Before she was the infamous "madwoman in the attic," she was Antoinette Cosway—a woman caught between cultures, identities, and the suffocating control of the man she married. This month on Reel Lit, we’re diving into Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea and its two film adaptations (1993 & 2006) to examine how this novel reclaims the silenced story of Jane Eyre’s Bertha Mason.
McKenzie offers an ecocritical interpretation, arguing that the island itself is more than just a setting—it’s an active force, shaping Antoinette’s identity and sealing her fate. Meanwhile, Stephen takes a genre-focused approach, analyzing how the 2006 film manipulates the language of romance to lull viewers into false security—only to shatter those expectations.
Along the way, we’ll discuss Rochester’s hypocrisy, Christophine’s power, Coco the doomed parrot, and whether the 1993 film leans into the erotic thriller genre in ways that subtly alter Antoinette’s characterization. Plus, we’ll break down which adaptation gets it right—and which Antoinette delivers the most haunting performance.
🌿 Is the island a character in its own right?
🎭 Is Rochester’s early tenderness sincere, or just another layer of control?
🔥 And what does Granbois look like as an Airbnb listing? (Oh yes, you know we’ve got a fake ad for this one.)
Join us as we untangle love, power, and identity in Wide Sargasso Sea.
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