Literary Techniques in Wide Sargasso Sea Essay

According to Mary Klages, modernism is the movement in visual arts, music, literature, and drama which rejected the old Victorian standards of how art should be made, consumed, and what it should mean (Klages 2) as well as something that helped radically to redefine what poetry and fiction could be and do (Klages 2). Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys is an incredible example of the use of modernist techniques, showing a definite break from the narrative techniques of Victorian literature, such as Jane Eyre. Three different narrative innovations that greatly stand out are the use of multiple narrators, stream of consciousness, and non-linear plot.

The narrative innovation that undoubtedly plays a major role in this novel is the use of both Antoinette/Bertha and the Rochester character as narrators. This crosses traditional boundaries set forth by Victorian literature, as no single voice guides us through the story. Rather, Rhys juxtaposes the voices of the two main characters in order to open the audience up to an entirely different world than what was presented in Jane Eyre, even though this novel acts as a prequel. The use of multiple narrators really strengthens the identities of the characters presented. In Jane Eyre, while Rochester may not always be a fan favorite, it is conceivable that he is a decent and likable character. Through his narration in Wide Sargasso Sea, it becomes more and more apparent that he is not a great person. Antoinettes narration is profound because it aims to restore a voice that was silenced in Jane Eyre, and really creates a devoutly interesting character.

This strong sense of character is also aided by stream of consciousness. Through such a technique, Antoinette seems very similar to the main character of Charlotte Perkins Gilmans the Yellow Wallpaper, in that increasing moments of stream of consciousness greatly illuminate the characters slip into madness. Part Three is the most prevalent area for stream of consciousness, as even her mundane actions such as waking up (Rhys 160) progress to observations on her surroundings of paper shriveling, sticks crackling, and coal smoldering, which then leads to her question her place and the reasoning behind it. Her thoughts are artfully crafted, leading the reader to understand Antoinettes anger and craze.

The last technique, which is truly narratively innovative, is the use of the non-linear plot. First, the story not only acts as a prequel to Jane Eyre, but continues right through some of the plot points of Jane Eyre in order to show characters that were slighted or not fully disclosed. In class last week, someone brought up the parallel of what Wide Sargasso Sea did with Jane Eyre to what Wicked did with The Wizard of Oz, and there doesnt seem to be a better comparison than that. Because of this non-linear plot, the readers are able to see Jane Eyre in an entirely separate way, and if taken together, have a much fuller understanding and contextualization of the story and the characters.