Friday, November 5, 2010
Is Rochester a Reliable Narrator in Section 2?
Think about what you think you know about Rochester (remembering, of course, that he is presented entirely through Jane's narration in Jane Eyre). How do you feel about him as a narrator in Wide Sargasso Sea? How does he portray Antoinette? Why do you think Rhys shifted POV from Antoinette to Rochester?
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When Rochester narrates, I feel like he's leading the reader on, much like he did with Jane. He leaves you guessing. There were several points where he would say or think about something and then cut himself off. He seems like an unreliable narrator.
ReplyDeleteI think Rhys shifts POV from Antoinette to Rochester so that the reader can see the situation from each character's perspective.
@Tyanna, I (for the most part) agree with you, but I do believe that Rochester is a reliable source. The statement that "he leaves you guessing", I agree with but it's his POV, but the way I see it is it's his way of telling his side of the story of the events that occurred.
ReplyDelete@Tyanna, I also agree with you about Rochester's narration. Each time that he cuts himself off, he makes the readers(well at least me) feel as though he is hiding something even though this is his POV. I believe that Rhys allows Rochester to speak on his behalf rather than letting his part of the story be told in his own words rather than depicted through Jane and Antoinette's/Bertha's eyes(POV).
ReplyDeleteI feel that as the reader it is necessary to learn a different POV and since the reason Antionette is locked up in the third floor because of Rochester, then we should hear his reasons. He is the one who locked her up there and didn't let her go when he could just let her roam free, but he actually took care of her.
ReplyDeleteI agree with @Emily because there is always more then one side to a story and the only way you will understand it, is to hear everyone's POV of it.
On the previous post I made, I would like to add a few examples to support my theory that he leaves you guessing. On page 61 he mentions that he was thinking about a letter he was going to write and ends the paragraph with "Dear Father...", this quote makes you think about what he was going to say next. What was he going to tell his father about?
ReplyDeleteThe other example I have is on page 64 when he says that Antoinette is thought to be beautiful and then ends the paragraph by saying, "And yet..." This makes us think about what he was going to say next. It makes us wonder what fault he found in her.
I do not believe that rochester is a reliable narrator at all.. for starters he is not familiar with anything that is going on within antoinette's world. He knows nothing of her past, of her costumes, of who she realy is. as a reader we learn all of this in the 1st section of the book. furthermore, he relies on some stranger(daniel) sending him letters to tell him about antoinette, and even goes out of he way to meet him. (pg 122-126)
ReplyDeleteI espouse that Rochester does a better job in narrating than Antoinette because while reading Antoinette's narration it was harder to comprehend...Rochester's narrative is much more understanding..He explicitly states how he feels such as when he he is exhausted and that her silence disturbed him...Rochester is much more blunt while Antoinette gives examples of how she feels instead of just saying it
ReplyDelete@Tyanna, I for the most part agree with you, as well. However, I also agree with @Emily with Rochester being a reliable source. In Wide Sargasso Sea, we can actually see how Rochester feels and thinks while going through the beginning stages of his marriage to Antoinette, and we see how he feels when he finds out that she's crazy. From Jane's POV in Jane Eyre, we can only tell how Rochester feels after he's basically forgotten about 'Bertha' and after he knows that she's crazy. From his narration in Wide Sargasso Sea, I feel as if we get more insight on him (and also better insight) about all his thoughts and feelings. Rochester portrays Antoinette in the way that he thinks she's a beauty and a good person, but he also know that there is something weird about her that isn't quite normal. I think Rhys shifts POV from Antoinette to Rochester so the reader can see how things are alike and different from Rochester and Antoinette's POV and how they both deal with situations.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rhys shifts POV so that we wont be limited to only one side of the story, Rhys wants us to know both Rochesters and Antoinette's side of the story. I dont think that Rochester is a reliable source because he doesnt know whether to believe Antoinette or the rumors that other people are saying about her. He always seems confused. Like in Jane Eyre Rochester seemed confused.
ReplyDeletei agree with tyanna in that rochester is leading the reader on. he starts to tell us a personal thought, like what was in his letter to his father, then abruptly cuts off to talk about something else. "the girl is thought to be beautiful, she is beautiful. and yet... meanwwhile the horses..." i do think he is reliable though, because we know that rochester is sane, whereas antoinette is going to end up psycho. for all we know, she may already be in the first stages of insanity. he portrays antoinette as an alien person. she is beautiful, and white, but she was raised in a completely different way, and went through struggles that he has no idea of. i think rhys switched POV because she wanted to give a different perspective of the story. readers can relate more to rochester than they can antoinette, not only because he is sane, but because he is in an alien world. few of us can relate to a white woman born and raised in jamaica, where her family was scorned and hated. however, we can relate to a man who is from a culture more similar to ours and doesn't really know what to do in a new situation.
ReplyDeleteAs a narrator I feel Rochester is uncertain, and that is why he doesn't go on to explain everything. In his narration I feel like I get a better understanding of his marriage and of Rochester. Through Jane's eyes Rochester was almost perfect but reading it in his perspective I get a better idea of who he really is.
ReplyDeleteI think Rhy shifted POV to allow the reader to form an opinion on both characters. I think the author also does this to allow the reader to see from both sides of the story. Through this we can get a better sense of the characters, besides the ones that Jane Eyre has given.
Rochester is a very weird narrator. He narrates as if it isn't his own thoughts he is portraying. I feel like he is keeping secrets from the narrator or maybe confused about his thoughts. I enjoy it a little bit because it makes me feel like there is something very big n the plot of the story to soon be revealed. On page 70 when Rochester says "The girl is thought to be beautiful, she is beautiful. And yet..." this makes me feel like there is something on his mind that he doesn't want to say or just doesn't understand. This makes me think more deeply into the story and analyze why Rochester speaks the way he does. I wouldn't be surprised if Rochester was keeping secrets from the reader because in "Jane Eyre" Rochester was a very secretive character but when people caught on to what he was doing he confessed everything. Because of this I think that Rochester may possibly stop narrating the way he does now and say what is actually on his mind when things hit the fan.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Rochester is trying to get the reader in his side. he makes antoinette look pretty because he thinks she is pretty but then he finds out her sercet and makes her seem like a bad person. he starts to call her bertha, which is an ugly name compared to antoinette. rhys sifted the point of view to Rochester because she wanted the reader to know his version of the story. he has a much different out look on things than antoinette.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rochester is a reliable narrator, he is Antoinette's husband so he can clearly explains how she transform in his eyes from this sweet girl he falls inlove with to the total opposite. When Daniel Cosway sent the letter to Rochester, he hints in the letter that Antoinette might be going down the same path as her mother, which is wild/crazy. after reading this letter, rochester says, " i folded the letter carefully and put it into my pocket. i felt no suprise. it was as if i'd expected it, been waiting for it" so what i'm saying is that rochester been felt this way about this family.
ReplyDeleterochester portrays Antoinette in the beginning as being this sweet girl and towards the middle he starts to talk about her physical traits, calling her "pale" and he talks about her outrageous actions, like when she ripped the sheets.
i think Rhys shifted the POV because she wants the reader to see what the character is thinking and what others think of her. by; capriece
Rhys portrays Rochester just as Bronte portrays Jane as a narrator; as very bias to his own opinion and very one sided in thought. Rhys shows how only Rochester feels about his marriage, and offers few arguments to his opinion. For example, he shows that he is not accustomed to Jamaica by showing that he does not trust most of the people there, and calling the environment "a dream." Rochester portrays Antoinette just as Jane does; as a crazy, queer, and over the top woman. Rochester often blames his fever for marrying Antoinette, and he avoids her as much as he could. Rhys switches point of view between Antoinette and Rochester to show their similarity in thought; that they both believe their marriage was a mistake and that they don't really love each other. While Rochester is wondering around in the woods trying to figure out why he is married to Bertha, Antoinette is looking for a way to get out of the marriage by eloping.
ReplyDeleteRochester being the narrator in this book doesn't have much of an affect on his character. By this i mean he still is some what of a mystery to the reader. Rochester spends most of his time talking about what is happening around him. He introduces the reader to all of the characters but leaves out details about himself. Rochester portrays Antoinette to be crazy. When Antoinette slaps Amelie in the face for no reason, this shows why Rochester portrays her character the way he does. Rochester is a mystery to the reader but Antoinette isn't
ReplyDeleteI believe that Rochester is a very unreliable narrator in this book. I say this for much of the same reasons as Tyanna says. He leaves you guessing and wanting for the finished sentences. He also seems to have trouble finding what he believes is the truth. I think that he hears so many different stories about Antoinette past that he has trouble feeling what is right. I think that he portrays Antoinette as a person who is a drunkard who doesn't really care about her husband. I think that Rhys shifted P O V from Antoinette to Rochester because she wants to show how Rochester is dealing with the the early state of the marriage. Because the feeling are totally different in the beginning they actually loved each other and they were happy then as time moves on they grow apart and the truth comes out and feelings are changed.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rochester is an unreliable narrator. I agree with @tyanna. I think he is biases and only gives how he feels and doesn't show how any of the other characters may feel. i think he may hide certain things. I think that no matter who tells the story it will always be different and things will be included and some will be excluded based on who is telling the story.I don't think Rochester know what he is saying the whole time. He is uncertain.
ReplyDelete@TYANNA
ReplyDeleteI agree with you fully. Rochester seems to lead you on because he speaks truthful of everything that goes on in his mind about his perspective on how he feels about Antoinette/Bertha. He says that he has never loved her and that he has no feelings for her because they are merely 2 strangers that are married.
He sometimes is thinking of saying something which makes me think 'okay he's kind of wicked'. Like, he learns that Antoinettes mother, grandmother and so forth have constantly been locked in rooms with their husbands leaving them in search for a new wife because of their 'madness'. YET in Jane Eyere he does exactly that and in W.S.S. he tells Antoinette '..when you are my wife there [will] not be any more reason to be afraid[.]".
I think Rhys swithches the the POV so that we can understand each persons thoughts and the reasons behind there actions. We are getting the priveledge of having both biased views of why the other charcater may be wrong or what ledthem on to what they end up doing.
I think that Rochester is a person of less emotion then Jane presents him as, he never seems like he really cares about what is going on. When he is being married he simply puts on a face and tries to hide what he is really feeling about the marriage. He seems like he hates everything that he is portrayed as enjoying in Jane Eyre. I feel he as a narrator of Wide Sargasso Sea he is very biased, he never seems to portray those around him in an accurate light, only mentioning things that he cares about or that pertain to him. He seems to portray Antoinette as both ignorant and ugly. As she comments on how the "the earth is red here," (pg 71) he responds saying how "it's red in parts of England too" (pg 71) seeming almost sarcastic saying how stupid she is.
ReplyDeleteRhys seems to shift POV in order to make it more readable as Antoinette becomes more and more disturbed, I feel she wants to make it noticeable as to how Rochester feels about Antoinette and why he comes to hate her in Jane Eyre.
I feel as though Rochester's narrations are important because it shows a different POV than offered by Antoinette. @ Tyanna-I do believe you when you say that he is an unreliable narrator because he continually keeps the reader guessing or clueless in certain points in his dialogues and narrations by not completing his sentences or statements. However, I like his narrations because it helps develop the rising situation to come. Antoinette's narrations are full of malicious situations, plans and plots, where as Rochester's are about him trying to figure things out and him being slowly entangled into the family lies.
ReplyDeleteIn his narrations Rochester says that he is "distresses" and "distraught" about her. But when he describes her he begins to make her seem like an animal or a savage (momentarily), when she got into it with Amelie. It is also obvious that he is beginning to see her as something other than herself when Antoinette says to Christophine that he now calls her "Bertha".
I believe Rhys shifted the point of view to make the conclusion in the end more serious and dramatic by offering both Rochester and Antoinette's view on things.
First person narrators are only as reliable as anyone who's reflecting on their own story--you put yourself at the center, you might be inclined to put yourself in the best light, you bring your particular biases to the narration.
ReplyDeleteQuestions about narrative reliability hinge on whether the narrator is purposefully trying to mislead--does Rochester seem like he's trying to deceive Antoinette? He does, after all, mislead Jane all the way to the altar...And is Antoinette part of the conspiracy to betray Rochester that Daniel Cosway seems so sure about? And do you trust Cosway? Or is he just trying to extort some money from Rochester at Antoinette's expense to in some way "get back at" Cosway?
At the end of the section Antoinette narrates in the middle of section 2, she says, "Nearby a cock crew and I thought, 'That is for betrayal, but who is the traitor?' She {Christophine} did not want to do this. I forced her with my ugly money. And what does anyone know about traitors, or why Judas did what he did" (71)?
It seems to me that this whole book requires the reader to consider other stories, other possibilities, than the acceptable norm--and I think it particularly interesting that Rhys gives Rochester a narrative voice, since he certainly has a role as Antoinette's oppressor.