Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
I can’t remember why exactly I bought this book, but I’m
sure that part of the book was inspired by my vacation to Jamaica. I know, too,
that I’ve come across the book previously, but as someone who never read Jane
Eyre, it was not something that I studied or was familiar with in college. It
may have been after I read Anna Biller’s excellent Bluebeard’s Castle,
which pulls from both Bronte’s and Rhys’s narratives of the subjugation and
gaslighting of women through marriage. Although I purchased this book before
reading Tao Leigh Goffe’s excellent Dark Laboratories, her analysis of
the book as a countertext to provide additional perspectives on the dominant
views in canonical texts made me want to read Wide Sargasso Sea even
more. It was also interesting to learn more about Rhys’ life and completion of
the book over 20 years with Judith Raskin’s brief biography and background
about the novel. Even though this is a brief novel, it was filled with ideas,
allusions, and symbolism that kept me reading. I loved learning more about the
history of Jamaica and Dominica, and how Rhys incorporated not only personal references,
but the cultural and botanical references to the Caribbean throughout the book.
At times, I felt that I could inhale the intoxicating floral aroma that emanates
from the pages. This is the kind of book that I lost myself in reading as Rhys evokes
a tropical paradise that also becomes a kind of prison for Antoinette Cosway,
an heiress who lives in Jamaica shortly after the emancipation of those who
were enslaved but is married off by her brother and is haunted by the fate of
her mother who was institutionalized after the family was attacked and their
estate burned.
The story takes place when Antoinette was younger on their
plantation in Jamaica, shortly after emancipation. While the family was once wealthy,
their estate has fallen into disrepair, which seems to be a common motif
throughout the novel and creates a gothic feeling of decay and decadence.
Antoinette’s mother is forced to remarry to improve the situation, but her new
husband, Mr. Mason, is only looking to take advantage of the distressed property
and woman. It’s not a marriage of love, but rather a power and land grab, which
is another motif of the men in this story. Antoinette’s family is always viewed
with suspicion among the emancipated people of Jamaica, and the threat of another
plantation master returning results in their burning of the house, an attack on
Antoinette, and the death of her younger brother, which eventually leads to extreme
grief for Antoinette’s mother. Mr. Mason uses this episode of grief to have her
institutionalized and sends Antoinette off to convent to study.
The second part of the story takes place during Antoinette’s
honeymoon with her unnamed husband, but who is likely Rochester in Jane Eyre.
This part of the book takes place in Dominica, where Antoinette’s mother is
from, and is told from the unnamed husband’s perspective as well as Antoinette’s.
This was my favorite part of the book, as it contrasts the beauty and idyls of
the island with the subjugation and brutality that Antoinette experiences as
the hands of her husband. Antoinette’s husband not only struggles to adapt to
the way of life on the island, demonstrating his cultural incongruity, but Antoinette
begins to develop doubts about her relationship to her husband, creating a
sense of paranoia and fear that is only magnified by her family’s history of
institutionalization. To further complicate the situation, there is a man who
claims to be Antoinette’s half-brother, and he claims to be entitled to the
property and money from the family. Throughout this section, we also learn more
about the life of Christophine, Antoinette’s nurse from childhood, whose belief
in Obeah, the traditional spiritual healing and magic system in Jamaica,
arouses further suspicions between the couple. I loved the character of
Christophine, as she seems to fight against the patriarchy and colonial mindset
that Antoinette’s husband brings to the marriage and honeymoon. She also
attempts to bring a sense of identity and independence to Antoinette,
challenging her husband. It was fascinating to learn more about the Obeah
practices and some of the ideas of zombis that were included in the texts and
notes. Throughout this section, Rhys continues to develop this sense of decay
and degradation that mirrors the relationship between Antoinette and her husband,
especially as he begins to call her Bertha, changing her name and shifting her
identity against her will.
The novel ends with the third and shortest part, where the
couple journeys to England after the death of the husband’s father and brother
and Antoinette renamed Bertha, thus further erasing her identity while imposing
a new self on her. It’s a fascinating book that challenges the patriarchy and colonialism
that were and continue to be a part of the history of the Caribbean, while also
presenting countertexts that challenge the dominant view. By giving voice and
life to “Bertha”, we not only learn about Rochester’s true nature, but we also
learn more about the other women he’s silenced and taken advantage of
throughout the years. Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea not only signifies on the
classic Jane Eyre, but it highlights much of the racism, classism, sexism,
and inequality that continue to exist today. Furthermore, it’s a haunting
gothic tale that is both evocative and insightful. I also love this Norton
Critical Edition, which has great notes and background information. I’m hoping
to read some of the literary criticism about the text. Highly recommended!
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