Warm Still’ page 18 ‘Wide Sargasso Sea analysis

An analysis of ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ by Jean Rhys

How far is Antoinette’s story the result of colonial complexities?

Rhys’ presentation of the colonial complexities and troubles of colonisation are a key attribute to Antoinette’s story. Throughout the novel, imperialistic attitudes are particularly prevalent. Following the Emancipation Act in 1833, Antoinette grows up as a white Creole girl, positioned between both white and black communities. This results in marginalisation from both groups, and a fractured sense of personal identity. Although this is not necessarily the direct cause of her descent into madness, the ‘fragmentation of self’, clearly plays a role. In relation to The Husband, although he is presented as the oppressive force of patriarchy, his characterisation aligns both colonial and patriarchal ideas. When uttering the phrase ‘…and I can do nothing to help you’, he recasts himself as a saviour, declaring that he wishes to save Antoinette from her descent into madness, although is evidently unable to do so. From this, Rhys displays a correlation between the attitudes of both the Husband, and imperialists, as they also wish to ‘save’ the indigenous groups and countries they have colonised. Thus, the extent of the Husband’s colonial arrogance can be seen, as he too, as a reason for her madness. Antoinette’s story can largely be the result of colonial complexities, as the loss of her identity is closely intertwined with the colonial aggressions she faces from the Husband. She experiences discrimination from a young age, which she continues to experience even when moving to England, unlike the patriarchy which she only begins to face when marrying the Husband.

How far is Antoinette’s story the fault of the troubles of the oppressive force of patriarchy?

The main oppressive force of patriarchy that Antoinette experiences is that of the Husband, as he exercises power and dominance in their marriage. In one incident, when the two are discussing the letters of Daniel Cosway, Antoinette tries to defend her mother, but the Husband refuses to acknowledge the hardships that her mother, Annette, has had to face. Antoinette lashes out and throws a wine bottle at the Husband and, from his own perspective, “she

cursed me comprehensively…and his red-eyed wild stranger who was my wife shouting obscenities at me…”. He insists that she is being irrational and interprets this irrationality as madness; particular women’s physical and verbal attacks could be defined as madness within a patriarchal society. As well as this, the Husband believes she does not act like a typical lady when it comes to her sexuality, as he feels he is not in control of her behaviour. He is utterly appalled by her actions. When having sexual relations with Sandy, he states that ‘disgust was rising in my sickness’, but then too gives himself the right to attend to his own sexual needs, as he commits adultery with Amelie, the housemaid. As a man, in a patriarchal institution, he is able to commit actions that he would shame a woman for, clearly displaying his manipulative behaviour within their marriage. His controlling and hypocritical nature further damages Antoinette. Although this patriarchal oppression that Antoinette experiences plays a large part in Antoinette’s story, it would not be complete without the coexistence of colonial complexities.

Does Rhys suggest that, no matter where Antoinette was, due to some inherent part of her nature, she still would have suffered?

Despite both colonial complexities and oppressive forces of patriarchy, it is possible to say that Antoinette may have suffered purely due to the congenital nature of mental illness and the intricacies of her character.

For example, the use of dreams act as a medium to access her characterisation, particularly her subconscious but accurate reflections upon the events of her life. A dream which had occurred in Antoinette’s childhood, shown in the phrase ‘I dreamed that I was walking in the forest…someone who hates me was with me’, outlines a possible warning of danger, as well as her detachment from reality and youthful naivety. These qualities are what fuel her experiences of racial discrimination and oppressive patriarchal forces into her descent into madness.

However, as it can be argued that Antoinette still would have suffered due to an inherent part of her nature, her suffering may not have been as extreme as it was due to her exterior life experiences. --Lathikah Jeevagan

An exploration of morality in ‘Macbeth’

Macbeth navigates us through the psychology of morality and implications of ambition. Reminiscent of the earlier dramatic tradition of mystery plays, Shakespeare presents the existential human struggle between vice and virtue. The physical dramatic features, of the witches, soliloquies, lighting et cetera are heightened by the Christian language of morality, and the extended paradox manifested through the play. The genre of tragedy aids the dramatization of the transgression of natural human behaviour; as does the integration of a distinct Gothic ambiance. These devices amalgamate to form a play with an implicit focus on humanity. The theme of equivocation is of paramount importance in Macbeth. Having written Macbeth for King James I, Shakespeare interpolates references to the Gunpowder plot of 1605 and the hanging of traitors- highlighting the inherent message of the play. The play’s concern with doublespeak may also refer to Henry Garnet, accused of treason for involvement in the Gunpowder plot, though he was later found to have committed perjury. On the pretext Macbeth was written for King James I, the continuous emphasis on the profanity of disingenuousness can mirror the distortion in morality needed to commit such an obscenity against one’s own King- G-d’s representative on earth. Indeed, through the use of sacrilegious imagery, for instance, “memorize another Golgotha” I, i,40, Shakespeare ironically evinces the pain of Jesus via the scene of bloodshed.

The dramatic device of the witches is the central contextual impetus of the thought process pertaining to morality. Whilst they are integrated in the play as witchcraft was widely spoken of at the time—indeed—King James himself wrote a novel on the topic; Shakespeare dextrously manipulates their purpose. They notably repeat the line, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”. Equivocal in its meaning, this implicit paradox expresses the convolution in our state of morality. Despite the fact their legitimacy within the play is widely debated- they would have been contextually plausible- Macbeth’s utterance of ‘foul and fair’ in the line “So foul and fair a day I have not seen.” corroborates the “weird sisters” as a mere manifestation of his conscience as opposed to extraneous supernatural apparitions. This ascertains Macbeth’s intrinsically ‘good’ character- he acknowledges the inhumanity of his thought process. In this sense, the concept of the medieval morality play is utilised to represent the irreconcilable forces of good and evil, inciting questioning in Macbeth’s consciousness as to the morality, or lack thereof, of his actions.

The soliloquies also serve as an evocation of self-awareness and therefore morality. Confronted only by his conscience, these expressions of the innate psychology of ambition explore a concurrent ambivalence pertaining to the ‘deed’. Macbeth remarks that the “supernatural soliciting/ Cannot be ill, cannot be good.” This equivocation mid-soliloquy, compounded with the constant subjunctive “If”, indicative of a moral rationale and ambivalence in though process, is a patent demonstration of the harm ambition can do to a human. Macbeth’s irresolute stance on this is echoed in the sick-inducing rhythm of these lines. His allusion to the witches- “horrid image doth unfix my hair” enshrines the Gothic, and therefore a supernatural sense within his thought process. Interestingly, even within a soliloquy which humanises Macbeth in his comprehension of the basic sovereignties ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, Shakespeare still includes a euphemism: “make my seated heart knock at my ribs”. The fact Macbeth recognises his imperial aims are distinctively “Against the use of nature”, could be suggestive of his understanding of the necessity for humans to keep within the bounds of humanity as part of the ‘great chain of being’. His conscience becomes reinvigorated in the subsequent line “Present fears/ Are less than horrible imaginings.” where a sense of the Gothic is again conjured. It appears Macbeth is passively coming to terms with the inevitability of the plummeting of his conscience down the moral spectrum. The lines “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man that function...” epitomise Macbeth’s state of moral convolution; materialized in the irregular grammar. The sibilance of “single state of man” complements the effect of the syntactical inversions with the sinister feel they call forth. The last semblance of Macbeth’s humanity is salvaged for the end of the soliloquy where he is heard hoping chance would have him king- “without [his] stir.”. In Act 1, Scene 2, Shakespeare tactfully lays the foundation for the lexical theme of deceit, through the narrative interpolation of the egregious blasphemy of the Thane of Cawdor. Donned a “most disloyal traitor” by Ross, Shakespeare narratively and thematically paves the way for Macbeth’s treachery- he is to become Thane of Cawdor. Interestingly, Macbeth does not seem to emulate all the actions of his predecessor. In scene 4, we are informed of Cawdor’s professing “A deep repentance.” The narrative comment by Malcolm, “He died as one that had been studied in his death” highlights the dignity in abiding one’s conscience. This points towards the philosophical concept of death. Evidently, in this time, confession was a symbol of gentility, where not doing so would result in perpetual torment in the fires of hell. Later on, Macbeth declares he would “jump the life to come”. His apparent insouciance towards judgement

and apparent nonchalance in his relationship towards G-d would have shocked many in the audience. A juxtaposition can be made between the Thane of Cawdor and Macbeth in how they are governed by their conscience. This presentation of the polarisation of human morality is another exploration of integrity by Shakespeare. The concept of light against dark is weaved throughout the play. In cognition of his ignobility, Macbeth says “Let not light see my black and deep desires”. Scene 6 opens with torches, indicating it occurs at night. The affiliation of darkness with furtivity is pre-emptive of something going awry. This reinforcement of the Gothic enables dramatic irony to be used as a literary device. Duncan comments, “The air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself unto our senses”. This comment on the air is Shakespeare informing the audience that something will go wrong, heightening the tragedy. Similarly, Banquo’s lines “heaven’s breath” is suggestive of imminent death. Shakespeare’s economical manner of writing in Macbeth reconciles the unity of time to the genre, Aristotelian Greek tragedy. Because Macbeth has “no spur to prick the sides of [his] intent”, we are aware of his potential as a righteous man. Through having time, and thus the events that transpire, concertinaed, Shakespeare effectively heightens the pathos felt for Duncan, and the dubiety for Macbeth’s morality. There is a lexical focus on nature as benign. For instance, Lady Macbeth instructs Macbeth to “look like th’innocent flower”. This can be paralleled with the subsequent line, “be the serpent under’t”. Where the serpent epitomizes temptation in the biblical story of Adam and Eve, Shakespeare’s use of Christian iconography testifies to the rebellion Macbeth is having against G-d. This religious affiliation of deceit ties into the bigger order of things. On the premise the king was supposedly appointed by G-d, Christian language of morality reinforces both the moral and psychological transgressions committed by Macbeth. The juxtaposition of ‘benign’ and ‘malign’ elements of nature elicit thought as to the dichotomous character of Macbeth and the universal conflicts of human nature: desire versus conscience.

Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy in scene 5 reaffirms the implicit goodness within Macbeth. Through the line, “I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness.”, she acknowledges human compassion as a key constituent of what makes us human. Contrarily, she reconciles ruthlessness as a component of ambition, determining that Macbeth is without the “illness that should attend to it.” The wickedness of her own psyche is therefore used as a parallel in this study of morality. The cesura here reflects the conflict in nature through the

break of the verse and structural form. Dramatizing the perception of women as docile beings, she asks for riddance of pity, imploring “unsex me here”. Thus, her definition of womanhood contravenes the stereotype. Her awareness that the deed is unnatural is highlighted- she begs for “no compunctious visitings of nature”, substantiating conscience as a normal human trait. Shakespeare probes more deeply into the parameters of sex with the line, “would…. /Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums” as an expression of the cauterization of humanity. The incongruous parallel of giving and taking life make Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy flagrant in its violence and transgression of quintessential womanhood. The abhorrence of her soliloquy would have struck the audience, denoting the truncation of innocence. This is an important phenomenon in the exploration of human virtue, as it is principally our innocence that renders us human, and gives us our morality. To conclude, in Act 1 of Macbeth, he still retains basic virtue. Christian language of morality, the dramatic portrayal of the witches, pretext of morality plays, and soliloquies serve to examine the ambivalence of his conscience throughout. Only at the end of scene 7 does he pronounce himself “settled”. Even this decision, largely motivated by his “partner in greatness” invokes questioning as to his moral grounding. Shakespeare uses Banquo as an example of a decent human: he too listens to the witches’ prophecies but is able to resist the temptation. The nuance in our human character is capitalised by Shakespeare, to make for an applied study of morality.