Antoinette: Wide Sargasso Sea

AP Literature 10/29/12 Deriving Antoinettes Insanity In the novel, Wide Sargasso Sea by denim Rhys, one of the main characters goes through emotional chaos. That characters bring in is Antoinette. She grew up in Jamaica in a rich family. After her pal Pierre died, her mother went crazy. Later on in the book, Antoinette goes crazy as well. Some critics believe that Antoinettes madness is heredity. I disagree with that critique. The primeval source of Antoinettes madness is from the harsh treatment of her husband, Rochester. There argon smaller causes as well, like the night when slaves burned down her familys house.Antoinette is devastated. The continuous devastation along with cruel treatment from people round her cause her dementia In the beginning of the novel, Antoinette is a solitary adolescent girl. She wanders the island, learning about the world. The fact that she is white creates tension between her and the Jamaican people. Her family also has a lot of money and most p eople thither are poor. transient ischemic attack becomes her only real friend. She loses that friend mainly because transient ischemic attack is black and she is white. Jamaican people didnt like her family. mavin night the slaves burn down her house, laughing and throwing rocks at the family.This shocks Antoinette. She likes the Jamaican people. During the fire she sees Tia and thinks, I will live with Tia and be like her. not to leave Coulibri. Not to go. Not. Just as she thinks this, Tia throws a stone at her. Emotionally, this is the start of much devastation in her life. Later on in the novel, Antoinette is married to Rochester. At first, they seem happy together. Antoinette shows him the island she grew up on and tells him stories of her childhood. Antoinette feels acknowledge again. Little does she know, Rochester feels nothing but lust for her.Rochester leads Antoinette on in time more by having sex with her. Antoinette is the happiest she has ever been in her life. Ro chester still feels nothing. He thinks, As for the happiness I gave her, that was worse than nothing. I did not love her. I was thirsty for her, but that is not love. He continues to lead her on until one day where he suddenly stops having sex with her. Antoinette goes from an natural high, to a low point in her life. She has no one. The madness sets in. Rochester receives a letter from a man named Daniel Cosway, who tells him of Antoinettes family history.He also tells him that he is Antoinettes half-brother and madness runs in the family. Daniel warns Rochester that Antoinette is crazy as well. Rochester believes him and continues to push Antoinette away. One day Rochester has sex with Amelie, a servant. He doesnt try to compensate it. Antoinette hears and is hurt beyond repair. Because of this, she is more than crazy. Antoinette becomes a love crazy lunatic. She loses other person I her life whom she loved, because of this, She is not repairable. They leave the island and Roc hester locks her up. He doesnt even try to overhaul her.When a person is repeatedly subjected to this agreeable of cruel, evil-hearted treatment, the only course for that person is insanity. Heredity is not the source of the insanity though. There is nothing hereditary about what Rochester did to Antoinette. Even if madness didnt run in the family, Antoinette probably would have the same reaction. It doesnt inspection and repair that after the cruel things that Rochester did, she had no way to cope with them. Christophine couldnt help because Rochester threatened her. Again, there is nothing hereditary about how Rochester acted. Every think for Antoinettes madness has nothing to do with heredity, but cruelty.