Trauma in Jean Rhy’s Wide Sargasso Sea

1. Introduction

Jean Rhys was a 20th century Dominican and British novelist who might be regarded avant-garde today. Her Wide Sargasso Sea which written for Rochester’s mad wife-- Antoinette in Jane Eyre. This thesis will analyze the novel with the trauma theory and argue the hero and heroine’s different kinds of trauma in their lifetime， different traumas’ reasons and that in their recovery process they finally constructs themselves a definite and true identity and recovers from their trauma.

2. Trauma from racism

Antoinette as a white Creole girl， is traumatized by racism from the native black people and from the white English. Because of her slave-owner ancestors， not only Antoinette but also her family suffers from racism. The white English never regard her as a group member because of her mixed and impure blood and poor economic situation.

For the purpose of money， Rochester came to the unfamiliar West Indies with carrying a sense of superiority as a conqueror to the colonies. As he came into here， he began to live in a particular atmosphere where were full of hostile eyes and much silent resistance all over parts.

3.Trauma from family

Antoinette does not get any assistance from her mother but she is even hurt much deep by her mother’s cold indifference and psychic numbing. Those make her confused and shamed about her White Creole identity and then give up her identity as a white Creole woman.

As the youngest son， Rochester must obey father’s words and arrangements in all respects. His father left love and all property to his eldest son. For the money， he tried to marry Antoinette. Gradually he began to hate， stimulate， hurt and even drive her mad. So no love family ruined Antoinette and Rochester.

4. Trauma from marriage

Antoinette was traumatized by her husband through their marriage. Rochester benefited his wife’s property and possessions. Then he began to control Antoinette by denying her voice， imposing his ideas on her and changing her name， thus alienated her from her own culture， language， roots and identity and then took away， even destroys her sense of identity， sense of self.

Some people thought Rochester was an unforgivable people. But at that society in the British， Rochester also was a victim. He always thought a mixed blood woman bought him. Just as he sold his soul. It seemed that only completely suppressing this Creole girl was to ensure his status as an European white man. However， colonial violence not only hurt other people， but also the violent themselves suffered a lot.

5.conclusion

The thesis discussed Antoinette and Rochester’s trauma from racism family and marriage trauma. The author shows us the Antoinette and Rochester’s life tragedy， and also shows the power of true love. The world is full of material and desire， as the economic society development and expansion， and material consumption extends everywhere. Modern human should reflect the importance of love and harmony in the case of lack of social ethics.

Works Cited

1）Rhys Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. New York： W. W. Norton and Co. Inc.， 1968.

2）范文彬：“也談《簡·愛》中瘋女人的藝術形象”，《外國文學評論》，1990 年第 4期 95-101.