Assignment Paper no. 203

Postcolonial Studies

Name:- Payal Bambhaniya

Batch:- M.A. Sem. 3 (2022-2024)

Roll no. :- 14

Enrollment no.:- 4069206420220002

Paper no.:- 201

Paper Code:- 

Paper Name:- Postcolonial Studies 

Topic:- Racism in Wide Sargasso Sea 

Email ID:- payalbambhaniya92@gmail.com

Submitted to:- SMT S. B. Gardi Department of English, MKBU.

Hello Readers! This blog is a part of my semester assignment of the paper no. 203 - Postcolonial Studies. In this blog I am going to discuss Racism in 'Wide Sargasso Sea'. 

About Writer:-

Jean Rhys:-

Jean Rhys was born on 24 August 1890 and died on 14 May 1979. Her original name is Ella Gwendolyn Rees Williams.She was a British novelist who was born and grew up in the Caribbean island of Dominica. From the age of 16, she mainly resided in England, where she was sent for her education. She is best known for her novel Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), written as a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. In 1978, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her writing.

Her Notable Works:-

• Good Morning, Midnight
• Smile Please
• The Left Bank
• Wide Sargasso Sea
• Postures
• Voyage in the Dark

Her writing style is elliptical, fragmented, discontinuous, and very poetic. It uses a lot of repetition. But also, of course, her most famous novel inherits its raw material from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.

Introduction of the Novel:-

Wide Sargasso Sea :-

Wide Sargasso Sea" is a novel written by Jean Rhys, published in 1966. It serves as a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's classic novel "Jane Eyre" and provides a backstory for the character of Bertha Mason, who is Mr. Rochester's mad wife in "Jane Eyre."

Important Characters:-

• Antoinette Cosway
• Annette (Mother of Antoinette)
• Tia (Black Girl, Cheated Antoinette)
• Pierre (Insane Brother)
• Daniel Cosway ( Step brother of Antoinette)
• Amelie (Maid)
• Bertha ( Husband renamed Antoinette )
• Grace ( Poole Caretaker )

The novel is set in Jamaica during the early 19th century. It explores the life of Antoinette Cosway, a Creole woman of mixed race who grows up on a decaying plantation. The Cosway family faced social isolation and financial decline after the passage of the Emancipation Act, which freed the slaves but left the white Creole population in a precarious position.

Antoinette's mother is mentally unstable, and her family's fortunes decline further after the death of her brother. Eventually, she is married off to an unnamed Englishman, who later becomes Mr. Rochester in "Jane Eyre." The novel delves into Antoinette's experiences as she struggles with her identity, her tumultuous relationship with her husband, and her descent into madness.

The narrative is divided into three parts, each with a different narrator—Antoinette, her husband, and finally, Grace Poole, the caretaker of Bertha Mason in "Jane Eyre." The novel explores themes of racial identity, colonialism, and the consequences of societal expectations and oppression."Wide Sargasso Sea" is celebrated for its exploration of postcolonial and feminist themes, providing a voice to the marginalised character of Bertha Mason and offering a fresh perspective on the classic "Jane Eyre."

Wide Sargasso Sea explores the power of relationships between men and women and discusses the themes of race, Caribbean history, and assimilation as Antoinette is caught in a white, patriarchal society in which she fully belongs neither to Europe nor to Jamaica.

Racism in Wide Sargasso Sea:-

 

What is Racism?

Racism is most commonly used to name a form of prejudice in which a person believes in the superiority of what they consider to be their own 'race' over others. This most often takes the form of believing that those with other skin colours - especially darker skin colours - are inferior physically, intellectually, morally and culturally, and mistreating and discriminating against them because of this.

"A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others."

When used in this way , racism typically refers to a system that has oppressed people of colour all over the world throughout history. Such a system is often thought to operate through white people using the advantages that the system gives them to maintain their supremacy over people of colour.

Race and Gender :-

In "Wide Sargasso Sea," Antoinette, a Creole woman, marries Rochester, an Englishman. The novel explores the impact of their racial and gender differences. Antoinette faces societal challenges due to her identity as a black woman. Rhys depicts her as a vulnerable character, influenced by societal expectations. The novel reflects Rhys's own struggle with identity, as Antoinette grapples with being caught between two cultures, mirroring the author's own uncertainties.

Antoinette says about the black people:

"Still they were quiet and there were so many of them I could hardly see any grass or trees. There must have been many of the bay people but I recognised no one. They all looked the same, it was the face repeated over and over, eyes gleaming, mouth half open to shout…"

Antoinette, much like Rhys herself, is portrayed as a sensitive and lonely Creole girl in "Wide Sargasso Sea." Growing up without her mother's love and lacking companionship from peers, she exhibits early signs of emotional vulnerability. Her time in school accentuates her isolation as she becomes increasingly lost in thought. Antoinette's passionate nature contributes to her melancholy and hints at impending madness. Her arranged marriage to a controlling Englishman exacerbates her condition, leading to fits of violence. The situation worsens when her husband brings her to England, confines her to the attic, and assigns a servant to watch over her. Filled with fear, Antoinette, prompted by a vivid dream, decides to set the house on fire.

Antoinette as a miserable woman character:-

Rhys frequently focused on portraying women in precarious situations in cities like London or Paris. Her depictions often showcased women living on the economic edge, relying on men for financial support, engaging in activities like drinking, sitting in cafes, and wandering endlessly. Her writing style is characterised by its simplicity, austerity, and lack of sentimentality, creating a wonderful and immersive experience. In "Wide Sargasso Sea," Rhys maintains a singular vision without external narration or alternative perspectives, allowing the story to unfold through the eyes of Antoinette. Despite the seemingly isolated narration, Rhys skillfully weaves in the cultural and familial context, presenting Antoinette's story as a model of progress for women. The novel's narrative is shared between Antoinette and Rochester, yet Rhys includes other voices, providing insights beyond the central narrators and offering a more nuanced view of the characters and their perspectives.

Identity of black and white:-

In this context, blackness is portrayed as a fundamental and crucial aspect of identity, serving as a foundational category. The depiction of black Creoles suggests a lack of individuality, presenting them as an undifferentiated and irrational collective. Physically similar and filled with animosity, the portrayal suggests a homogeneity that erases personal identity and a distinct psyche among black individuals. They are presented as mere components of an indistinguishable mass, lacking differentiation and personal distinction. This portrayal highlights a dehumanising perspective that reduces black individuals to a uniform and unthinking entity, devoid of individual characteristics.

The same objectivising and derisive use of "they" to talk about the black creoles is recurrent in the narrative. The young narrator offers an illustration: referring to her mother standing in the glacis and visible to anybody who could pass by, Antoinette says "they stated , sometimes they laughed. Another illustration is given by her mother Annette two years after her second marriage. Mason, Annette's second husband, looks at the blacks the same way.

In the Wide Sargasso Sea, the British racial classification equates ex- slaves with poverty or lack of economic resources. In the novel, Black Caribbean owns nothing, according to colonial history, and is not a distortion of the past. The imperialist ideology of the west indies has set the categories of representation. The legal castes of slaves are replaced by a race - colour system of stratification.

Consequently binary oppositions which are at work in the diegesis assign the lower level of the society to the black characters, deprive them of any power, consider them as subaltern and ultimately reduce them to silence. The dominant white character makes up the hegemonic group while black creoles from the landless rural proletariat.

Racism in Wide Sargasso Sea:-

The first example is that at the beginning of the book, when the horse dies Godfrey , a black servant that is staged at Antoinette's house , is known for being somewhat untrustworthy and morose. After the horse dies in part one, he mentions, "The lord made no distinction between black and white, black and white, they are the same for him". 

At first glance, we may think he is talking about the death of the horse. Although there is an argument for that, if we compare the lord's idea of life and death to black and white, there may be a racial meaning behind it. Godfrey's attitude was further proved to be very morbid towards the white people, as he later said : "this world doesn't last so long for mortal man". Antoinette makes 'friends' with the little girl named Tia, who actually bullied her as Antoniette walked home one day, Tia called her a "White Cockroach". 

When Tia takes Antoniette's pennies Antoniette snaps " Keep them then, you cheating nigger", and Tia replies with a rant on how "real white people, they got gold money". The emancipation of slavery for Jamaica was passed in 1834, so the tensions between the black people and the white people were still deflating. Instead of the previous reality of the white people being able to overpower people of colour, the black people were able to fight back, and often used it aggressively to expose prejudices.

Rochester as a new type of Colonizer:-

In "Wide Sargasso Sea," Rochester is depicted as a unique and unconventional coloniser. Unlike the traditional colonial powers, he is a different type of oppressor who colonises Antoinette, a Creole woman. This character represents a colonial force that shows little respect for both Creoles and black individuals. Rochester's dominance is evident in his control over Antoinette, reflecting his oppressive identity. Antoinette's sense of identity is shattered by Rochester as he not only dominates her but also changes her name. As the novel progresses, particularly in Part 2 when Rochester is leaving the Caribbean for England with Antoinette, he solidifies his role as an oppressor, underscoring the power dynamics and the impact of colonisation on individual identities. He utters that:

“I hated the mountains and the hills, the rivers and the rain...

 She had left me thirsty…”

These lines mean that he does not love the Caribbean people and their lifestyle and therefore he is willing to go to England and to satisfy the thirst that he had.

Is Rochester responsible for Antoinette’s Madness?:-

Critics argue that Rochester is responsible for Antoinette's descent into madness. He, being a white man with authority, wields power over her identity. Rochester renames her Bertha, aiming to distance her from her mentally ill mother, also named Antoinette. He not only takes away her name but also silences her by refusing to hear her perspective. Rochester further fractures her identity by creating the derogatory name Marionetta, mocking Antoinette's flexibility. Ultimately, he reshapes her into a wild madwoman, treating her as if she were a ghost, illustrating the extent of his torment.

Ultimately, Rochester transforms Antoinette into a wild madwoman, treating her as if she were a ghost. His rejection of her and her local traditions emphasises his imposition of English rule over the Caribbean. The contention arises whether Antoinette's madness predates her marriage to Rochester. However, the argument here is that while Antoinette may have had some psychological struggles, Rochester's actions significantly contribute to her descent into total madness. Had he shown care and understanding, it is suggested that Antoinette might not have reached such a severe state. Thus, the assertion is that Rochester is primarily responsible for Antoinette's madness.

In Conclusion, Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys explores complex themes, including racism, colonialism, and identity. 

Word Count:- 2,039

Thank You for visiting...