Post by Julia Mann on Nov 17, 2015 22:33:45 GMT
The setting in which Jane and Antoinette live in, and the time at which the stories are written, affects their ability to change their situation. It also affects the sexism that they deal with in a male dominated society. Jane lives in Victorian England, a place where class was highly regarded. Because Jane was able to float between classes, being at times a poor orphan or rich with inheritance, Jane appealed to the masses, but was not ostracized because of her social class. Though Jane’s journey was not easy in any terms, she was allowed a comfortable environment that helped her process what was occurring in her life and how she could change it. Jane was able to establish a sense of identity that was vital to her story arc. Her strong sense of self was the driving force in making changes in her life and achieving what she wanted. Antoinette, however, was not as fortunate. After her difficult childhood, she was immediately catapulted into a relationship with Rochester, which was more of a business deal than a relationship. After they married, she had to move with him to England. Her abrupt change in setting represents the instability in her life that restricted her from earning a sense of identity. Because she never established this sense of identity, she was never aware of what she wanted in life, let alone how to get out of her situation. The two characters’ settings also affected the sexism they had to deal with. Jane Eyre was written and set in Victorian England. This society strictly limited the role of women, thrusting them into two categories; angel or monster. If you appeared to follow what society was to telling you to do, then you were upheld as an angel. However, if you went against what they wanted, you were determined a monster. These were the limits in which Jane had to overcome in the novel. However, Wide Sargasso Sea is a contemporary novel and the characters, specifically Antoinette, are affected by the times in which it was written. Antoinette dealt with a more underground, hidden type of sexism. Unlike the Victorian era, misogyny was not as protruding and recognizable. Antoinette could barely realize the sexism she was experiencing, though it was very real and overwhelming. She could not speak out against the sexism like Jane did, because she did not realize it was there. It is evident that setting in both Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea affects Jane and Antoinette in their life situations and the sexism they experience.
