Symbols and motifs
- The Parrot- Antoinette’s parrot is a symbol of freedom. Birds have a unique capacity for flight that allows them to move away with ease from areas of trouble. Parrots in particular have the unique ability to imitate sounds giving them a human-like quality. Coco bears striking similarities to Antoinette and her mother and serves to highlight the imprisonment of women in the world of Wide Sargasso Sea. A man clipped his wings taking away his ability to fly, and serving as his ultimate downfall when he couldn't escape the burning house. Similarly, Antoinette and Annette were two very passionate women who became slaves to a past that was not their own and marriages that they were forced into. Antoinette’s connection to the parrot is strengthened by the similarity of their deaths.
- Madness- In this novel madness is unequivocally tied to female sexuality. Women who stray from the conventional characteristics of femininity are criticized and marginalized by society. This specifically occurs to Antoinette during her time at the convent when she is compared to the de Plana sisters who epitomize proper etiquette and morality. She is later put in her place once again when she marries Rochester, a man after her money who doesn't love her. Her mother suffered a similar fate. By forcing women into these roles where they are misunderstood and unloved, they are shamed and literally driven mad.
- Fire- This motif is particularly versatile in Wide Sargasso Sea acting as a destructive and punishing force, and well as being tied to all-consuming ardor, all important factors in the book. It is first introduced when Coulibri burns down and destroying Antoinette’s childhood home and serving as the final catalyst for Annette’s decent into madness. Antoinette consequently becomes enchanted by fire, and candles give Antoinette and Rochester’s passionate night an eerie and escalated note later in the novel. To cleanse her-self and end her pain, Antoinette herself fantastically burns herself and Thornfield down in the end of the novel.
- The Red Dress- This dress epitomizes Antoinette’s personality while also depicting how she is different from the expected standards of high-class women. The red represents her own femininity as well as tying her to her beloved Caribbean home. The choice of color is poignant as well because it looks like fire, thus when she wears the dress it empowers Antoinette with the ability to destroy and wreak havoc on Rochester’s carefully constructed world. In contrast to how valuable the red dress is to Antoinette, the white dress appears in her nightmares and reminds her of her imprisonment. The use of these two dresses by Jean Rhys contributes to the overall theme of female repression and the damaging effects of societal stereotypes.
- Caribbean landscape- The scenery in the island puts the characters in an alternate reality where hidden characteristics are brought out and inhibitions are lowered. The lushness and the fertility of the scenery create sensuality heightening the tension between Antoinette and her husband. The colorful landscape also serve another important purpose. Rhys’ continual description of the lavish scenery of the Caribbean islands and its effect on the characters is meant to contrast sharply with the reality of the inhabitants of the islands. The scenic depiction of pure “paradise” and unscathed nature is expertly juxtaposed with the historic enslavement that occurred on the islands and the present racial tensions.
Stylistic Analysis
The writing and syntax of Wide Sargasso Sea is far from complex; however, the simplicity of the sentences and language in the novel come together to create weights of significant influence, not only on the plot of the novel but also on the depiction of every character. The use of simple, everyday language portrays Antoinette and Grace as very down-to-earth, while simultaneously giving the reader a clear portrayal of the characters’ cultures, way of life, and education levels. The very first line of the novel says, “They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did. But we were not in their ranks.” Short phrases and simple language comes into play right away; from the very first few words, one can already see that this novel will be a journey full of obstacles, and that the protagonist will definitely be a victim of some sort. One also knows for a fact that the narrator does not consider herself to be linked with the “white people,” which shows the kind of cultural tension that is seen throughout the novel. Antoinette’s parts are full of vivid imagery, similes and metaphors, and oxymoronic language to show how troubled she is in her world and journey. The language and diction in the women’s narrations not only shows the informality of the characters’ life styles but also how detached Antoinette feels from society, which also goes to show how emotional and delicate she comes to be. As the novel comes near the end, her sentences seem to overlap or interrupt each other, which shows her pulling away from society and getting closer to madness.
The matter-of-fact language persists throughout the novel for all the narrators, even in Rochester’s more complex syntax. Using various sentence patterns, rhetorical questions, and longer sentences gives off the idea that Rochester may be more confident about his life than Antoinette or Grace Pool; however, it also shows that he is slightly troubled and wants to figure out what he is doing. In other words, the syntax in Rochester’s narration plays a big role in his quest, for it shows how observant and full of thought he is.
The multiple points of view throughout the novel are extremely important to the novel’s overall purpose. One of the major themes is women’s marginalized voices in society; while there are various textual examples of this, the way the novel is organize is definitely the clearest way of showing this. The fact that Rochester narrates in between Antoinette’s transition to find herself shows how male authority in Victorian society is taking away women’s voices, until Antoinette comes back and narrates her end.
The matter-of-fact language persists throughout the novel for all the narrators, even in Rochester’s more complex syntax. Using various sentence patterns, rhetorical questions, and longer sentences gives off the idea that Rochester may be more confident about his life than Antoinette or Grace Pool; however, it also shows that he is slightly troubled and wants to figure out what he is doing. In other words, the syntax in Rochester’s narration plays a big role in his quest, for it shows how observant and full of thought he is.
The multiple points of view throughout the novel are extremely important to the novel’s overall purpose. One of the major themes is women’s marginalized voices in society; while there are various textual examples of this, the way the novel is organize is definitely the clearest way of showing this. The fact that Rochester narrates in between Antoinette’s transition to find herself shows how male authority in Victorian society is taking away women’s voices, until Antoinette comes back and narrates her end.