Why do literary critics refer to Bertha as the “madwoman in the attic”?

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To symbolize the Gothic genre's spatial expansion from underground settings to attic spacesTo illustrate the transition from male to female antagonists in Victorian Gothic literatureTo highlight the growing emphasis on individual accountability for the care of the mentally ill in Victorian societyTo ironically comment on the perspective and exclusion of marginalized groups in Victorian EnglandTo emphasize the supernatural elements commonly found in Victorian Gothic novels

Explanation

The label “madwoman in the attic” serves as an ironic critique of how Victorian society marginalized and silenced those considered the “Other,” reflecting the limited viewpoint and social exclusion experienced by such characters.