Book Review Jean Rhys Wide Sargasso Sea - 543 Words

Ideas like slavery and post-colonial aftermath on former British colonies are dominant ideas in Jean Rhys 1966 novel Wide Sargasso Sea. The writer focused on providing a realistic display concerning feelings in former British colonies as individuals struggle to reclaim their cultural identity in environments destroyed as a consequence of oppression occurring during British influence. The first part of the novel focuses extensively on people who were formerly slaves working on plantations owned by Creoles. Conditions in the West Indies at the beginning of the nineteenth century were critical when considering former slaves. These people still encountered difficulty integrating society because the masses were reluctant to accept them as being equal. This meant that former slaves needed to go through great efforts in order to earn a living and needed to employ ignorant attitudes in order to be able to go through the day without feeling miserable as a result of common episodes of discrimination. Even with the fact that Jamaica was no longer a slavery-supporting country by the time that the protagonist, Antoinette, is born, one is likely to observe how relations continue to be tensed between former slaves and masters. While many readers are likely to focus on more evident themes throughout the novel, race and the aftermath of slavery are also important in shaping much of the text. Jamaica is a particularly complex society and it is difficult for someone in the novel toShow MoreRelatedEssay about Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre an3613 Words   |  15 Pagescanonical texts re-written by female authors? Answer with close reference to Charlotte Bronte#8217;s Jane Eyre and Jean Rhys#8217;s Wide Sargasso Sea. The Sargasso Sea is a relatively still sea, lying within the south-west zone of the North Atlantic Ocean, at the centre of a swirl of warm ocean currents. Metaphorically, for Jean Rhys, it represented an area of calm, within the wide division between England and the West Indies. Within such an area, a sense of stability, permanence and identityRead MoreThe Presentation of Isolation in Jane Eyre and the Wide Sargasso Sea1546 Words   |  7 PagesIsolation in Jane Eyre and the Wide Sargasso Sea. The theme of isolation is explored in Bronte’s novel; Jane Eyre. This theme is also developed in The Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys. Both pieces present different types of isolation, such as isolation due to location and the isolation of a character due to their social status, such as Jane’s status as a governess. The various ways in which isolation is present in each of the texts show how inescapable and unavoidable isolation is for the charactersRead MoreComparatve Essay on the Fat Black Womans Poems, Sula and Wide Sargasso Sea3043 Words   |  13 Pageswriters explore gender. Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys, and Sula by Toni Morrison are both novels that respond to the issues of women that are confined to their social roles. Grace Nichols book, The Fat Black Womans Poems, supports and also contrasts the views of both Rhys and Morrison. All three texts question gender roles and oppression in society. While Nichols is very outspoken and doesnt let her gender confine her, the main character in Wide Sargasso Sea, Antoinette, is restrictedRead MoreBelonging Essay4112 Words   |  17 PagesStephen, Billy Elliot Making Multicultural Australia, www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au It is also suggested you choose 3-4 related texts as you will have more to discuss. You do not have to read a full book; a story from an anthology can be enough. You can also choose a poem, a picture book, film or photographs. Remember though that you will need to discuss at length the relevance of the chosen piece to write about how belonging is represented in the text, how are the ideas about belonging brought