These notes contain a detailed analysis of quotes from Part Two of Wide Sargasso Sea. They have been laid out in table format so that they are easy to turn into que cards and are great of the WJEC As exam in hitting A01 and A02.
Rochester uses military jargon in depicting the conflict and
difficulties faced by himself and Antoinette. This draws
“advance and retreat” parallels to Antoinette’s opening line- ‘close ranks’. The
jargon hints at a physically conflicted past but a conflict
affecting the present also.
Rochester quotes the marriage vows, with the emphasis
on ‘worse’ at the end of the sentence. This characterises
“better or for worse.”
marriage to be a source of conflict, and by extension
religion.
Through Amelie’s characterisation, we can immediately
see that Rochester is attracted to her. However, he begins
to project his suspicions of the mysterious ‘other’ in
“A lovely little creature but sly, spiteful.”
Caribbean culture onto his perceptions of the people
around him, suggesting a mistrust of their culture and a
threatening tone.
The place names are imbued with the secret histories of
the island, linking to Rochester’s perceptions of the hidden
“Massacre” French pave road, the questions to which are left
unanswered. In Rochester representing the rational, the
absence of truth and definition creates conflict.
This may relate to Rochester’s fear of miscegenation, the
“Creole of pure English descent she may
intermingling of races. It may also relate to Antoinette’s
be, but they are not English.”
lack of ethic identity in her position as creole.
Rochester’s depiction of the events leading up to his
“I was married a month after I arrived… marriage create an uncertainty as to its sincerity. The
three weeks of that time I was in bed with ‘fever’ connotes a hallucinogenic state, implying that his
the fever” perceptions, both in the past and present, are questionably
genuine.
This personification of the sea in an animalistic and
predatory manner gives the scene a threatening tone. The
“the sea crept stealthily" adverb of the threatening environment indicates that
Rochester is projecting his feeling of alienation within his
surrounding culture onto his external environment.
This creates a biblical allusion of betrayal. In the original
story, Peter only realises that he has betrayed Jesus on
“A cock crowed loudly"
the final and third cock crow. This can be a sign of
Rochester's subsequent betray with Amile.
Journey to the honeymoon house
Quote Analysis
Offers a claustrophobic image of a hostile and threatening
“Not only wild but menacing. Those hills landscape. This may be symbolic of Rochester being
would close in on you.” treated by this strange and unfamiliar culture as well as his
passionate bride.
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