Wide Sargasso Sea Essay Example

Wide Sargasso Sea Paper On another note, the very idea of madness that has been centrally and strongly attributed to the character of Antoinette can be extracted from the reflection that she has the uneasy sentiment of lacking the ability to create a separating line between and distinguish dreams and the real world. With her subsequent understanding that oftentimes her very perception of reality eventually dissolves into something more like that of a dream, she hardly has what most normal human beings have—the capacity to firmly convey what is real from what is not. There, too, are aspects in the two characters that shed an illuminating light on their very differences, factors that have strongly etched a demarcating line between them, setting them in contrast not only in terms of the very actions they portrayed in the novel but also in terms of the social backgrounds they possess. Far more worth noting is the idea that, the degrees of these social and cultural differences have been bridged, at least for once in their lives, at the time when they were married, proving that, amidst the differences, both can live with it—albeit not for too long. We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It must be understood that Rochester is of an English background and that Antoinette is of Creole origin, the latter being someone inhabiting the Caribbean regions and is either of European or of English ancestry. This obvious distinction provides the background for the further understanding that societal situations where they exist bear a strong influence on their perception of the world as a whole and of the â€Å"other† parts of the world of which they know little of or have never settled-in in a considerable expanse of time. With Rochester’s societal background, one can comprehend that to live in the Caribbean is a sort of a fantasy-turned-reality as one who has for so long resided in an area of a dense population busy with their lives with their horizon hidden away from view by buildings and structures that shadow their vision of nature. For Antoinette, on the other hand, a form of confusion on her understanding of who she really is, from what place in the society she properly belongs, or if, indeed, she belongs to anywhere at all. In the novel, Rochester appears to protest before Antoinette the busy life in the city inasmuch as he appears to strongly admire and appreciate the value of the Caribbean nature that is nowhere else to be found. Antoinette, on the other hand, dreams of seeing Rochester’s place and being there at some point in time as much as she has begun to lose admiration on the beauty of Granbois. This stark difference in the attitude of the two main protagonists in the novel tells us that, in some sense, people from the opposite sides of the world appear to have a form of yearning to what is beyond their immediate senses, especially to regions that speak of nothing that is instantaneously present in their locality. This distinction in perception further emphasizes the notion that people do get bored and get dulled by the constancy of what they see and feel around them, that at some point in time these people will literary cross borders just to get to the other side. Rochester did, and Antoinette is yet on the verge of beginning to explore that part of the world although at the end of the novel death stood against her way of achieving it. Far more interesting to note is that even with a form of attachment to their presumed place in the society, both characters appear to be instead detached from their societal backgrounds and that, within these detachments, dichotomies arise. In the situation of Rochester, he has been a disenfranchised second son and that, at some point, he has begun to be fond of the Caribbean as he began to despise the busy life in England, thus creating a gap between Rochester and the very idea of his social background as much as it, too, impresses upon his understanding that there is more to life beyond the society in which he originally belongs. Antoinette, on the other hand, also appears to be detached from the Caribbean society inasmuch as she is confronted with the rising confusion as to what societal backgrounds she belongs to. This can be drawn from the observation that she neither fits into the group of neither liberated slaves nor the prosperous white people, thereby suggesting the idea that there is a dichotomy between Antoinette and her â€Å"confused† social identity. This form of detachment from the society is amplified all the more by the fact that the female protagonist is alienated from the culture of Rochester in the metropolis where Antoinette barely knows anything about. These differences in the context of the social and cultural backgrounds share a crucial role in shedding light in the failure of their relationship in the sense that they both do not seem to have a common underlying connection, a mutual understanding of their respective societies that could have reinforced their relationship. Their individual societal backgrounds might have impressed unto their minds differing perceptions of the world beyond their societies, and that conflicts between these perceptions is nothing unusual. Rochester is obviously from a metropolitan culture where coldness and arrogance is tolerated and oftentimes accepted as a norm while Antoinette, on the other hand, is still beleaguered by her confusion on her identity both as a person and as an individual in the society. Conclusion In the entirety of the novel, one can observe underlying presuppositions on the societal backgrounds that shape the very behaviors of the characters. Further, these elements, when contextualized in an â€Å"alien† society, appear to conflict with the existing ideologies in a specific region and population. While the novel portray silhouettes of the role of social conduct and norms in the lives of men and women, the main protagonists in the novel, Rochester and Antoinette struggle with life as they are bombarded by the conflict existing between their worldly perspectives and attitudes towards one another. References Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea. Discussing Books, 2000. Plasa, Carl. Jean Rhys: Wide Sargasso Sea. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. Reissue ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1992. Schirf, Diane L. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. WebRing Inc. , 2002. Wide Sargasso Sea Essay Example Wide Sargasso Sea Paper The works I have chosen to compare and contrast are, George Bernard Shaws stage play Pygmalion, the story of a working class single woman wishing to change herself, and an upper middle class educated man acting as tutor; and Jean Rhyss novel Wide Sargasso Sea. Wide Sargasso Sea (WSS) was written in the 1960s and was seen as a prequel to Charlotte Brontes, Jane Eyre. It focuses on Mr Rochesters first wife Bertha prior to her arrival in England. Bertha, whose real name Antoinette Cosway is a passive Creole woman from Jamaica caught between two cultures. Whist there are the obvious differences between these pieces, with Wide Sargasso Sea being a novel set on a tropical island, and Pygmalion a stage play based on a flower girl from London, there are similarities from the outset. Other people base both these works upon much older works. WSS based upon Jane Eyre, and Pygmalion a reworking of the Greek tale in which a sculptor falls in love with his female statue. These seemingly innocent tales also contain subtle attacks upon the audience/reader and their way of life. Shaw adapts the subtext and plot of the play to attack the British Class system. We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Instead of taking an inanimate object and bringing it to life, Shaw takes a lower class woman and passes her off as high-class royalty. While some of the audience at the time may have considered this as being brought to life, Shaw uses his play to show that the only real difference between classes is education and the way someone speaks. Yet his attack on the system is not an obvious overt critique but cleverly, woven into the story of Eliza the lower class woman forever concerned about her character, and Higgins the upper class educator who stubbornly will not change his ways and believes he is always right. Whist he abhors the idle upper and chattering middle classes more than the working class. This is obvious by his comparison between Elizas father and Freddie, describing Doolittle as the most original moralist in England (Shaw Pygmalion Act 5 p88), someone who Higgins is cautions when arguing with as he on several occasions has found himself losing ground, whilst Freddie is referred to as that young fool (Shaw Pygmalion act five p104). Pygmalion is not dissimilar to Cindirella, where the poor and lowly girl is transformed into a princess and marries her prince. Again, Shaw disappoints the audience by not giving them the fairy tale ending which was commonplace at the time, instead making Eliza a strong independent woman who does not want her prince (Higgins) and he does not want her. The show ends with them as equals yet both giving ground more out of courtesy than subjugation. Higgins telling Eliza to order a ham and gloves only to find that she is one-step ahead of him. While Higgins needs Eliza to organize his life, she needs him for financial support. Pygmalion is divided up into five acts in which the characters are introduced, the plot unfolds, and then an ending is produced, and contains stage directions for the characters to follow. Yet it does not describe the characters in to much detail apart from their attire. She is not at all a romantic figure she is perhaps eighteen perhaps twenty, hardly older Her features are no worse than theirs, but her condition leaves something to be desired, and she needs the services of a dentist. Shaw, Pygmalion Act 1 Page 10) While the novel WSS is played out in three parts of unequal length, the first part is narrated by Antoinette, then her husband, and finally by Berth, who is Antoinette, but by now has changed so much that she has almost become a ghost of someone else. Whist the change Eliza makes is dramatic from her first appearance, she is and remains the same woman we first are introduced to yet has become stronger, more confident, more alive and full of colour than her initial drab bawdy character. Antoinettes transformation into Betha takes the opposite approach and the colour and life being portrayed is that of her surroundings, while she becomes the drab grey figure in the attic. The narration in parts one and two portray vivid surroundings, sights and smells that contrast greatly against Pygmalions grubby beginnings waiting for a cab outside St Pauls standing on the veranda I breathed the sweetness of the air, cloves I could smell and cinnamon, roses and orange blossom. And an intoxicating freshness as if all this had never been breathed before (WSS p44) whilst the most description we receive from Shaw is of Elizas character She wears a little sailor hat of black straw that has long been exposed to the dust and soot of London (Pygmalion Act one page 11). The description in Pygmalion is only to assist those producing the play; the eventual look and feel of the set will be decided by someone other than the writer. Whilst WSS descriptive passages assist the reader, imagine in their minds wonderful tropical islands of scent and sunshine. These two pieces of work at first would seem worlds apart, yet under closer examination reveal similarities, both works examine the lives of women who go through dramatic changes in their lives, although Elizas changes are at her request, she approaches Higgins asking for lessons I want to be a lady in a flower shop. (Pygmalion act two P26/27), Antoinettes changes are mainly brought about by other people, her father dying, mother marrying then going insane, being trapped in a world between two cultures that do not accept her, and yet having no sign of her trying to escape this world. The change in Elizas language gives her power towards the end of the play, where she is able to converse at Higgins level putting them on an equal footing, which had been impossible before due to the language barrier, Eliza started out a comical figure for the audience, who then transforms into one of them. While in WSS, language is also a barrier to Rochester as the locals speak Patios and he has difficulty understanding them. Then she looked at me, shook her head, and muttered in Patois before she went out. WSS p64) This language barrier causes distrust between Rochester and Antoinette. Language is also an issue for the reader at the start in this book, where we have Godfrey, and Christophine, who have different dialects and speak in ways the reader would not easily understand. This makes us stand back from what is going on, and is only with the help of Antoinettes first person narrative that we are brought into this world. Another comparison between the two are the challenging of preconceived ideas regarding people. WSS challenges 1960s ideas regarding race, values, gender and colonialism, specifically regarding the Creole, and black community, but also making the reader think about the colonial past, with characters who do not understand their surroundings such as Rochester or Mr Mason who does not understand how dangerous the locals can be even with Annettes warnings. His assumption Theyre too damn lazy to be dangerous. (WSS page 16) shows Mason is a typically of the time stiff upper-lipped Englishman. When Annette responds that they can be cruel for reasons you wouldnt understand (WSS p16) he confirms his inability to comprehend the locals No I dont understand at all (WSS P16), he is also at this point telling us he does not understand Annette and her in his mind irrational fear of the locals, and perhaps also pointing out issues within society at the time regarding immigration. While Shaw deals with challenging womens place in society, by supporting equality and education for all as a means of bringing about change to the poor. Wide Sargasso Sea, also contains parental rejection that influences the main characters, Antoinette is rejected by her mother especially after her brother dies, the rejection between mother and daughter is an emotional experience, Antoinette initially receives the attention she has craved from her mother only to be rejected No No No, and then flung me from her (WSS page 26) that moment casts a shadow over the rest of Antoinettes relationships throughout the book. We also have Rochester who has been rejected by his father, and married off whilst his brother inherits the family fortune. Whilst Rhys had no real influence with this as Bronte has already given us this part of Rochesters history, Rhys re-emphasises this. We then have Daniel claiming to be Antoinettes brother, abandoned by his white father and causing trouble between Antoinette and Rochester. We also encounter in both books the selling of family, in WSS Daniel is asking for money in a malicious way from Rochester after exposing secrets from Antoinettes past, while Doolittle in Pygmalion is selling his daughter in an almost comical situation. Higgins and Doolittle barter, haggle and ague about who should keep Eliza, initially Higgins is revolted at the thought of someone selling their daughter, as would have been the audience of the time, however Doolittles response that he can not afford morals works with Higgins, and makes him questions his initial judgement. WSS has the narrator through out giving a voice to the story, with its voice changing reflecting different sides to the story helping the reader look at all view points. Shaw has also given his play a voice for the social messages he wishes to get across, in that of Elizas father. Here is a character the play could easily do without, he serves no real purpose to the plot, but he does act as Shaws own moralistic orator throughout, he spouts views from the working mans perspective, perhaps giving the audience its only real insight into a large portion of the population (Pygmalion page 47). Wide Sargasso Sea Essay Example Wide Sargasso Sea Paper Wide Sargasso Sea is a novel set by a woman in the time when females were obviously being marginalised and seen as one of the least important roles in society. Many different views of womens role in the 1960s . The style written gave the impression that women were becoming aware of the feminist ideas. This grew out of the civil rights and the black movement. The women were especially active in these times. Also one note to be made is that reviews on this novel speak of Rhys style of writing is to do with women who need a man in order to live through the struggles of life looking and discussing this through my essay this concludes that this is true. The novel of Wide Sargasso Sea tells you what it was like to be a woman in these times, and a majority of the novel is written in the mind of a woman. The first relationship of the male and female is between the main two characters Mr Rochester and Antoinette. The most significant thing about this relationship is that the roles of power change. We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Wide Sargasso Sea specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the beginning, coming into a new setting, Mr Rochester finds it difficult to adapt to the environment and his ethnocentric view does not aid this. He talks about trying to discover the secret of Granbois. This makes him inferior because he doesnt know the area well enough to have any real knowledge of it, and being a male in this relationship he has negative views of this. In these relationships the men were supposedly meant to be the head of the union, because he is the man . When the novel progresses and Antoinette starts to lose her mind he starts to take over with the power and the dominance in their relationship. Certainly I will call my dear Bertha Not Bertha tonight Of course of on this on all nights you must be called bertha As you wish Antoinette has given total submission into Rochester. If you look back to the British Empire women were marginalised and controlled. As Rochester is from England it is typical for him to behave in this dominant manor. Rochester had power over Antoinette sexually using her for his own pleasures rather than for the love of her. He feels no tenderness only lust. This relationship changes again when Christophine gives Antoinette the love potion for Mr Rochester. He was out of control when he woke up after drinking the poison and Antoinette thought she had him where she wanted him to love her, but then when Mr Rochester became intimate with Amelie the roles changed again. She was able to lure him into sleeping with her and breaking up his relationship. Throughout the journey to England and even in England he dominates. His biggest form of dominance is through trapping her in an attic; He has nearly broken her but not her spirit. Mr Rochester has marginalised Antoinette and the novel then ends in a strongly patriarchal tone. He wants to own her this is apparent when he describes her as his mad woman. The red eyed, wild haired stranger who is my wife. A different relationship, which contradicts the view of men being the most dominant, is with Christophine. Christophine is a fierce obeah woman who is feared in society for her black magic but Mr Rochester has a big problem with the power she has also the fear and respect she carries. He tells Antoinette on many occasions of his strong dislike for her and how upfront she is also her aggressive manner. Take a try of my bulls blood its not like the horse piss you drink in England You can see that he is the only one who challenges Christophine. This is when they confront each other, you see Christophine begging Rochester to love Antoinette and this is a form of dominance on his part. You can see that Christophine intimidates Rochester that is why he has threatened to report Christophine to the authorities. I think he feels he hasnt got the power or the will to convict Christophine himself. Christophine puts Rochester in his place by telling him the truth of his actions by using sex to control Antoinette. Rochester silently admits to all the accusations made of him. But she hold out eh, she hold out (Yes she held out. A pity) Christophine has stood up for Antoinette and is reminding Rochester of the wrong he has done, the fact she approaches him and addresses him of the wrong he has done But you dont love. All you want is to break her up. And it help you break her up This challenges the opinion that men are more dominant in the situation between these two characters. Christophine has lived in Jamaica all her life and in a way owns the area she is in, Rochester finds it hard to marginalize Christophine, he is the one who is being marginalized by her this is clear through the hints for Antoinette to leave Rochester and run away from Christophine. This shows that as a women she was standing up for herself The next relationship I have chosen to analyse is the relationship between Mr Rochester and the servant of the house Amelie who Mr Rochester slept with. Rochesters power over Amelie is only material but her power over him is more than that. He was not able to marginalize her; she was able to manipulate him. She continually stresses I feel sorry for you From the beginning of the novel you can see her attempts to lure him into liking her and destroy their marriage further, she does this without any problems. This form of ascendancy is strong. What Amelie proves is that she is able to get whatever she wants. On the other hand the purpose for Rochester sleeping with her was due to his anger at Antoinette in order to anger her and he hated Antoinette so he wanted to fulfil his desires differently. The argument to this view is that Mr Rochester could have found anybody to have an affair with but he gave into Amelies hints and gestures and became intimate with her. She was a slave which could justify the strength (in society) he has over her but other than this affair between these characters Amelie had the upper hand, she gets what she wants. Concerning this relationship having material things is the most important way of having power in the 19th century and being able to lure somebody abandon their marriage is not the power that can demonstrate authority in this situation Rochester emerges as stronger and marginalises Amelie. He is the one marginalizing Amelie and who has more authority you could see he didnt love her and was using her. Another relationship I have chosen to analyse is between Annette and Mr Mason. Mr Mason is an English slave owner: he was part of the British Colonising Empire. His views are similar of that to Rochester and considering that he is a slave owner he is dominant. He decided to come to Jamaica to wed. He definitely marginalizes Annette. He has total power over her through wealth but also through, having power over all the servants gives him the idea that he has the power over the other people of that land. He talks of how he will persuade the people not to cause problems for the family in the end he cannot and the house in Coulibri gets burned down Their too damn lazy to be dangerous You can see that the way that he acts towards Annette he doesnt look after her well enough and she needs someone to do this for her. He later abandons her. The fact is this relationship shows there is a patriarchal masterdom but the fact of him running away does not aid in making a conclusion of his power. The fact of him having money and employees does this for him. The women are normally oppressed by their husbands and the males in their life it was only Christophine who rebelled the idea of mens dominance. In conclusion looking at the different relationships throughout the novel I am able to conclude this statement: For the most part, empire itself was strongly patriarchal, so that women were marginalized and controlled.