This paper deals with the effects of multiperspectival narration on the representation of Christophine in Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea.
Besides Antoinette and her husband as narrators Rhys also mentions another “I” that talks in the novel. The author very likely refers to Christophine, Antoinette’s black nurse, a Martinique obeah woman who provides a third viewpoint on the action in this multiperspectival narration. However, as multiperspectivity
“shift[s] the reader’s attention from the events recounted on the level of the characters to the subjectivity of each of the presented perspectives” (Neumann/Nünning 102),
Christophine rather appears as a minor character in Antoinette’s and Edward’s narration. Still, she seems to be an important and influencing person for Antoinette, and she also is a character Antoinette’s husband is very much concerned with and concerned about.
In literary criticism there has been a lot of controversy concerning the representation of Christophine in Rhys’s novel. The debate circles around the question in how far the character is significant for the action taking place in the narrative and in how far the woman contributes to the meaning of the novel. Whereas Gayatri Spivak sees Christophine as “tangential to this narrative” (246), Benita Parry regards her as an important source of “counter-discourse” against the colonial authority (cf. 249). Carine Mardorossian argues that by Antoinette’s and her husband’s cultural and racial presumptions about Christophine and the other black characters as racial Others the white protagonists are themselves being debunked of their imperialist, stereotypical thinking (cf. 1071-1090).
The paper contains analyses of
- the novel’s multiperspectivity,
- the perspectives and attitudes of the narrator-focalisers Antoinette and her husband (Rochester)
-Christophine’s function for the development in the plot.
The results of these analysies will be used to discuss the multiperspectival effects of the novel and to interpret Christophine’s role in the narrative by discussing Spivak’s, Parry’s and Mardorossian’s opinions about this character.
Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 General Aspects of Antoinette's and Edward's Narration and Focalisation in Rhys's Multiperspectival Novel
- 3 Antoinette's and Edward's Narrator/Character Perspectives
- 3.1 Antoinette's Narrator/Character Perspective
- 3.2 Edward's Narrator/Character Perspective
- 3.3 Résumé and Interim Conclusion about Antoinette's and Edward's Narrator/Character Perspectives
- 4 The Representation of Christophine from Antoinette's and Edward's Perspectives
- 4.1 Antoinette's Representation of Christophine as a Surrogate Mother
- 4.2 Antoinette's Representation of Christophine as an Obeah Woman
- 4.3 Edward's Representation of Christophine as a Lazy Servant and Intimidating Woman
- 4.4 Edward's Representation of Christophine as an Obeah Woman
- 5 Analysis of the Effects of Multiperspectivity on the Representation of Christophine
- 6 The Function of Christophine for the Development of the Plot
- 6.1 Christophine's Role in the Plot in Terms of Her Influence on Antoinette in "Part One" and "Part Two"
- 6.2 Christophine's Role in the Plot in Terms of Her Influence on Edward
- 6.3 Christophine's Role in the Plot in Terms of Her Influence on Antoinette in "Part Three"
- 7 Interpretation and Discussion of Christophine's Representation in Wide Sargasso Sea
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper analyzes the representation of Christophine in Jean Rhys's *Wide Sargasso Sea*, focusing on the effects of the novel's multiperspectival narration. The main objective is to examine how Christophine is portrayed by the two main narrators, Antoinette and Edward, and to discuss the impact of their differing perspectives on her depiction. The analysis will also explore Christophine's role in the plot and her significance to the overall meaning of the novel. * Multiperspectival Narration in *Wide Sargasso Sea* * The Representation of Christophine by Antoinette and Edward * Christophine's Role in the Plot Development * The Influence of Cultural and Racial Presumptions * Interpretation of Christophine's Significance in the NovelChapter Summaries
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the central theme of the paper: analyzing the representation of Christophine in Jean Rhys's *Wide Sargasso Sea* through the lens of the novel's multiperspectival narration. It establishes the context by highlighting the critical debate surrounding Christophine's significance in the novel, referencing various interpretations from scholars like Gayatri Spivak and Benita Parry. The introduction lays out the paper's methodology, focusing on close textual analysis to examine how Antoinette and Edward, the two narrators, portray Christophine and the impact of their differing perspectives. It also establishes the importance of understanding Antoinette and Edward's individual perspectives in order to interpret their representations of Christophine. The chapter concludes by outlining the paper's argument: that Christophine's seemingly "tangential" representation is a direct effect of the multiperspectival narration obscuring her true importance. The analysis will investigate her function within the plot to illuminate her potential influence and demonstrate how her attempts at mediation are misunderstood and ignored by the protagonists.
2 General Aspects of Antoinette's and Edward's Narration and Focalisation in Rhys's Multiperspectival Novel: This chapter provides a general overview of the multiperspectival structure of *Wide Sargasso Sea*. It explains how the novel presents events from the alternating viewpoints of Antoinette and Edward, noting the absence of exposition and transitions between their narratives. The chapter touches upon the fragmented nature of the narrative and the deliberate deconstruction of a single authorial viewpoint, highlighting the puzzling effect this has on the reader. It also offers contextual information regarding the time period of the narrative and Antoinette's age, providing a framework for understanding the narrators’ perspectives.
Keywords
Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys, multiperspectival narration, Christophine, Antoinette, Edward Rochester, postcolonial literature, Caribbean literature, racial representation, colonial discourse, obeah, surrogate mother, cultural conflict, character perspective, narrative focalization.
Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of Christophine in Jean Rhys's *Wide Sargasso Sea*
What is the main focus of this academic paper?
This paper analyzes the representation of Christophine in Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea, specifically examining how her portrayal is shaped by the novel's multiperspectival narration. It investigates the differing perspectives of Antoinette and Edward, the two main narrators, and how these perspectives impact the reader's understanding of Christophine.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include multiperspectival narration in Wide Sargasso Sea, the representation of Christophine by Antoinette and Edward, Christophine's role in the plot development, the influence of cultural and racial presumptions, and the overall interpretation of Christophine's significance in the novel.
What is the methodology used in the paper?
The paper employs close textual analysis to examine how Antoinette and Edward portray Christophine. The analysis focuses on understanding the individual perspectives of each narrator to interpret their representations of Christophine and the resulting impact on the overall narrative.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured into several chapters. It begins with an introduction outlining the central theme and methodology. Subsequent chapters delve into the general aspects of Antoinette's and Edward's narration, their respective perspectives on Christophine, the analysis of multiperspectivity's effects on Christophine's representation, Christophine's role in plot development, and finally, an interpretation and discussion of her representation in the novel.
How does the multiperspectival narration affect the representation of Christophine?
The paper argues that the multiperspectival narration significantly shapes Christophine's representation. The differing perspectives of Antoinette and Edward obscure Christophine's true importance, presenting a seemingly "tangential" portrayal. The analysis aims to reveal how her attempts at mediation are misunderstood and ignored by the protagonists.
What is Christophine's role in the novel's plot?
The paper examines Christophine's influence on both Antoinette and Edward at various points in the narrative, analyzing her actions and their impact on the plot's development across the three parts of the novel. Her role extends beyond a simple supporting character to a significant influence on the key events and relationships within the story.
What are some of the keywords associated with this paper?
Keywords include: Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys, multiperspectival narration, Christophine, Antoinette, Edward Rochester, postcolonial literature, Caribbean literature, racial representation, colonial discourse, obeah, surrogate mother, cultural conflict, character perspective, narrative focalization.
What is the overall argument of the paper?
The paper argues that Christophine's seemingly peripheral role in Wide Sargasso Sea is a direct consequence of the novel's multiperspectival narration, which obscures her true importance and influence. By analyzing her actions and their impact on the plot and characters, the paper aims to reveal her significant contribution to the overall meaning of the novel.
- Citar trabajo
- Christina Gieseler (Autor), 2010, The Effects of Multiperspectival Narration on the Representation of Christophine in 'Wide Sargasso Sea', Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/176870
