Post by jkeeney on Nov 16, 2015 22:11:58 GMT
As seen in Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre, the feminist view is taken but used slightly differently. Although written only about thirty years later, Wide Sargasso Sea has a few key differences from Jane Eyre that affect how we view and interpret the book. It is quite obvious that Jane is an assertive woman and knows how to stand up for her beliefs, while Antoinette is more reserved and willing to be told what to do. This is because in the time period when the book was written, the repression of women was not acknowledged as much and therefore much harder to fight back against, which is reflected in Antoinette's character.
Also, Jane was able to find happiness and security in her life, but Antoinette wasn't because she was not able to assert herself. She is depicted as this because women of her time were often not able to imagine themselves being almost on the same level as men because that was not heard of in their society. This helps to show that in the more modern times in which Wide Sargasso Sea was written, it was a more common belief that breaking those norms of gender roles was quite hopeless.
Another way that Antoinette's beliefs differ is by her religion. She thinks the world is godless and believes more in a predestination. This further deepens her gap from Jane who often uses her religion to help her get through difficult times. Antoinette thinking that she has no control over her life shows how she was repressed so much that she knows she can do nothing to change her situation, unlike Jane who is pretty clearly restricted in society and tries to break free as much as possible. These clear differences between the two and their views shows how the society at the time of each novel contributes to the character of each woman and how they assert their feminist views.
Jane ultimately gets everything she dreamed of. Perhaps this is because she refuses to be mistreated by portraying herself as a strong and independent woman. On the other hand, Antoinette is in a society where her feelings and objections about her situation are not acknowledged so she even has a hard time admitting to herself that she needs to do something about her situation. If her story had been written around the same time as Jane Eyre, she probably would have had a much different life where Rochester respected her and she ended up happy with her situation.
Sex is a not a subject that Bronte is very comfortable with and therefore shields Jane from it as much as possible. Rhys, however, has no problem allowing Antoinette to be a sexual character although it further distinguishes her oppression. Rochester uses her for sex and makes the gap between them much wider because instead of trying to develop their lust into love, Rochester treats her as an object. This is also seen when he begins to separate himself from her by calling her Bertha. This signifies the importance of how women were sort of pushed under the rug and not listened to;Rochester uses the sex to spend time with her without actually having to listen to her needs and wants.
These clear differences between the two and their views shows how the society at the time of each novel contributes to the character of each woman and how they assert their feminist views.
Also, Jane was able to find happiness and security in her life, but Antoinette wasn't because she was not able to assert herself. She is depicted as this because women of her time were often not able to imagine themselves being almost on the same level as men because that was not heard of in their society. This helps to show that in the more modern times in which Wide Sargasso Sea was written, it was a more common belief that breaking those norms of gender roles was quite hopeless.
Another way that Antoinette's beliefs differ is by her religion. She thinks the world is godless and believes more in a predestination. This further deepens her gap from Jane who often uses her religion to help her get through difficult times. Antoinette thinking that she has no control over her life shows how she was repressed so much that she knows she can do nothing to change her situation, unlike Jane who is pretty clearly restricted in society and tries to break free as much as possible. These clear differences between the two and their views shows how the society at the time of each novel contributes to the character of each woman and how they assert their feminist views.
Jane ultimately gets everything she dreamed of. Perhaps this is because she refuses to be mistreated by portraying herself as a strong and independent woman. On the other hand, Antoinette is in a society where her feelings and objections about her situation are not acknowledged so she even has a hard time admitting to herself that she needs to do something about her situation. If her story had been written around the same time as Jane Eyre, she probably would have had a much different life where Rochester respected her and she ended up happy with her situation.
Sex is a not a subject that Bronte is very comfortable with and therefore shields Jane from it as much as possible. Rhys, however, has no problem allowing Antoinette to be a sexual character although it further distinguishes her oppression. Rochester uses her for sex and makes the gap between them much wider because instead of trying to develop their lust into love, Rochester treats her as an object. This is also seen when he begins to separate himself from her by calling her Bertha. This signifies the importance of how women were sort of pushed under the rug and not listened to;Rochester uses the sex to spend time with her without actually having to listen to her needs and wants.
These clear differences between the two and their views shows how the society at the time of each novel contributes to the character of each woman and how they assert their feminist views.
