Context Flashcards
What language did the black community speak?
Patois
Why does Rhys shift narrative?
To promote uncertainty about the truth and question the version of events put forward by the dominant authority
How was Rhys’ grandfather affected by the emancipation edict?
His home was burned down by freed slaves
This shows the social tension between the Creole population and black community
In what way was Jean Rhys isolated and alienated growing up?
As a creole women, Jean Rhys, like Antoinette, had s disrupted sense of identity
She was white but not European or English
She was West Indian but not black
What was the baptism war of 1831 - 32?
20, 000 slaves rebelled on the eve of the emancipation edict
14 white people were killed - in retaliation, 500 slaves were executed
Who was Jean Rhys’ grandfather?
In what way is he relevant to the novella?
He bought a plantation in 1824 and owned 258 slaves to use at his disposal
Jean Rhys herself was a creole women - of British decent but born and bred in the West Indies
Explain your contextual knowledge of the Sargasso Sea and why Jean Rhys uses this as the title for the novella
Jean Rhys uses the Sargasso Sea as a metaphor for a barrier, preventing the passage of her characters from the West Indies to England
It also represents the lack of understanding - the cultural differences in the West Indies in can not be translated to the English people and vise versa
Why is the character of Jane more likely to overcome oppression than Antoinette?
Having lived through two world wars and
seen the height and fall of feminism Jean Rhys is pessimistic about he future of women’s right
Charlotte Brontë is optimistic about the future of women’s right - shows optimism in how Jane eventually overcomes oppressors
Unlike Antoinette, Jane has concrete beliefs of where she should be and the life which she deserve
What does Jean Rhys show us about power and women?
That many women would rely on their sexual power to seduce men, however once this powers wears thin there are few options for women and they are left powerless
When were women recognised as separate entities?
1839
