In Rochester's shoes...

[Maud2011]

what would you do?

Well obviously locking his wife up in the attic of his own house in the "care" of a known tippler was pretty stupid. But he had to make concessions to Charlotte, who needed Bertha to be able to parade spookily around in the night, tear Jane's veil, be easily discoverable by her brother etc etc and finally burn the place down.

What might a non-fictional man in his position have done instead?

Are we assuming set at the same time?

If so, probably would have pushed her down the stairs and she would have died in a "tragic" accident... Or shut her up in an asylum under an assumed name (if they had asylums/asyla? by then).

I don't like Mr Rochester much, if you can't tell

I'm not a big fan either... I'd prefer to be stuck in a lift with him than with Heathcliff but can't get past his treatment of Bertha and intention to deceive Jane

Yes, we are assuming set at the same time. Which actually I'm not quite sure of - I think it's supposed to take place a few years before the book's publication.

I'd go the assumed name in asylum route too. I'd also stage a funeral and invest in a posh memorial to placate the fond and tiresome brother (would make sure he was in West Indies at time of "death" though). Then I'd don my villain's cloak, shout mwahahahahahahaaa and head off in search of poor, plain, obscure governesses.

Damn, you're good!

Agree re the choice between Rochester and Heathcliff(puppy murdering bully) 100%. I do wonder how those girls came up with these characters. One has to question their domestic environment.