Friday, September 10, 2010
Summer Reading Thesis Statement
Bronte and Rhys create their heroines in different ways to comment on the repression of women in a patriarchal society - Jane represents an independent, assertive feminist who breaks free from Victorian expectations, and Antoinette represents a victim who is literally caged by her husband.
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ReplyDeleteSorry, spelling issues.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything, except Antoinette's innocense. Even though Rochester locked her up to preserve his reputation, Antoinette is still a danger to society(litteraly as Jane is figuratively).
Antoinette may be a danger to society, but is that her own fault? She has a history of mental illness, and I think that Rochester psychologically manipulates her to the point that that mental illness takes over, and then she can no longer think for herself. He pushes her over the edge.
ReplyDeleteShe's the manipulative one(voodoo cocktail, lies). Rochester is no saint, but Antoinette is completly bonkers! She tried to fool Rochester but ended up fooling herself. Illness or not, she must be confined.
ReplyDeleteHe renames her "Bertha". I would be bonkers too if someone kept calling me Bertha.
ReplyDeleteNeither of them is completely innocent. I'd be more inclined to blame it on Rochester, personally - though I think that's partially because Wide Sargasso Sea was written to make readers sympathetic towards Antoinette.
ReplyDeleteAnyways: Good thesis Katie, it brings up a fascinating point. I think their respective representations of women really says something about the authors too - compared to Rhys, Bronte is a total wide-eyed idealist.
Should I continue the argument, or am I treading on thin ice?
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the word pick "cage" in your thesis statement.
ReplyDeleteI agree with yout theses, Jane is always the independent woman, and Antoinette wouldn't live teh same life if she wouldn't have a husband who is "cageing" her. I think you will find a lot of quotes with which u can support your theses.
ReplyDeleteYou guys really love to rip on Rochester.
ReplyDeleteHoly Geez, this is one of the best threads I've read yet. The thesis is sound, but consider this in the body of your essay: does Antoinette build her own cage in a figurative way?
ReplyDelete