Most people, who grow up in the society that they're born in, always identify these places as their homes and have a feeling of belonging towards them. Foreigners, usually associate themselves with the places where they spend most of their childhood. This issue is clearly seen in "Jean Rhys", Wide Sargasso Sea. The protagonist, Antoinette, finds comfort in her own homeland, Windward Islands. On the other hand, her husband Rochester, a foreigner to the Caribbean, feels like an outsider and dislikes the new land, which has no similarities to his native country. Both characters have a contrasting view of the Caribbean landscape because of their different backgrounds. These differences in opinion are seen as metaphors in the sense of place, history and identity.
Throughout the story Antoinette shows her true feelings concerning her homeland, which are feelings of love. Unlike his wife, Rochester's dislikes the Caribbean environment and landscape because he feels he comes from England, a place with different views and sceneries.
Caribbean Trip 2010
Caribbean - Windward Islands.PNG
Rochester, New YorkGrowing up in the Caribbean as a child, Antoinette was used to being a lonely Creole girl. These isolations show her emotional signs towards the culture, which she was living in. She is adapted to a specific style of living, which belongs to all of the Caribbean nature and civilization that she contributes to. After her marriage, she feels bad because of her prediction that leads her to become unhappy with her husband. She believes that his different origin plays a major factor in his failure to adapt to the new culture and environment. In fact, even though Antoinette doesn't have the same perspectives as Rochester, she has no choice but to depend on him because of his financial and social management that she cannot live without. Anyhow, she has her wings clipped...