An Ecocritical Analysis of Wide Sargasso Sea

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to analyze, from an ecocritical point of view, how the different ecocultures of Antoinette and her husband, the main characters of Jean Rhys’ 1996 novel ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, affect their relationship. An ecocritical approach, specifically an ecofeminist one, will help us dig deeper into the relationship of power presented in the story, not only between man and woman, but also between the colony and the metropolis. For this purpose, it is necessary to consider also the post-colonial factors relevant in the novel that will be presented in the introduction and analyzed later on. This work will be organized in three parts. First, a brief approximation of the ecocritic theory, most importantly, the ecofeminism branch, in relation to the post-colonial aspect will be provided due to its relevance for understanding ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’. Second, the connection between body and land in the story, as well as the embodiment of the different ecocultures in the characters and how does this relate to the colonization of women’s bodies will be discussed. For this aim, issues of economical subjugation of both the colony and the women and the subversion of both in order to achieve freedom need to be taken into consideration. Third the idea of belonging in connection to “the Other” and otherness, both in terms of gender and nature, will be further analyzed in the descriptions of the environment from different points of view, including trauma and the use of nature to heal the psyche. An ecocritical approach to this canonical novel, as the one offered here, will help the readers see the relevance of aspects that have gone unnoticed so far. Furthermore, the analysis will provide further and new information for future ecofeminist readings of this or other post-colonial novels in order to understand more about the context and the power relatioships