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Comparative analysis of Property and Wide Sargasso Sea -- A grade - page 2
Keywords: Propery Valerie Martin Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys Central heroine authority's effect
By georgie1 on 31/12/2009
Level: A Level (Year 12) / AS Level
Page Number: 2 of 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6both Manon and Antoinette is the rein of their marriages; both to husbands who are destructive, abusive and vile. During the period of the novels, arranged marriages were deemed appropriate and were encouraged amongst society. This enabled the father to ensure that his daughter had the correct match socially and politically, and also prohibited her from miscegenation. Not only were sexual relations or marriage between two people of different ethnicity illegal, it was also considered a violation against God: “A man cannot commit so great an offense against his race, against his country, against his God, as to give his daughter in marriage to a Negro – a beast” (Buckner Payne). Taking this into consideration, it is ironic that during Manon’s marriage, her husband and her house-keeper, Sarah, engaged in sexual relations despite this forbiddance. Manon describes Sarah as a “blow” to her happiness, and her husband’s “prize”. These opposing titles represent the multi-faceted personality of Sarah, and Manon’s animosity towards her because of the abuse of her husband’s authority. Manon summarizes her relationship with her husband as “a sham of a marriage”, which is juxtaposed to her sardonic description of them as “a loving couple”, portraying her cynical outlook on what their marriage has developed into. Subsequently, Manon illustrates a convincing representation of one who is very much affected by authority. Throughout Property, Manon’s husband remains unnamed, demonstrating their disconnection and her disrespect towards him. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Antoinette withdraws from introducing her husband, and he also refrains from presenting himself under his own narrative, which could be interpreted to show that they do not want their names together; on paper or in marriage. Towards the end of the novel, Rochester begins to call Antoinette “Bertha”, signifying her loss of identity, his ownership of her, and the impersonal relationship that the two have shared. In the same circumstance as Gaudet and Sarah, Rochester sleeps with the half-caste servant, Amelie. However, though Antoinette is aware of their actions, she does not interrupt; possibly because she does not care, but also because she is knowledgeable of the fact that he is not in love with her. The way in which both husband’s communicate reiterates the principle of authority. Gaudet proposes an “interview” with Manon in his “office”, showing his superiority as an employer and his authority within their marriage. Antoinette’s step-father is said to have “interviewed Mother Superior” before going
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