Wide Sargasso Sea- Part One: Childhood

Wide Sargasso Sea makes a fascinating read, after reading Jane Eyre especially. I believe fairly fervently that i would not have enjoyed the issues raised in WSS half as much if i had not already read JE!

The opening of the book very much seems to parallel JE. Rhys mirrors Brontes use of a matter of fact negative tone that very much sets up the mood of the rest of the book. However, where Bronte subdues herself, Rhys only becomes more intense. 'There was no hope in taking a walk that day' 'My father, visitors, feeling safe in bed- all belonged to the past'.



The overriding theme of the first chapter is most certainly the feeling of isolation. However, Antoinette has this on a new level compared to Jane. Not only is she isolated from friends or family, she is also on account of being a poor white Creole, isolated from her identity and her feeling of home. A theme that is brought up which seems far more central than it ever was in JE is that of control. Whereas it is implied in JE it is more apparent in WSS and there are several symbols that portray this which i will discuss in greater depth when i come to Motifs. Other Themes that crop up are the supernatural, naivety and innocence, prejudice and racism, intolerance of other cultures, class and wealth, God and the devil, light and dark.



Antoinettes character is developed very concisely in this section. Isolated during her childhood she becomes an extreme introvert and also a tad neurotic. She becomes very wary of strange or different people holding the view that they don't understand her or life in the Caribbean. As most things in her life are so very out of her control she latches onto the place where she lives as the only everlasting object in her life. Thus she distrusts people and instead immerses herself in the wildness of the landscape.

Many motifs seem to be introduced in this section. Most notably those of repeated use of colour for added emphasis and effect and that of control. Rhys plays around with the use of colour in her characters language, especially the language of the servants which throughout the book seems to be the voice of unutterable truths. 'look the black englishman! look the white niggers!' As well of the use of the colours black and white the colour red is also used copiously mirroring JE, the colour red once more being used to symbolise passion and love. The control appears in many symbols and metaphors. The most obvious and notable of these is the death of Coco the Parrot. As a bird he is a symbol of freedom, and yet Mr Mason has clipped his wings disabling him. So where he appears as if he could fly free if he tries all that happens is that he will consume himself and die in the attempt. This shows control as Coco is no longer even in control of his own survival. Coco is also,i believe, a metaphor for Antoinette who is disabled by her family, her 'wings clipped' by Mr Mason when he married her mother and thus assumed control over her. Antoinette is now at the mercy of Mr Mason who can just as easily leave her behind as Coco leaving her to stumble and crash through existence.

WSS has a most definite sense of place. I think that Place is a far more important feature than it was in JE, mainly as Antoinette attatches herself to her home in a way that Jane never does. In this they are opposites. Jane attatches herself to people and is neither here nor there about place; Antoinette attatches herself to her home and becomes neither here nor there about people or their emotions. Antoinette never truly expands or is ever able to connect with those who do not understanf Coulibri. Adversely Coulibri becomes her yard stick for measuring everywhere else despite the fact that the reader can see how abnormal a place it is to grow up. Antoinette consequently relates all wildness with positive connotations and the calm and orderly with negative connotations.


By the end of part one there are distinct parallels between JE and WSS that have been drawn, and yet there are already far more differences than similarities. Many of the events of childhood are similar and yet the two characters react in very different ways to them. One example of this is the outlook on religion; Jane attempts to model her character on the Bible and correct herself, whereas Antoinette sees only the hypocritical nature of religion and its parroting fashion of how the prayers for this and that do not chabge anything, and are only words with no meaning behind it. We see, by this point a definite branching of character. In childhood the two girls were as willful as each other, but Jane tries to submiss herself and go against her true nature where Antoinette embraces how and who she is.

Thoughts and reflections

The third section is most defintiely the section in which i become most frustrated with jane. After all of her expansion in her view of the owrld she decides to throw it all away and retreat into conformation once more. What is even worse , in my opinion, is that most of the direction in her life that she takes is not her own decision but that of St john. Despite wanting her own independance she desires praise from him so badly that she cannot stand on her own two feet. This is, in fact, one of the main reasons that i do not believe Jane Eyre to be particualry feminist as she willingly submits herself to others in such important matters despite being as intelligent as she is. i wonder if i would think it less of a travesty if Jane was less intelligent... I like the way that the book ends (admittedly some parts are a tad cliche) but it seems a suitable ending for Jane the introvert and Rochester the extrovert to live a life of happy isolation together. And yet, the ending always makes me think more of Janes misfortune in her chosen life out of what could have been, and how she could have been stronger. Perhaps Bronte is making a statement about how restricted even the most brilliant women were in victorian england; but for me Jane Eyre always strikes me as a character who does not find happiness until she conforms to the patriachal society and a patriachal figure, which i find the opposite to feminism.

The Era of the Rivers'!!!!!!!!

Chapter Summary

28. Jane decides to leave Thornfield...Mr R against this
29. Jane traverses the moors and stumbles upon the Rivers'
30. Jane decieves with a false name!!!!!!!!!!!!
31. Jane takes over a school and an uncle is discovered to be dead
32. Talk and speculations of love
33. Jane makes St.John admit he likes Rosamond
34. Jane is found out and finds a fortune and family
35. St.John Proposes
36. Jane says nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
37. Jane leaves for Thornfield and finds it burnt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
38. Mr R and Jane meet again...argue a bit... then happily ever after
39. Reader i married him

Themes

• Love and true love
• Family
• Class
• Religion
• Independance and dependance
• Isolation

Character

Jane

Jane tries to run away from her problems. She denies all of her feelings and tries harder in this section of the book to suppress herself than at any other time. She allows herself to be manipulated and told what to do in every aspect of her life.Until she realises that this is no way to live and returns to a kind of equality with Rochester

Rochester

Tries to blow over the problems of society and brush over them by runnning away by trying to pretend that nought has happened. However he is less of a man because of it. When Jane returns he has also realised his mistakes in life and his betrayals which Bronte physicalises through his crippled state.

St.John

Self righteous. He is extremely charitable but is of the opinion that all work is and should be for God rather than that for some this is not the way for everyone and that living for yourself is ok. Described as a Grecian marble statue (i perceive that this construes that St.John is perfect but yet he is as stone, cold and flawless)

Motifs

• Red as a symbol of passion...
• Bland vs exotic
• Hypocrisy
• gothicism and the supernatural
• fire
• passion vs logic
• Blood

Place

This is the section where, i think, place has the most significance of any other part of the book. At the beginning of this section the place changes abruptly where Jane leaves Thornfield and wonders about through many villages filled with dark and dank imagery that emphasise her state of mind. Then Jane arrives at Moor House. Moor House is plain but homely in the same fashion as lowood. It contains the bare essentials for living. This parallels its emotional state also. The Rivers offer the bare essentials of kindness but she does not have the same red intimacy that she had with Mr R. But then Jane returns to Thornfield and find that it has been burned. This symbolises the scorching and ruination of the firery passion of love. Jane then finds Mr R at Ferndean; secluded and peaceful Jane finds her hearts content.

Narrative Voice

Jane becomes far more supressive of her own character once more. All of the imagery that Bronte uses reflects this somewhat. All her surroundings are ordinary, dank, dull and mediocre. It is only when jane returns to Mr R that she becomes herself in language and spirit again.

Interesting Quotes

'I wanted to be weak... and conscience, turned tyrant, held passion by the throat... unsounded depths of agony.' pg 297- jane wrestles with herself- passion vs logic

'...pluck out your right eye, yourself cut off your right hand: your heart shall be the victime...' pg 297

'..my good angel...kindling in pure,powerful flame, fuses you and me into one' Mr R tries to persuade Jane pg 315

'I was experiencing an ordeal: a hand of fiery iron grasped my vitals. Terrible moment: full of struggle, blackness, burning...and him who loved thus i absolutely worshipped: and i must renounce love and idol. One drear word compromised my intolerable duty-'Depart' pg 315

'This was the climax. A pang of exquisite suffering- a throe of true despair- rent and heaved my heart' pg 335 outside the Rivers' door

'Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilised by education' pg 341

'Had he been a statue instead of a man...it was like a Greek face..'pg 344/5

'St john was a good man...he was hard and cold...he lived only to aspire...i comprehended all at once that he would hardly make a god husband... the nature of his love for miss oliver... it was a love of the senses... to stifle and destroy it; how he should mistrust its ever conducing permanently to his happiness or hers...' pg 392

'You are formed for labour not for love' pg 402 the proposal

'I felt his influence in my marrow...' pg 406

'...if you reject it , it is not me you deny, but God.' pg 409

'he stretched his right hand (the left one, the mutilated one, he kept hidden in his bosom)

Thoughts and Reflections

When jane leaves Thornfield we know that she has reached a turning point. Jane thought she had found all she ever wanted but alas there were cracks and flaws in Rochester that Jane had painted over. As the reader we knew that something of this proportion was coming. The omens could not be ignored or the gothic imagery foreshadowing ill tidings. I find it quite sad that Jane once again goes back to being ultimately pessimistic about life. Jane is overwhelmed with emotions and decides that her only option is to leave her problems behind and begin a new life. In this way we can see that jane has not developed, she cannot fight through her problems, instead she bows down to her depression and chooses to run away from the plight in the same way she simply submitted to Mr Brocklehursts slander of her as the be all and end all and did not consider that she could change others opinions on her own; instead she had to use Miss Temples authority. In this main section of the book we see Jane suppressing her true feeling constantly in order to conform and i believe that this is why Bronte attaches bad luck to jane ( in order to point out that you cannot be happy whilst you are untrue to yourself). In summary The Thornfield era for jane proves to her that Lowood has not prepared her for life and that she must move on and develop in order to become whole and to become an adult.

Thornfield era- socialites, love and politics

Chapter Summary

17. Jane meets Grace and is told that Mr R is away socialising with Blanche and co.

18.The socialites arrive and we are introduced via Jane

19.Mr Mason arrives

20.The gypsy

21.Mr Mason stabbed and does anyone know what is going on with Rochester?

22.Visit to Mrs Reed

23. Jane returns- gossip of Mr R marrying Blanche

24. The proposal

25. Courtship, embellishment and fancy fantasy in Millcote

26. apprehension and omens for the wedding- veil

27. Nearly a wedding and definitely a scandal

Themes

• emotional isolation
• guilt and mystery
• appearance vs reality (e.g looks vs personality)
• deception and concealment
• judgement
• threat and violence
• frugality vs frivolity
• omens and superstitions
• suppression and madness
• class and status

Character

Jane

In this section she becomes very critical of herself and starts to compare herself to others. We see her character developed in terms of seeing Jane's place in the world and her place in the class system as a governess.

Mr Rochester

Mr Rochester in this section is very confusing for the reader. His motives and actions become a constant mystery.

Blanche Ingram

As blank and shallow as her name. A truly frivolous personality. She is the typical socialite. Bronte describs her so it is nigh on impossible to like her.

Mr Mason

Another character we know very little about except hints and speculations.

Grace Poole

Her character is greatly expanded in this section. Bronte allows the prejudice against Grace to continue up until they are thrown aside in chapter 27 when she is revealed as the guard and keeper of Bertha.

Bertha Mason

Seen mainly as hints and shadows but materialises in ch 27. We never really meet her. She is more a physical extension of Mr Rochester's hidden and suppressed past. It could also be argued that Bertha is a symbol of the oppression of women and the prejudices against them in the day. It is interesting to see how Bronte classes and describes Bertha through the other characters as Bertha is a foreigner. The prejudice and condescending nature of the comments towards colonialists is interesting to note also.

The Reeds and Bessie

The Reeds and Bessie reappear in this section as Jane is called back to Mrs Reeds deathbed. It is interesting here to see that none of the characters have developed. They stayed stagnate at Gateshead. Jane is the only one to have moved on. A symbol of dysfunction? of resolution?

Motifs

• Gothic imagery
• ghosts, apparitions and omens
• bland vs exoti
• love-friendship, shallow and courtship
• ethereal and fantasy

Place

Still set at Thornfield. However, it seems to take on a far more flamboyant set of description as Jane grows to love it more. The imagery used is that of fantasy and midsummer eves as i supppose Janes life at Thornfield must seem like fantasy compared to gateshead and Lowood.

Narrative Voice

Jane contrasts between being more happy and optimistic aboput life than at any other time and being at a real self deprecating low. She over embelishes the traits of others in order to make herself seem even more plain. On the other hand her love of Thornfield also shows where she uses such exotic imagery. This can also be seen in imagery for Mr R.

Interesting Quotes and phrases

'Tall, fine bust...it contrasted well with the jetty mass of her curls' first description of Blanche pg 159

' That a greater fool than Jane Eyre had never breathed the breath of life: that a more fantastic idiot had never surfeited herself on sweet lies, and swallowed poison as if it were nectar,' pg 160

'... said Miss Ingram, curling her lip sarcastically...'

' Good night, my-' He stopped, bit his lip and abruptly left me' Mr R talking to jane

'I was growing very lenient to my master: i was forgetting all his faults, for which i had once kept a sharp look out.' pg 187

'... whatever aspect it wore, it failed not for seven successive nights to meet me the moment i entered the land of slumber' pg 220

'a splendid Midsummer shone over England: skies so pure...' the proposal setting pg 247

'is this my pale little elf?' pg 258

'He smiled; and i thought his smile was such as a sultan might, in a blissful and fond moment, bestow on a slave his gold and gems had enriched: i crushed his hand, which was ever hunting mine, vigorously, and thrust it back to him red with the passionate pressure' pg 269

'The month of courtship had wasted...' pg 275

'Jane Eyre, who had been an ardent, expectant woman- almost a bride- was a cold, solitary girl again...' pg 295