Jane Eyre vs Wide Sargasso Sea
Tyler Perimenis
Professor Mathews
English 2301W
21 October 2014
Symbolism through Theme Of Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea “To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it,” stated Herman Melville. As implied, without theme, no novel can be considered “mighty” or have any depth. Theme is essential in any work of art. Jane Eyre is a novel by Charlotte Brontë that takes the reader through the experiences of Jane Eyre, from childhood to adulthood. This includes her love for Mr. Rochester, who is the master of Thornfield Hall, the school in which Jane works at as an adult. Wide Sargasso Sea, a novel by Jean Rhys, includes the story of Antoinette Cosway, a white, Creole heiress. Rhys takes the reader through Antionette’s life from childhood to adulthood as she marries an English gentleman who renames her, claims her to be mad and then makes her migrate to England. Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea is known to be the prequel to Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Thus, many similarities and differences can be incorporated between the two novels.
Many parallels are created between Jane of Jane Eyre and Antoinette of Wide Sargasso Sea through symbolism in the themes of black and white, fire, and dreams and foresight. Theme is defined as a central idea in a piece of writing or other work of art (Literature -- Analyzing Theme). Theme is also an indirect way for an author to communicate with the reader. In fiction, theme is extracted from the characters, action, and setting that make up the story. In other words, theme is meant to be interpreted and figured out by oneself. Symbolism is defined as the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meaning that are different from their literal sense. Also, symbolism can take different forms. Generally, “it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper
Professor Mathews
English 2301W
21 October 2014
Symbolism through Theme Of Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea “To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it,” stated Herman Melville. As implied, without theme, no novel can be considered “mighty” or have any depth. Theme is essential in any work of art. Jane Eyre is a novel by Charlotte Brontë that takes the reader through the experiences of Jane Eyre, from childhood to adulthood. This includes her love for Mr. Rochester, who is the master of Thornfield Hall, the school in which Jane works at as an adult. Wide Sargasso Sea, a novel by Jean Rhys, includes the story of Antoinette Cosway, a white, Creole heiress. Rhys takes the reader through Antionette’s life from childhood to adulthood as she marries an English gentleman who renames her, claims her to be mad and then makes her migrate to England. Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea is known to be the prequel to Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Thus, many similarities and differences can be incorporated between the two novels.
Many parallels are created between Jane of Jane Eyre and Antoinette of Wide Sargasso Sea through symbolism in the themes of black and white, fire, and dreams and foresight. Theme is defined as a central idea in a piece of writing or other work of art (Literature -- Analyzing Theme). Theme is also an indirect way for an author to communicate with the reader. In fiction, theme is extracted from the characters, action, and setting that make up the story. In other words, theme is meant to be interpreted and figured out by oneself. Symbolism is defined as the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meaning that are different from their literal sense. Also, symbolism can take different forms. Generally, “it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper
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