How Does Antionette Manipulate Her Insanity

Kassidy Vandepoele

Dr. S. Braun/Dr. J. Hahn

Contemporary literature 30:145

8 February 2023

Wide sargasso sea

Mr. mason, Antionette’s stepfather, and her stepbrother Richard Mason forced Antoinette into an arranged marriage. She married Rochester, who agreed to marry Antionette because he was offered thirty thousand pounds and would have access to the Antoinette’s money and estates. Antionette’s mom was known as crazy after she tried to kill her husband Mr. Mason by burning down his house. Some believe that Rochester drove Antoinette “mad” by manipulating her, changing her identity, and rejecting her. Rochester manipulated Antoinette in many ways, he manipulated her into marrying him, loving him, and trusting him. Rochester also alienates

Rochester receives a letter from Daniel Cosway, informing him that madness was in Antionette’s blood, as both her mom and dad had gone crazy. After reading the note Rochester began treating Antoinette differently then he was before, he started being mean and rude. Antoinette had tried to explain to Rochester what happened with her mother, but he would not listen to her. Rochester than began to convince him self that she was insane because she “initiated” sex which only men are supposed to do, not a woman. She was not following in the standard women roles because she had money, power in her house and she didn’t do whatever Rochester wanted. He also believed Antionette was going “insane” because she would stick up for herself by yelling and fighting back. During this time men were superior to women. Men were to have control over their women and their lives. Although Rochester only seen these signs of “insanity” after he heard about her family history with madness, but he was convinced she was going “mad”. Rochester would not even give his wife a chance to explain her mother and her “madness”, because he did not care because her mom was like that, and Antoinette would be

Changing Antoinette’s identity was a very large reason she went mad, she began to hate Rochester for changing her and hated herself because she did not know who she was anymore, and she began to hate the place she loved the most. Rochester almost pushed Antoinette into going mad because he convinced himself she was mad after hearing that her mom was crazy and her dad too. Rochester did not like this about Antoinette’s family and convinced himself that she was crazy too, he looked for evidence in the way she acted and things she said. He was convinced she was mad because she did not act like a “proper” woman. Rochester locked Antoinette or Bertha up in the attack of his house because she was crazy, this pushed Antoinette over the edge. Antoinette or Bertha had so much hate for Rochester she has a reoccurring dream where she set’s fire to Rochester’s house, when this happened Rochester helped his servants out and was going to go back in to save Bertha but she jumped out of the window. When Antoinette wakes up from her dream she has the feeling she needs to act on her dream. This shows how strong Antoinette’s hate and madness is, that Rochester created