International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences

Vol-8, Issue-2; Mar-Apr, 2023

Journal Home Page Available: https://ijels.com/

Journal DOI: 10.22161/ijels

Gender Oppression and the Consequent Madness in Jean

Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea
Iypshita Gogoi

M.A English, Department of English, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam, India

Received: 15 Mar 2023; Received in revised form: 16 Apr 2023; Accepted: 23 Apr 2023; Available online: 30 Apr 2023
©2023 The Author(s). Published by Infogain Publication. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Abstract— Jean Rhys, through her ground breaking novel, Wide Sargasso Sea, portrays the journey of a
French Creole woman Antoinette from a troubled childhood to her eventual culmination into madness. This
novel is a prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre and was published in England in 1966. Jean Rhys’s
protagonist Antoinette is the representation of the character “Bertha” in the novel Jane Eyre. Through this
novel, Jean has given Bronte’s “Bertha” a chance to tell her side of the story of how she ended up in the
attic alone and mad which finally ended up in her demise. Madness is an inherent theme which plays an
important role and also acts as a consequence of gender oppression. This paper intends to study the inherent
gender oppression that the protagonist Antoinette faces from her husband and the consequent madness that
follows from this oppression in Jean Rhys' novel Wide Sargasso Sea. Through a detailed analysis this paper
tries to investigate how Antoinette’s husband Mr. Rochester, by his patriarchal male supremacy and
domination, oppressed Antoinette to the point that she not only lost her identity but also slipped into madness.
The main motive of this paper is to show how Antoinette’s culmination into madness is not just a result of
mental illness but also the result of long repressed scars of her traumatic upbringing which are exacerbated
by her husband's rejection and cruel behaviour of her which completely erodes her self-esteem ultimately
culminating into madness. This paper attempts to prove that Antoinette's abusive patriarchal husband drives
her "mad" on purpose and his view of Antoinette as "mad" is the result of her not living up to his Victorian
standards of restrained sexuality.
Keywords— gender oppression, , identity, madness, patriarchy, sexuality.

Gender oppression refers to the arbitrary or permitted to have several partners and are naturally
severe use of power or control, as well as mindsets, events, considered as the family's head. There are multiple examples
or actions that perpetuate gender stereotyping of social roles. of gender oppression in the novel Wide Sargasso Sea. This
Femininity is seen as being meek, submissive, courteous, is clear from the beginning of the narrative until the very
emotional, and dependant, whereas masculinity is related end.
with being physically powerful, aggressive, logical, and The condition of Antoinette's mother, Annette,
competitive. Females are confined to the home, where they exemplifies gender oppression in terms of economic
are responsible for their family's needs. According to Susan disparity. After the death of her husband she became
Kent: “men possessed the capacity for reason, action, economically poor and had to remarry in order to feel safe
aggression, independence, and self-interest [thus belonging both economically and physically. It shows marriage as a
to the public sphere].” Women are assigned feminine means of security which the women felt during the Victorian
attributes such as submissiveness, dependence on male era. Maria Olaussen argues that “Annette signifies the
family members, non-aggression, emotionality, and gender-ideology in the patriarchal economic system, since
selflessness. They are supposed to be perfect women who she needs to be provided for by men. She uses her beauty as
never scream or act impatiently. Men, on the other hand, are

IJELS-2023, 8(2), (ISSN: 2456-7620) (Int. J of Eng. Lit. and Soc. Sci.)
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Gogoi Gender Oppression and the Consequent Madness in Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea

her only means to compete with other women in search for England and listened attentively to my answers, but
English protection and economic support” (Olaussen 103). I was certain that nothing I said made much
Even in the case of inheritance of property, the women were difference. Her mind was already made up. . . . I
not allowed to inherit anything. Everything belonged to the could not change them [her fixed ideas] and
male heir. In Antoinette’s case also, Mr Mason’s son probably nothing would. Reality might disconcert
Richard inherited the property. He also fixed Antoinette’s her, bewilder her, hurt her, but it would not be
marriage with Rochester. The rampant gender oppression reality. It would be only a mistake, a misfortune, a
can be witnessed here as the females were merely treated wrong path taken, her fixed ideas would never
like objects which were the sole property of their male change. Nothing that I told her influenced her at all.
family members. The whole property of Antoinette which Die then. Sleep. It is all I can give you… (Rhys 58).
consisted of thirty thousand pounds was given to Rochester Rochester believes that his wife is wiser
leaving Antoinette completely dependent on him. As a and more informed than he is. It bothers him, and he gets the
woman she had to ask his approval for spending her own impression that she is attempting to dominate him.
money due to the stereotypical gender roles assigned by the Rochester, who was born in a male-dominated England,
society. Mr Rochester signified the typical Victorian male could not stand it. He felt as if he was losing control of his
who wanted to subjugate Antoinette from her own identity. relationship. In this situation, Antoinette seemed to be the
From the moment he started his narration, one can sense his husband and he the meek wife. The marriage of Antoinette
patriarchal attitude towards Antoinette when he said that and Rochester is just a bargain for him. One can see it when
“And the woman is a stranger. Her pleading expression he wrote a letter to his father saying that: “The thirty
annoys me. I have not bought her, she has bought me, or so thousand pounds have been paid to me without any question
she thinks” (Rhys 42). or condition. I have sold my soul or you have sold it, and
Antoinette and Rochester belong to two after all is it such a bad bargain?” (Rhys 42).
culturally different backgrounds. She was a French Creole When he met Antoinette to persuade her
and he was from England. There were differences of opinion for marriage even at that time he called it a bargain. “I’ll
between them. However, one can sense his disliking towards trust you if you’ll trust me. Is that a bargain?” (Rhys 48).
the place from the moment he arrived in Massacre. It is His business like talks were noticeable before their
evident when he says that “Everything is too much, I felt as marriage but Antoinette, completely oblivious of her
I rode wearily after her. Too much blue, too much purple, disastrous future ignored it all. His calling of her name
too much green. The flowers too red, the mountains too as Bertha is like a premonition to her dark future.
high, the hills to near” (Rhys 42). Mr Rochester has the Antoinette is oppressed by Rochester on
sensation that not just this area, but also the black two levels. This is because firstly, he oppresses her as a
community and Antoinette, are terrifying and strange, and Victorian male who tries to change her identity and
that there is something cryptic hidden that he is unaware of. wants her to act according to his ideas of a perfect
He felt anxiety and uneasiness in the island and found his Victorian woman and on the other hand as he is British,
wife nothing more than a stranger. After receiving the letter so he also symbolized British colonialism. Antoinette's
from Daniel Cosway, he was sure of his mysterious feeling Creole ancestry, along with her gender, makes her
towards both Antoinette and the place. It was as if he got a doubly oppressed by Mr Rochester. He saw her
license to an already made up opinion in his mind. personality, her habits savage. He was troubled by the
Rochester did not consider the place and way she laughed and drank alcohol, as well as her free-
Antoinette as a part of his life. He represented the typical spirited character. As a Victorian man, he anticipated his
Victorian male who did not like to be tutored by his female wife to be subservient, obedient to her home, less
counterpart. She told him everything about her place and sociable, and devoid of rage or a loud voice, but
herself but it never impressed him nor made any difference Antoinette lacked all of these attributes. He began to
in his perception. He considered both Antoinette and the regard her as the "other." It began to raise doubts in his
place as savage. He ignored the beauty and charm of the mind, which were confirmed by Daniel's message.
place as well as his wife. When he used to tell her about Antoinette's quest to reclaim her husband's
England, Antoinette's admiration and preference for the affection had reached the point where she needed
West Indies as being more beautiful than the industrialised Christophine's assistance. She spiked his drink with a
England irritated him. It can be witnessed when he says that: love potion, making Rochester even more enraged with
If she was a child she was not a stupid child but an her. He couldn't stand the fact that Antoinette, as a
obstinate one. She often questioned me about woman could make him adore her without his consent.

IJELS-2023, 8(2), (ISSN: 2456-7620) (Int. J of Eng. Lit. and Soc. Sci.)
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Gogoi Gender Oppression and the Consequent Madness in Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea

He recognises that Antoinette, as someone who is more Mr Rochester dismisses Antoinette as "mad"
familiar with the island, may wield more power than he based on their cultural differences rather than fact. He was
does, putting his relationship at jeopardy. “I feel very an Englishman, and he was taken aback to witness her rage
much a stranger here…I feel that this place is my enemy at him and her openly exhibiting her sexuality by wooing
and on your side” (Rhys78). Mr. Rochester recognises him in the case of the love potion. As she behaves outside of
that Antoinette's capacity to use Obeah is a strength that Victorian society's conventional bounds, he begins to label
she possesses and that he will never be able to control or her "mad". Rochester's perception of Antoinette as "mad"
master. It offended his macho ego that she could rule stems from her failure to meet his Victorian norms of
him. Olaussen argues “Antoinette’s hunger for sex, repressed sensuality, and by giving her a new name, he
showing sexual emotions, and craving sex also becomes attempts to distance her from her own identity and culture.
a crucial point in labelling Antoinette morally mad” When Antoinette discovers her husband's adultery, she
(Olaussen 60). He decides to cheat on her with Amélie, becomes inebriated and enraged. Mr Rochester feels sorry
their maid, to punish her act. He did it on purpose since for himself as he considers his poor choice of wife: “Pity. Is
he knew Amélie and Antoinette had a quarrel a few days there none for me? Tied to a lunatic for life- a drunken lying
before and that it would aggravate her wrath. Even lunatic-gone her mother’s way” (Rhys 106). Foucault’s idea
though he was aware that Antoinette was present and of madness as dependent on the society and being located in
listening to everything he was doing with Amélie, he a certain cultural space is pretty evident here as Rochester
continued to do so. “I had not one moment of remorse. labels her “mad” based on the cultural difference existing
Nor was I anxious to know what was happening behind between them.
the thin partition which divided us from my wife’s Phyllis Chesler has also researched and examined
bedroom” (Rhys 89). It reveals his stone-hearted angry women and madness in patriarchal culture in the nineteenth
personality, which had been hidden until now. As a guy century. In the book Woman and Madness, Chesler argues
in a patriarchal culture, he has the freedom to be disloyal that in a patriarchal society, women who break from
and respond to his sexual desires, but he denies women conditioned female behaviour are deemed "mad". Chesler
the same liberty. Despite the fact that he is perfectly concludes that defining women as mad is caused by male
aware that his acts may hurt Antoinette, Mr. Rochester domination in a patriarchal society (Chesler 56).
obviously leverages his colonial power for his sexual
Rochester has problem with her appearance and
desires. Thomas Staley argues that this is why he takes
behaviour as well. He described her as: “Then she cursed me
revenge on Antoinette by sleeping with the black servant
comprehensively, my eyes, my mouth, every member of my
girl, Amélie. He believes this brings back his patriarchal
body, and it was like a dream in the large unfurnished room
manliness and his ability to dominate and destroy
with the 19 candles flickering and this red-eyed wild-haired
Antoinette. (114)
stranger who was my wife shouting obscenities at me”
The term “madness” can be commonly defined (Rhys 95). Rochester expected Antoinette to not react or
as having a major mental condition, engaging in highly question him for his infidelity as it was not accepted from a
absurd behaviour, or being unable to behave in a sensible woman to scream or raise voice against any injustice
manner. These are the ideas that people generally have about perpetrated against them. He could not accept the fact that
madness. Michel Foucault, on the other hand, had a different she expressed her inner anguish and sadness on his betrayal.
take on it. Throughout Madness and Civilization, Foucault He did not want his wife to be so vocal and “unfeminine.”
emphasises that madness is not a static, natural Symptoms of madness in Antoinette are seen as she did not
phenomenon, but rather a product of the culture in which it confirm herself as a passive woman who he expected and
occurs. The way madness is understood and experienced in wanted. The rage Antoinette shows in response to her
a particular culture is determined by a variety of cultural, husband's mistreatment is viewed by Rochester as a reaction
intellectual, and economic systems. Society shapes its of her “madness”. Chesler maintains that in a patriarchal
experience of lunacy in this way. Michel Foucault believes society, men assign features of madness to women when
madness to be an invented disease and therefore a disease of they do not act and behave according to “one’s sex-role
our civilization (Foucault viii). Those individuals who do stereotype” (Chesler 57).
not act like the mainstream are often thought of as “mad”.
His unloving and unpleasant demeanour, as well as
Women were not a part of the patriarchal power structure
the sense of non-belonging, aggravates her alienation from
and so in a way they were also not the mainstream. In the
him. Her "madness" stems from a patriarchal society that
case of Antoinette she was also a victim of this invented
oppresses women. Patriarchal society tolerates and supports
disease.
Mr Rochester's behaviour despite the fact that he rendered

IJELS-2023, 8(2), (ISSN: 2456-7620) (Int. J of Eng. Lit. and Soc. Sci.)
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Gogoi Gender Oppression and the Consequent Madness in Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea

her emotionally vulnerable. Cultural differences aided else, calling me by another name. I know, that’s obeah too”
Antoinette’s suffering since they allowed Rochester to (Rhys 94).
regard his thoughts as superior to hers and label her "mad." In some ways, he wished to transform Antoinette
Mr Rochester makes an attempt to attribute from her Creole identity into a weak and submissive
animalistic characteristics to his wife. He attributes animal Victorian English woman. “Moreover, he causes a split of
like qualities to her in order to justify her absurd behaviour. her identity by calling her ‘Bertha’ in order to reject
“Her hair hung uncombed and dull into her eyes which were her origins and ignore her family’s supposed illness” (
inflamed and staring, her face was very flushed and looked Rhys 86). She is deprived of both her identity as well as
swollen. Her feet were bare . . .” (Rhys 93). He did not try sense of place by Rochester. He gives her another identity
to understand the pain she was withholding after his and then attempts to separate her from her native place
infidelity rather he judged and mocked her emotions by where she felt happy and secure. As a result she had nothing
attributing such qualities to her. Describing them with left. It definitely created scar in her adding to her mental
uncombed and dull hair, inflamed, staring zombie eyes and instability. Rochester perhaps also wanted to break
bare feet. These are not considered to be appropriate features Antoinette’s connection to her mother by imposing her with
of a human being; they are more animal like. “By turning a new name and identity. In a way he tried to break their link
“madmen” into animals, their human identities are removed and also suppress both of them. “Consequently, the name
and can only be re-established by discipline and brutality. Bertha can be considered as suppressing both, mother
Mr Rochester dehumanizes his wife in order to defend his and daughter” ( Blais 98-118).
own cruel behaviour towards her” (Tennholt 19). Teresa F. O’Connor argues that “the “mad”
In her life, Antoinette has always been rejected. females in Wide Sargasso Sea turn their “madness”
Her first rejection as a youngster came from her own mother, inwards” (197). Antoinette becomes quiet after all these
who never gave her any compassion or love and always incidents. She withdraws herself from everything and do not
regarded her son as her own child. The residents of the island talk or share her feeling anymore. Earlier she used to share
were the next ones to reject her. They couldn't accept her her feelings with Rochester but now she becomes too
since she was a female Creole and the daughter of a former passive. She becomes inherently passive and it adds to her
slave master. “Antoinette Cosway belongs to no place and, insanity.
in the final analysis, to no one: she is powerless, in terms of Rochester never valued Antoinette or her place.
her own self definition/ determination. Antoinette’s destiny Once his motive of acquiring her fortune got fulfilled, he
is locked within an imposed narrative of exile: racial, started to ignore her and began to see her actions and habits
spiritual and cultural. She is labelled as “white nigger” by as insane. When they were leaving for England, he felt regret
Tia; declared “mad”, and to have “zombie” eyes” (Forrester for her for a little period, but as soon as he saw the hatred in
34). She couldn't handle her husband's final rejection. She her eyes, he reverted to his tyrannical and patriarchal
became quite sensitive as a result of the numerous rejections posture.
she received. Her dream of living a happy life with her
If I was bound for hell let it be hell. No more false
spouse was crushed as well. Rochester's ignorance and
heavens. No more damned magic. You hate me and
patriarchal behaviour exacerbated her sensitivity to the point
I hate you. We’ll see who hates best. But first, first
that she was unable to recover. He not only emotionally
I will destroy your hatred. Now. My hate is colder,
tortured her, but he also attempted to erase a part of her
stronger, and you’ll have no hate to warm yourself.
individuality by giving her a new name. He did not give any
You will have nothing. I did it too. I saw the hate
proper reason for calling her “Bertha”, rather he simply tells
go out of her eyes. I forced it out. And with the hate
her “It is a name I’m particularly fond of. I think of you as
her beauty. She was only a ghost. A ghost in the
Bertha” (Rhys 86).
grey daylight. Nothing left but hopelessness. Say
He gives her the name "Bertha," which might die and I will die. Say die and watch me die (Rhys
indicate one of two things. First, by calling her "Bertha," he 110).
may have intended to force his colonising mindset on her
This quote demonstrates Rochester's tyrannical and
because it was an English name, and by doing so, he felt that
ruthless attitude, as well as his loathing for Antoinette after
he was conversing with someone of his own calibre and
witnessing her disdain for him. He was enraged because he
group. Second, he intended to create a new woman in her
couldn't control her thinking like he controlled her identity.
that he could manage by giving her a new name. Antoinette
M.M Adjarian opines “[That is] part of the reason behind
did disapprove of her new name when she said that: “Bertha
Rochester’s intense wish to possess Antoinette even after he
is not my name. You are trying to make me into someone
has gained her wealth. By controlling her, he controls what

IJELS-2023, 8(2), (ISSN: 2456-7620) (Int. J of Eng. Lit. and Soc. Sci.)
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Antoinette comes to represent for him the island, its Sisterhood is a concept that men do not grasp. Sisterhood
inhabitants and the threat they pose to him and his self- poses a challenge to men's status in patriarchal societies.
perception as an all-powerful, all-knowing European” “Women are not hierarchical but egalitarian…Men want to
(206). Antoinette is not given the opportunity to clarify her dominate and separate; women want to communicate and
position or convey her feelings. She was labelled insane connect” (McCann, Kim 434).
simply because she did not conform to Rochester's Rochester did not like Christophine. He has always
expectations of a submissive, demure lady. He made no been sceptical about her behaviour and appearance. He did
attempt to speak with her about the situation or to find a not like Antoinette’s relationship with her and even warned
solution. He only took her to England and locked her up in Antoinette of the same: “Christophine is an evil woman and
the attic. He added to her inner anguish, which she was you know it as well as I do,…She won’t stay here very much
experiencing as a result of her husband's adultery and the longer” (Rhys 94). In some ways, he saw their connection as
rejections she had had throughout her life. Rochester, who a challenge to his strong position. He understood that
only cared about her money, shattered her fantasy of sharing Antoinette could defeat him if she teamed up with
a happy and satisfying life with her spouse. He married Christophine. The proposal of separation and divorce which
Antoinette for her money which was visible to Christophine she gave to Antoinette was alarming to Rochester since it
as well when she said to him that: may result in a major controversy which he never wished.
Everybody know that you marry her for her money As a result, he was continuously trying to separate them, and
and you take it all. And then you want to break her when he took Antoinette to England, he was eventually
up, because you jealous of her. She is more better successful. Olinder comments that “many Europeans
than you, she have better blood in her and she don’t thought that putting away mad people is a civilized way of
care for money-it’s nothing for her. Oh I see that controlling and dealing with the Caribbean people who
first time I look at you. You young but already you showed signs of madness” (Olinder 156).
hard. You fool the girl. You make her think you Antoinette’s final culmination into madness occurs
can’t see the sun for looking at her . . . You make when Rochester locks her up in his attic in England. She
love to her till she drunk with it, no rum could make isn’t allowed to come out nor does he come to her. She was
her drunk like that, till she can’t do without it. It’s left completely alone along with a caretaker Grace poole.
she can’t see the sun any more. Only you see. But Antoinette did not even get the chance to figure out what has
all you want is to break her up. (Rhys 98). just happened to her. She was in a vulnerable state of mind
Mr Rochester utilises his patriarchal influence to with all her childhood rejections, loss of identity and all
make Antoinette feel falsely safe by claiming to adore her at these were brought up in her mind again with the final blow
the start of their marriage. She felt estranged and his of rejection by her husband. All these emotional factors
rejection perhaps led her into the verge of "madness". made her completely passive and vulnerable which made it
Antoinette does not know how to deal with her dilemma easier for Rochester to slip her into madness. He keeps her
since she has never experienced genuine love, whether from locked up in the attic without any connection with the
family, friendship, or romantic connections with men. She outside world which finally erodes her sanity. With nothing
“turns her hate for Rochester into hate for her beloved island left by her side, Antoinette slips into insanity. When she was
and hence for herself” (O’Connor 154). It would have a child she used to look at the mirror and brush her hair and
perhaps not affected her if Rochester committed the adultery talk to her reflection as if it was a different person, but now
in some other place, but the very fact that he did it all in her Rochester did not even let her have a mirror turning her
own place crumbled her sense of belongingness towards her completely alone. She had no idea how she looked now
place. She perhaps felt as if her own place rejected her as which is evident when she says that:
well as cheated on her. There is no looking-glass here and I don’t know
Rochester treats her as if she were a toy, with little what I am like now. I remember watching myself
regard for her mental health. He didn't pay attention to her brush my hair and how my eyes looked back at me.
and didn't see her as a human being. As a result of his The girl I saw was myself yet not quite myself.
actions, Antoinette appeared to be on the edge of going mad. Long ago when I was a child and very lonely I tried
Rochester succeeds in breaking Antoinette's final link to to kiss her. But the glass was between us – hard,
reality and reason by imprisoning her in England, where she cold and misted over with my breath. Now they
loses Christophine's support, her last support. Sisterhood, have taken everything away. What am I doing in
according to feminist scholars Carole Ruth McCann and this place and who am I? (Rhys 117).
Seung-Kyung Kim, is a resistance to patriarchal tyranny.

IJELS-2023, 8(2), (ISSN: 2456-7620) (Int. J of Eng. Lit. and Soc. Sci.)
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When she sees herself in the mirror, she could not anticipated his wife to be subservient, obedient to her home,
recognise herself. She thought her to be the ghost everyone less sociable, and devoid of rage or a loud voice, however,
was talking in that house. “It was then that I saw her – the Antoinette lacked all of these attributes. He began to regard
ghost” (Rhys 123). It portrays her mental condition which her as the "other.” Rochester perhaps dismisses Antoinette
was finally culminating into madness. She was kept as "mad" based on their cultural differences rather than fact.
alienated from the outside world and without any interaction He was an Englishman, and he was taken aback to witness
it was very likely that she would her lose her mental sanity her rage at him, openly exhibiting her sexuality by wooing
as a person cannot live completely alone confined in a room him in the case of the love potion. As she behaves outside of
for so long. Her already vulnerable state was exploited by Victorian society's conventional bounds, he begins to label
Rochester which finally pushed her to the periphery of her "mad". Rochester's perception of Antoinette as "mad"
madness. She sees a dream of burning the mansion down stems from her failure to meet his Victorian norms of
and then she realizes what she has to do now. She repressed sensuality, and by giving her a new name, he
remembers all the injustice perpetrated to her and realizes attempts to distance her from her own identity and culture.
that it’s time for her to break the shackles of injustice and When Antoinette discovers her husband's adultery, she
free herself of all the pain and suffering. “Now at last I know becomes inebriated and enraged. He took her to England and
why I was brought here and what I have to do” (Rhys 124). locked her up in the attic. He added to her inner anguish,
As a result she burns down the Thornfield which she was experiencing as a result of her husband's
mansion. Even though this action serves as an act of adultery and the rejections she had had throughout her life.
rebellion and an escaping, it is also fatal, since Bertha Rochester, who only cared about her money, shattered her
sacrifices her own life as a result of wresting authority from fantasy of sharing a happy and satisfying life with her
her husband: "Then I turned around and saw the sky. It was spouse. He gives her another identity and then attempts to
red and all my life was in it... I saw the orchids and the separate her from her native place where she felt happy and
stephanotis and the jasmine and the tree of life in flames" secure. As a result she had nothing left. All these incidents
(Rhys 123). definitely created scars in her soul adding to her mental
instability. Rochester perhaps also wanted to break
Antoinette has visions of flames devouring the home
Antoinette’s connection to her mother by imposing her with
and her liberation from the existence she has there, and she
a new name and identity. In a way he tried to break their link
feels it is her purpose to bring the vision to fruition. She exits
and also suppress both of them. Antoinette’s final
her room and lights a fire after waking up from her dream.
culmination into madness occurs when Rochester locks her
She chooses death over a confined existence to leave the
up in his attic in England. She was in a vulnerable state of
cruel world behind. It does, however, demonstrate
mind with all her childhood rejections, loss of identity and
Antoinette's desire not to be dominated and have someone
all these were brought up in her mind again with the final
else decide her fate; by committing suicide, she takes control
blow of rejection by her husband. All these emotional
of her own fate.
factors made her completely passive and vulnerable which
Thus, Jean Rhys through Antoinette, has portrayed made it easier for Rochester to slip her into madness. He
how madness can be a result of not only mental illness but keeps her locked up in the attic without any connection with
also a result of societal norms. She is driven to “madness” by the outside world which finally erodes her sanity. With
her patriarchal husband Rochester and also the society. The nothing left by her side, Antoinette slips into insanity. At the
rejection she faced from the people of her island as the end she remembers all the injustice perpetrated to her and
daughter of an ex-slave owner and as a French Creole in her realizes that it’s time for her to break the shackles of
childhood along with the cold treatment from her mother injustice and free herself of all the pain and suffering. As a
made Antoinette very vulnerable. All she wanted was love result she burns down the Thornfield Hall. She chooses
and acceptance throughout her life. Her dream of having a death over a confined existence to leave the cruel world
happy marriage with Rochester was also shattered with the behind. It does, however, demonstrate Antoinette's desire
cruel way in which he behaved with her. Mr Rochester uses not to be dominated and have someone else decide her fate;
his patriarchal power to make Antoinette feel falsely protected by committing suicide, she takes control of her own fate.
at the outset of their marriage by appearing to cherish her. As
a result of his rejection, she becomes increasingly enraged.
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