In Wide Sargasso Sea, we see Bertha, from Jane Eyre, in a new light. We meet her as Antoinette, a creole woman, who like Jane herself is trying to find her place in the world. Jean Rhys sets the novel in a post-colonial society, unlike Jane’s Victorian era. However, the parallels between Jane and Antoinette become more and more illuminated through the Wide Sargasso Sea. I think Rhys does this to show the struggle for identity, especially for a woman who is trapped in her own society, withstands the test of time. This struggle transcends age, class, and time period.

The essay, “The Other Side”, illuminates some interesting points about the two characters as well as the two books. It’s interesting that Michael Thorpe questions whether is adequate to read the Wide Sargasso Sea without reading Jane Eyre. He states that Mr. Rochester is a shady character in the Wide Saragasso, one that we meet more profoundly in Jane Eyre. To me, I think reading the two together creates a holistic perspective for both the story of Jane and Antoinette. It creates a profound, layered and twisted story plot that allows us, the readers, to be critical of yet compassionate towards every single character in the book.