Essays on Jean Rhys

Analysis of ‘The Wide Sargasso Sea’

Introduction Jean Rhys’ ‘The Wide Sargasso Sea’ is a story that gives a detailed account of the events that took place during the last days of the colonial activities of the English people in the Caribbean region. Rhys was born in the region and she experienced some of the issues that she narrates through the story that she tells in ‘The Wide Sargasso Sea’ (Ciolkowski 341). In the story, Rhys details the many issues that affected women during the colonial times in her society. It should be understood that the story by Rhys takes a creative narrative but it ...

The 19th century is a period marked in history due to myriads of changes that transpired. The world experienced tremendous changes from the agrarian to an industrialized society, which threatened the existence of prior systems and values. The industrialized world changed the social and cultural structure of the society. Moreover, the society needed a tool that would best express the sociocultural and philosophical concerns of the day. Literature came in handy as an artistic medium to air such issues of the day, and at the same time to change people’s view on certain issues due to the introduction ...

Introduction

Wide Sargasso Sea was written in 1966 novel by Dominica born renowned writer Jean Rhys. This post-colonial parallel novel has put the author in the limelight being her most successful novel. This novel is a premonition of charlottes Bronte’s novel of Jane Eyre 1847 novel. This is a revelation of a relationship that casts a patriarchal society in which she is neither a black nor a white European with her European white boyfriend. This is a sour and unhappy marriage, which makes her appear demonic or devilish woman. The novel shortly tries to analyze the main themes of racial inequality and harshness of displacement and ...

Jean Rhys’ I Used to Live Here Once, is an unusually short story. However, it is also unusually memorable, which is always a sign of an effective piece of work. Through the use of point of view, symbolism, imagery, and other narrative techniques, Rhys explores a delicate theme in a subtle yet powerful way.

I Used to Live Here Once is a rather shadowy tale of a woman who appears to be a ghost calling on her childhood home. The narrator trails the woman on her walk from a near river and along an old road that leads to the house in which she spent her ...

Introduction:

For this paper, the two literally works selected are the road not taken and I used to live here once. The theme of symbolism of the journey will be analyzed for both pieces of literature. Below is a critical analysis that compares and contrasts how the theme has been portrayed in both works.

Road Not Taken:

The poem Road Not Taken by Robert Frost was published in 1916. It has been described as one of the best known poems worldwide. The setting of the poem is unique; it immediately engages the reader and captures their attention from the start. It is one of ...

Introduction

The theme of death is a prevalent feature in literature of all time. Since death is the ultimate truth separating man from his near and dear ones, fascination in the treatment of death by all the great authors and poems is opulently found in literary pieces. I Used to Live Here Once by Jean Rhys and Dog's Death by John Updike are two literary examples of death being at the central frame. I Used to Live Here Once is a short story which has a mysterious female as the central character revisiting her childhood home. That she is dead is revealed to ...

Introduction

Literature is an art which communicates an idea be in the form of poem or prose. The way the word is woven to form sentences befitting the theme, and at the same time, conveying the message is an art in itself. In fact, there are many instances where two different literary works written at different times have a similar theme to convey. One set of such two works are the poems “The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost” and “I Used to Live Here Once by Jean Rhys.” Though he titles seem different, they have something in common to share ...

English Literature

Introduction Literary interpretation is an important tool of analyzing any genres and characteristics, and the sterling domains of literary analysis and presentation are short story and novel. So, it is in this context, a short story “The secret sharer” written by Joseph Conrad - deals with the challenges of maintaining secrecy in deep sea, a ship, its new captain, and an interesting experience of aloofness aboard the ship. All these form the crux of the story that mirrors the human touch with which a new captain shares the secrecy, and save a life of person. On the other hand, the novel "Wide ...

Theme: Symbolism of the Journey

Thesis Statement: Poem “The Road Not Taken” is written by Robert Frost and Story “I Use to Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys both are based on theme of Journey. Both of the writer has presented different view of journey and shown the impact of a particular journey on the life. Both of the literatures talk about different persons, different locations and different circumstances. The one common aspect presented by both of the writers that is; no matter what path you have taken there will be lots of sufferings and obstacles of the journey.

Introduction:

The meaning of journey varies ...

All of us go through life with our own individual journeys. The path that we take is often dependent on every single decision that we make through our journey. Often, we look back through our life what might have been if we have followed a different path. But we often realize that there are no “undo” buttons in real life. There is simply no going back. Once we have made a certain decision, we cannot do anything but stick with that decision and make the most of the decision we have made.

Our journey through life has often been depicted in ...