wide sargasso sea 1

Wide Sargasso Sea.
As soon as I started reading this book I liked it. I liked the way the language and style the book was written in did not confuse me and was easy to read. I also like the way it does not take it forever to get into the main story.
I started to read wide Sargasso Sea before Jane Eyre, therefore hadn’t a clue as the background from which the story came. After the class discussion i got the impression that, having read Jane Eyre first Wide Sargasso Sea is not so highly thought of. But I have to disagree, perhaps this is because I read it first, or perhaps just because I found it an easier and better read (by the way I only read the first part before I stopped to read Jane Eyre).
In this first part the story is told from the view of a young Antoinette. It tells of her life growing up in Coulibri. Sometimes it sweeps past things that we would have seen to have been important stages of her life, her father leaving for example, and at other times goes into great detail about the little things like her ‘friend’ stealing pennies from her. But we as a reader begin to see that these are the things that Antoinette sees as important and this is why she is recalling them to us, also this are the moments where she probably learns the most.
In many ways this book Has string links to Jane Eyre and not just by having the same characters. It uses many of the same themes such as all the unpleasant things that keep happening in the children’s lives and also the theme of religion. Throughout both books the characters are being taught about religion from other characters and their own experiences. Also the writing style in some cases is quite similar. Rhys will often spend a few lines describing a single thing that seems pretty insignificant just like Bronte does in Jane Eyre. However the descriptions in Wide Sargasso Sea, in my opinion, are a lot easier and more pleasant to read. For example “one was snaky looking, another like an octopus with brown tentacles bare of leaves hanging from a twisted root. “

Jane Eyre - 28 -end

28 - Jane has left Thornfield, and quickly runs out of money. She collapses on a doorstep, which happens to be the house belonging to a guy called st John. After his sister refuses to let Jane in, st John lets her in as she seems to be close to death.
29 -Jane spends 3 days getting better. She then talks to Hannah (one of the Rivers siblings) Hannah explains their history and then Jane tells then her real name and some things about her past. St John also promises to find her a job.
30 -St John finds Jane a job teaching at a local charity school for girls. Jane learns more about the Rivers family.
31 -Heiress Rosamond Oliver provides Jane with a cottage in which to live, whilst teaching, but Jane does not enjoy the work. From a conversation Jane assumes Rosamond and St John are in love.
32 -Jane is liked by her pupils. St John tells Jane of his plans to be a missionary, and how he cannot be with Rosamond as she would not fit in with that.
33 -Jane tells the Rivers her true name, and through a dead relative they Find out that they are cousins. Jane is delighted to have found some family at last and splits her inheritance with them so they each receive £5000
34 -Jane closes the school for Christmas and begins to learn German. St John asks her to come to India with him and become a missionary’s wife. She refuses.
35 -st John continues to try n put pressure on Jane into becoming his wife. Jane thinks she hears Mr. Rochester’s voice and decides to leave the Rivers and find him.
36 -Jane travels to Thornfield. And hears of how it became the charred mess it is now and of what has happened to Mr. Rochester.
37 -she meets with Mr. R and they go for a walk. He is now crippled and asks Jane to Marry him, she says yes.
38 - Reader she married him.
Themes:
The same that have run throughout the novel
Jane still has things bad happening to her, after everything good there is still something bad going to happen. Until the final chapter where she marries Mr. R and things seem to be going well for her.
Religion is still an important theme running throughout this section. In fact it is very strong with regards to St John and her relationship with the Rivers.