The renowned american psychologist Mr. Ericson once said, “ In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.” The characters Winston and Antoinette from 1984 by George Orwell, and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, both reside in societies which are plagued by strict social structures and rules, and yet Antoinette and Winston both manage to find individuality at some point and therefore remain alive. Both Antoinette and Winston are pressured to lose their awareness and freedom, which suggests that their societies are attempting to destroy their individualism. Winston and Antoinette both become possessed by a more powerful force, but because Antionette is able to break free of this oppression …show more content…
Antoinette loses herself to her husband, Rochester as he takes over her life, trapping her and fully controlling her physically and emotionally. He destroys her individuality, leaving her an empty doll. As Antoinette remains trapped in her room, she loses any connection she had to herself. She is unable to retain concepts of time and identity, even asking, “What am I doing in this place” and “who am I” (Rhys 162). Although Antoinette appears to have become fully possessed by Rochester, she manages to reclaim her Individuality by deciding to kill herself and burn the house. As she stands on the roof, she sees a window into her past. Her seeing the tree of life could imply that she is breaking free and becoming unowned and wild once more. Even in her twisted mind, she manages to make her final decision, which suggests that she is reconnecting with her former self. She is shown connections she has to her previous life. She sees “the sky with all [her] life in it...The orchids... The tree of life in flames...The soft green moss of the stone wall...and the man who hated her calling: Bertha! Bertha!” (Rhys 170). These symbols of the past beckon her to return to her true self. Just like the tree of life Antoinette was wild and unkempt, then destroyed, and