Patriarchy, madness, and colonialism are key themes in Jean Rhys’s novel Wide Sargasso Sea. Rhys aims to give life to Bertha, the female character from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, who was only portrayed as a mad figure in Brontë’s book. In post-colonial literature, authors have sought to give voice to those who were silenced. Rhys’s main character, Antoinette, represents Bertha Mason before she arrives in England to live with her husband, Rochester. In this novel, Rochester is depicted as a man determined to maintain his patriarchal and colonial power, while Antoinette is an innocent soul searching for love and acceptance. Patriarchal dominance erodes a woman’s self-worth and can lead to madness. The concept of madness is complex and can be seen as either a mental illness or a social condition. Cultural differences can be labeled as madness. Foucault views madness as a type of knowledge that cannot be understood or controlled by reason, suggesting that excessive self-focus can lead to madness.
Antoinette, born into a mixed-race family in Jamaica, was the daughter of a wealthy estate owner. Her family relied on exploiting black labor, causing tension with the local black community. After her father’s death, the estate fell into decline, and the family lost its wealth and status. The locals mocked Antoinette, calling her a “white cockroach.” Feeling isolated and rejected, she sought solace in a garden, preferring it over confiding in her mother. Her childhood was marked by loneliness, not warmth. She longed for friendship with Tia, a black girl who eventually betrayed her, calling her a “white nigger.” After a tragic fire that killed her brother and caused her mother’s mental collapse, the family was left without support.
According to Foucault, madness is not a true disease but a socially constructed concept. Those who behave outside of societal norms are often labeled as “mad.” As society evolved, there was a shift towards hiding madness from the public to avoid scandal, and confinement became a means of controlling and concealing it. This is reflected in Mr. Rochester’s treatment of Antoinette. Fearing the scandal of her leaving him, he confines her first in the West Indies and later in England, locking her away in the attic. Their marriage feels like a financial arrangement. After their marriage, when they move to her house on Granbois Island, Antoinette becomes increasingly isolated in the same place where she once found comfort. Rochester’s distrust grows after receiving a letter from Daniel Cosway, and he starts an affair with a servant, Amelie. Meanwhile, Antoinette’s mental state deteriorates as she grows more neglected. She turns to heavy drinking, sings loudly, and expresses her anger openly, reflecting her inner turmoil.
In the history of madness, reason and madness were not always seen as opposites. Early societies viewed madness as a natural part of life, often represented in art and culture, and sometimes seen as a unique trait. However, over time, attitudes shifted as societies embraced reason as the dominant force, and madness became something to control. Foucault explained that people treated the “mad” as less than human, assigning them animal-like features to strip them of their humanity. This dehumanization allowed society to control those deemed mad. Antoinette’s mother, Annette, is a clear example of this. After enduring repeated trauma, such as the loss of her status as an ex-slave owner and widow, Annette was shunned by the black community, which took revenge by burning down her home and killing her son. The accumulation of these losses, along with abandonment and isolation, drove her into madness. Christophine tells Rochester that Annette’s madness was caused by the cruelty of those around her. Similarly, Antoinette’s madness can be seen as a response to her environment. Rochester, focused on material success, married Antoinette for her wealth rather than love. She longed for his affection, which he never provided. When he receives a letter from Daniel Cosway, Antoinette’s half-brother, accusing her of inheriting her “lunatic” mother’s madness and her “crazy drunk” father’s tendencies, it gives him further justification for his dominance over her.
When Antoinette tries to win her husband’s love with a love potion, it disturbs Rochester, as he feels he is losing control over her. To regain his masculine authority, he sleeps with Amelie. Rochester views Antoinette as “mad” because she doesn’t behave like a typical Victorian woman—submissive and restrained. Instead, she openly expresses her anger and embraces her sensuality and desires, which were often suppressed in Victorian society. This difference shocks him, and he labels her as mad. When Antoinette learns of her husband’s betrayal, she reacts with deep sadness and anger. As a female Creole in a patriarchal society, Antoinette has faced rejection throughout her life. She was first rejected by her mother, who favored her younger brother, then by the people of her island, and finally by her husband, who married her for her money. These constant rejections made Antoinette vulnerable, making it easier for Rochester to drive her into madness.
Alienation plays a significant role in Antoinette’s psychological breakdown. Rochester alienates her by stripping away her identity. By renaming her “Bertha,” he forces her to adopt an identity that is not hers—one of a Victorian, English woman. This erases her true self and contributes to her sense of loss. Antoinette’s alienation becomes complete in part three, when she dreams of walking around her husband’s house in England and setting it on fire. In her dream, she looks into a mirror and cannot recognize her own reflection, mistaking it for a ghost. This moment can be analyzed through Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, where the disconnection between her identity and her reflection symbolizes the extent of Rochester’s alienation. This process of erasing her sense of self leads Antoinette to madness.
