Antoinette Cosway
Literary characterAbout
Antoinette Cosway is a central character in Jean Rhys's novel Wide Sargasso Sea, a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. She is a white Creole woman born in Jamaica, caught between the cultures of her European ancestors and the Caribbean society she inhabits. Antoinette's life is marked by isolation and marginalization, as she is neither fully accepted by the white community nor the black community. Her family's decline after the Emancipation Act adds to her sense of disempowerment and loss of identity. Antoinette's story explores themes of identity, race, and colonialism. Her marriage to an Englishman, Mr. Rochester, exacerbates her feelings of alienation and betrayal. The novel humanizes Antoinette, previously portrayed as the "madwoman" Bertha Mason in Jane Eyre, by delving into her emotional struggles and the societal pressures that contribute to her tragic fate. Through Antoinette's narrative, Rhys critiques colonialism and societal norms, offering a powerful feminist and anticolonial perspective.
