Wide Sargasso Sea Essay

In the very beginning of part 2 of Wide Sargasso Sea, on page 60, the point of view has been changed from the young Antoinette, to the grown Mr. Rochester who recently wed Antoinette. After their wedding in Jamaica, they are on what seems like an endless journey to their destination, which is the grim and tropical town of Massacre, where they plan to take their honeymoon. The diction Jean Rhys uses to describe certain aspects of the town have a very interesting underlying tone of gloominess and eeriness. She describes the place as being heavily rained upon, making loud sounds on the leaves on the trees as if they were hail. She also personifies the waves as if they were creeping stealthily forwards and backwards. So from Mr. Rochester’s description of the town, it is clear to see he already is having
Rochester and Antoinette, and how Mr. Rochester views Antoinette as their relationship progresses. Later in the chapter, Mr. Rochester starts to realize how Antoinette acts in very peculiar ways later at night. She acts in a much darker and more sinister sense than she does in the daylight, much like the town itself. Massacre is portrayed as a dark gloomy place at night, yet a bright tropical place during the daylight. He describes his journey from Jamaica and his time with Antoinette as interminable, which is seemingly not having an end. To him, the realization that the commitment he made was a never ending connection, starts to manipulate his view on her, in the sense that he becomes more aware of her true self. He was not aware of her true qualities before, due to the fact that their marriage was rushed, and from that, she feels so foreign to him because he hardly knows her yet. So that feeling of distrust and mysteriousness that he now sees in her is “interminable” which starts to create a lot of tension between the two. In conclusion, this passage reflects how the town has a significant connection to