out of this fear, being killed by the convicts â€Å"friend†. In chapter 7 we learn a lot about Pips education. Everything he has learnt was form Mr. Wopsles great aunt’s school, but not from Mrs. Wopsle, from Biddy, her daughter. In Mrs. Wopsles School their only source of education was a single book that was passed around the class showing that Pip hasn’t had a very good education like many of the working class children in Victorian society. Pips education shows that he is slowly advancing in society and is trying to achieve his goals. However Pip thinks of himself as stupid when really he only thinks like this as he is not learning fast enough for him to like it and his surroundings make him believe it. Joe in comparison to Pip has had not much of an education, he cant even read where as Pip has become superior to him in his education and because of this we fell sorry for Joe because of the story of his childhood he tells us afterwards. Pip is invited to play at Miss Haversham’s house, this is important as it shows a crucial part of the bildungsroman genre, the â€Å"shunning out† of the society that he wants to be accepted by, when Pip is playing at Satis house he is mixing with the higher class which represents a small leap to achieving his goals, while also giving him something else to aim at, Estella. Pip is treated badly by Estella because of his class making him feel poor and â€Å"common†, insulting the language he uses â€Å"he calls the knaves, jacks!† showing the difference in class which makes him upset and cry but the fact that she gets to him means that he likes her, urging him to change class â€Å"the hands that have never bothered me before, look coarse and common now†. Joe responds to Pip with helpful advice, saying that if he wants to be â€Å"uncommon† he must do it the honest way because if he can’t he’ll never do it and we expect Pip to go and strike his goals.

Orientalism in Heart Of darkness Essay

It is common to divide the world in the West and the East. This division has been used to differentiate two parts of the world that are inherently not alike either in cultural, social, political or economical aspects. However, historically, both regions of the world have been tied in one way or the other. Even though technically speaking Africa is not west of Europe, during the 19th century, African colonies were highly appreciated for their wealth and for slave trade by the European powers, a relation similar to that of the Asian colonies had with Europe, and so in that perspective we can say Africa is part of the Orient. The clash between the imperial powers and Africa eventually led to the submission of the latter and therefore created a particular point of view from where Europeans understood Africa and the relation they had with it. This mode of relating to their colonies and the cultural depictions made by Europeans were later given the term Orientalism by Edward Said. This clash of civilizations and the interplay between colonialist and natives from the colonial viewpoint, or in other words, their Orientalist prism, is one of the themes that Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness develops. Conrad displays the consequences of a society attempting to impose itself on another, illustrating the personal tragedy of an individual who lives through this clash. Orientalism is based on the attempt to incorporate the Orient as a new resource, either cultural or economical, being something different and exotic to the Western standards. Historically, the western men have been determined by their desire to embark on voyages to new worlds; worlds that are to bring prosperity to the society these men belong to so that society can progress and grow. That is how often times, when western men do this; the potential consequences of carrying these enterprises are not questioned. These consequences are far-reaching and inescapable too all fields of knowledge, both practical and theoretical, not because they are born from great colonizing projects, but because the imperialist adopts the same mindset to manage the colonies and to know about the colonies. In Said’s words: â€Å"†¦For Orientalism brings one up directly against that question—that  is, to realizing that political imperialism governs an entire field of study, imagination, and scholarly institutions—in such a way as to make its avoidance an intellectual and historical impossibility† (Said, 1977) The western man accepts the influence of this relation when he relates to the orient in this imperialist manner, considering that even though the 19th century colonies were established for economic and trading purposes, such as the ivory trade, the relation extensively transcends the economical. By such relation, new doors are opened in many aspects, since a clash cultures that are completely different leaves both parties at odds and in a position where neither one knows exactly how to act. Said studies â€Å"†¦ Orientalism as a dynamic exchange between individual authors and the large political concerns shaped by the three great empires—British, French, American—in whose intellectual and imaginative territory the writing was produced.† (1977). Clearly, Said intends to focus his study of Orientalism on how the authors of the literature produced in colonial times were affected by the political and economical ideas of their time. Therefore, there is room to apply Said’s ideas to Conrad’s work mentioned earlier, which deals exactly with the same themes. Conrad as an author is influenced by the Orientalism and thus tries to portray this concept in his literature. Within the frame of Orientalism, stands out the idea that western society will never be able to feel equal to the oriental one, simply because they are different altogether. However, it is accepted that they can influence each other. Thus, the work of Conrad, even though it is not more that his own feeling and portrayal of imperialism, does entail within itself a particular message. The Heart of Darkness shows the character of Marlow as an explorer hired by the Belgian Crown who goes travelling around the African colonies, questions his reality and what happens in that continent. He sees the misery of the colonized people and at the same time the misery of the Europeans colonizers, who get transformed in selfish, violent and wretched beings. In certain way, Marlow happens to witness the worst of human beings. He says: â€Å"†¦You know I hate, detest, and can’t bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appals me. There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies— which is exactly what I hate  and detest in the world— what I want to forget. It makes me miserable and sick, like biting something rotten would do.† The experience of this expedition makes Marlow reflect on many things and makes him realize his own annoyance for the world he is experiencing. However, this annoyance, and the impossibility of making any change in the world he is into, causes him suffering. Moreover, he sees the colonized who are invaded and who feel alienated in their own land. The world that is shown through Marlow’s eyes goes to show that the human being who witnesses and who is part of this clash of cultures is the victim of a tragedy. This tragedy is at the basis of the concept of Orientalism since it presupposes the superiority of the imperial power as a race or nationality. This is precisely what Marlow sees. He sees the imperialist who controls everything just because he was born in Europe and he sees the subdued native who is not really sure of what it is happening since he does not naturally work under the codes he is ordered to follow. Thus, it is illustrated the impossibility of a true and genuine understanding between both worlds. The Orientalist prism is constructed around this impossibility, which will always be present, either in a very concrete affair such as commerce, or in a more abstract one, such as intellectual debate. Both the Orientalist and the Imperialist see the Orient with western eyes alone, and try to understand and to use the Orient for their own selfish, utilitarian motives, as if it were some new scientific invention from which the Western can get benefitted from. This tragedy, which Marlow lives in the flesh and that begins with the death of Kurtz and the feelings of loneliness of his mistress, is the one that Said seeks to change. â€Å"†¦I should like also to have contributed here is a better understanding of the way cultural domination has operated. If this stimulates a new kind of dealing with the Orient, indeed if it eliminates the â€Å"Orient† and â€Å"Occident† altogether, then we shall have advanced a little in the process of what Raymond Williams has called the â€Å"unlearning† of â€Å"the inherent dominative mode?’† (Said, 1977). Evidently, Said comments this with a touch of irony, since he knows that trying to eliminate something i nherent is impossible by simple logic. The â€Å"dominative mode†, being something inherent to the human being, is  impossible to eradicate from their nature. Both Said and Conrad speak about the tragedy of Orientalism in their own ways. Said argues that Orientalism entails inevitably Imperialism and the necessity of subjugation of a culture. So Orientalism it is based on interpreting the Orient in a simplistic and functional way for the West. On the other hand, this same tragedy of subjugation is what Marlow encounters in Africa. He understands that the parameters of European supremacy remain always unmet by the natives. Works Cited Said, E. (1977). Orientalism. London: Penguin.

Displays of Supernatural in Jane Eyre - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 620 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/05/18 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Jane Eyre Essay Did you like this example? Jane Eyre had always been set in her ways from when she spent her early childhood at Gateshead to reuniting with Mr. Rochester. Throughout the novel of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront, several instances of the supernatural are used in order to drive Janes journey of self- discovery. Early on, when Jane had spent her tumultuous childhood at Gateshead, Bront displayed the supernatural through the use of the red room. The overwhelming red color scheme in the room, along with the horrendous treatment received at Gateshead, can be easily connected to the fiery pits of hell. Succumbing to the constant wave of being oppressed, suffocated that this room only heightened, Jane ended up passing out (Bronte 23). Her time done in the red room can also be seen as her final endurance at Gateshead due to the fact that having had enough of her inhuman treatment, she stands up to Aunt Reed and demands to be put into school, leading her to her next journey: Lowood. Later on in the book, readers see Jane Eyre refer back to the red room when something can possibly be haunting or reminds her of her time at Gateshead. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Displays of Supernatural in Jane Eyre" essay for you Create order The Gytrash, another supernatural element, appears at the beginning of yet another chapter in her life: Thornfield. Her first ever encounter of Mr. Rochester was suspected he was the infamous Gytrash. The legend of Gytrash deals with an evil man that ended up taking a woman captive, letting her spend her last days locked up in his castle; however, his narcissistic, spiteful persona was only changed when the spirit of the maiden came back to haunt him. Bronte used Gytrash to allow readers to foreshadow how Mr. Rochesters persona will end up being and how he will treat Jane. The parallels in both Gytrash and Mr. Rochester is that they both have a woman locked up in their homes, and if it were not for Jane leaving both Mr. Rochester and Thornfield, she would have been just as confined and oppressed. As seen later in the novel, Mr. Rochesters self-absorbed, narcissistic behavior only rids his personality when Bertha is released and no longer a burden, just as the legend of Gytrash ends a s well. Bertha is seen as the demon that haunts Thornfield, Mr. Rochester, and Jane. Bertha is also viewed as the embodiment of what Jane fears she will become if she goes through with marrying Mr. Rochester. Jane viewed both marriage and Mr. Rochester as a place that will confine her, suffocate her, and evidently driver her mad; these thoughts become apparent when Jane sees Bertha tear her wedding veil in two the night before the wedding day. When Bertha is killed in the fire at Thornfield, this shows the readers that all of Janes thoughts and fears have also been dissolved in the fire because Jane finally became secure enough in who she is and what she values, and Mr. Rochester has let go of the suffocating attitudes he once obtained; thus allowing the two to be reunited and wedded. The red room, the legend of Gytrash, and Bertha all allowed Jane to move towards who she wanted to be in a society to restrictive and oppressive towards females. The red room allowed her to realized the detrimental influence Gateshead had on her growth and mental state. The legend of Gytrash helps foreshadow her new journey at Thornfield, showing the obstacles ahead. Bertha physically displays the underlying doubts and fears Jane embodied when it came to her stand on marriage and marriage to Mr. Rochester; thus allowing her to venture on until she became everything she aspired and envisioned for herself in order to come back to marry her only love, Mr. Rochester.