Jane Eyre vs Wide Sargasso Sea Essay example - 1635 Words

Tyler Perimenis Professor Mathews English 2301W 21 October 2014 Symbolism through Theme Of Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea â€Å"To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it,† stated Herman Melville. As implied, without theme, no novel can be considered â€Å"mighty† or have any depth. Theme is essential in any work of art. Jane Eyre is a novel by Charlotte Brontà « that takes the reader through the experiences of Jane Eyre, from childhood to adulthood. This includes her love for Mr. Rochester, who is the master of Thornfield Hall, the school in which Jane works at as an adult. Wide Sargasso Sea, a novel by Jean Rhys, includes†¦show more content†¦In some cases, it is a symbol used in some cases for rebirth or new life. Jane is often compared to fire while Antoinette is intrigued by fire. Jane is referred to as â€Å"a ridge of lighted health, alive, glancing, devouring† (Wide Sargasso Sea, Chap ter 4). Also, in Wide Sargasso Sea, Rochester loves the immense fireflies as he also loves the candles that Antoinette repeatedly puts out around the house. This theme of fire is obvious in two particular cases. One of these cases is when Coulibri is burned and Anette falls into insanity, and the other being when Bertha burns Thornfield down, ultimately killing herself and seriously injuring Rochester (Symbolism in Wide Sargasso Sea). In addition, Rochester, in Wide Sargasso Sea, describes the West Indies as â€Å"fiery†. This shows his dislike of the land he is not familiar with until it increases and reaches the point when he decides to shoot himself. This scene relates to the scene in Jane Eyre when Jane hears Rochester’s voice as she walks through the woods. Fire relates Jane and Antoinette in different ways. Fire additionally describes Jane’s love for Rochester, while on the other hand; it describes Antoinette’s pain and fear, whereas it also links Jane and Bertha. The fire that Jane possesses is her love for Rochester as she describes it as â€Å"fiery iron grasped my vitals,† and Bertha’s literal setting of the fire that kills her. This is symbolic of the newShow MoreRelatedEssay on Mr. Rochester versus The Man1538 Words   |  7 PagesMr. Rochester vs. The Man Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte and Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys are novels with an obvious connection, however, this connection is not definite one. The main male character’s name in Jane Eyre is Mr. Rochester who has a very mysterious history in the Caribbean while The Man in Wide Sargasso Sea moves to the Caribbean after living in England for his entire life. Jean Rhys never states that the two men are the same, but the similarities between the two lead the reader