Antoinette and Rochesters Relationship
Antoinette and Rochester have one of the most toxic relationships ever. Although their relationship may not have seemed so terrible when we first see them interact, their relationship quickly becomes extremely bad. The first time we see them Rochester seems like he would be a decent husband to Antoinette. For example, when he learns that she does not want to marry him he seems okay with that. He believes that if she doesn't want to marry him, she shouldn't be forced. The only reason he pursued her was because Antoinette's step father, Mr. Mason, said they could convince her otherwise. The way Rochester treated her made me think that maybe their relationship could work out. Even though it later did not work, I still feel there was potential for the both of them to be content with each other at least.
As their relationship progresses through the book, Rochester dislikes Antoinette more and more. In the beginning, Antoinette is very happy in this relationship. She has been unhappy her whole life and Rochester gives her a taste of happiness. Antoinette becomes addicted and when Rochester takes this happiness away she tries to get it back in the only way she knows how. Antoinette tried to make him fall back in love with her by giving him a "love potion". There is no excuse for this action committed by Antoinette. However I do no think that being drugged gives Rochester the excuse to cheat on Antoinette and imprison her.
The actions committed by both Antoinette and Rochester are terrible and explain why their relationship ends so badly. At first, I did not understand why Rochester hates Antoinette so much. Even before she drugged him he already detested her. I think he hated her so much because she was so different then what he had expected and wanted. Antoinette can not identify with the creole culture which makes her even more different than other women in the West Indies. She is very mysterious and Rochester does not seem to like not knowing everything or not being in control. He finds this new land mysterious as well and begins to associate Antoinette with the land as well. As he begins to hate both Antoinette and the West Indies, he decides to leave but takes Antoinette with him as if she were his prisoner.
As their relationship progresses through the book, Rochester dislikes Antoinette more and more. In the beginning, Antoinette is very happy in this relationship. She has been unhappy her whole life and Rochester gives her a taste of happiness. Antoinette becomes addicted and when Rochester takes this happiness away she tries to get it back in the only way she knows how. Antoinette tried to make him fall back in love with her by giving him a "love potion". There is no excuse for this action committed by Antoinette. However I do no think that being drugged gives Rochester the excuse to cheat on Antoinette and imprison her.
The actions committed by both Antoinette and Rochester are terrible and explain why their relationship ends so badly. At first, I did not understand why Rochester hates Antoinette so much. Even before she drugged him he already detested her. I think he hated her so much because she was so different then what he had expected and wanted. Antoinette can not identify with the creole culture which makes her even more different than other women in the West Indies. She is very mysterious and Rochester does not seem to like not knowing everything or not being in control. He finds this new land mysterious as well and begins to associate Antoinette with the land as well. As he begins to hate both Antoinette and the West Indies, he decides to leave but takes Antoinette with him as if she were his prisoner.
I also felt that their was potential for a more 'healthy' relationship between Antoinette and Rochester, but I do not think the crumbling of their relationship was entirely their fault. The existence of external influences also played a large role in creating the toxic environment between the two. Daniel Cosway, for one, instilled doubt in Rochester about Antoinette's mental health. He described her as crazy, that her mother was a lunatic and that she will soon follow in her footsteps, but as a reader we know that this is untrue; craziness is not heretical and that Antoinette has the potential to positively regress. Unfortunately, Rochester believes in this lie and begins to treat Antoinette in a more controlling manner that she does not enjoy. By attempting to change Atoinette's name and identity by referring to her as 'Bertha', Rochester essentially reverses all the progress their relationship had made. Antoinette begins to feel the same hatred Rochester feels for her, leading to the toxic relationship that eventually crumbles into their insanity.
ReplyDeleteThere's an idea that intercultural marriages don't pan out because the people are much too different. Usually, I don't agree with this idea however in this situation I have to say that their relationship is so much of a mess that this is one of the unique times I do agree with the concept. Rochester and Antoinnette's marriage is filled with cultural differences and issues that neither is able to address without criticism. I felt that their unwillingness to surmount their differences and the values placed on them by society is why their lives go to disaster. If either had taken the time to simply sit down, hash it out and come out unified maybe it might've worked out but instead they let it destroy them.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of a possibility of a 'healthy' relationship is very promising but I also have a feeling that it would never work out. I felt like they were never really together, especially with Rochester as I never felt like he had any emotion for her. He made a very key difference in the idea of lusting for her and loving her, something that I don't think would change if the circumstances were different. Moreover, I also don't think their downfall was their fault. It just seemed like the situation that they were put in also caused their relationship to be doomed. For example, their marriage was forced and that is one thing that doesn't go down very well as marriage is a sign of a long lasting relationship, something that requires to be built up over the years. Moreover, the relationship also crashed due to many unlucky events that didn't seem entirely their fault. Great ideas tho!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, it made me think about relationships across cultures. I would like to think that two very different people whether that is race, culture, .... could have a happy marriage. However the power dynamic between Rochester and Antoinette is very skewed. Through money, British law, and being a man, Rochester and Antoinette are not on equal footing. I think that a couple from the west indes and britain could be happy but the situation in this case seems sadly very unequal from the start.
ReplyDeleteI think that you have a great point here about the power dynamics inherent in Antoinette and Rochester's relationship. Rather than questioning how stable cross-cultural relationships are, Wide Sargasso Sea shows a situation where the man wields a disproportionate amount of power. Antoinette, who has been raised by strong women like Christophene, refuses to allow Rochester and his patriarchal to ideas control her.
DeleteI really feel bad for Antoinette in this situation. Her whole life has been filled with loneliness and anxiety. I think when she finally got a husband she was expecting to be happy, but she was only let down again :(
ReplyDeleteDidn't Rochester cheat on her first? If that is the case Antoinette is not in the wrong here.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is weird why Rochester had so much resentment for Antoinette. Rochester went to the west indies to make his own fortune, we can kind of see in the book how Rochester feels the need to make money to prove his worth to his father. Although it is in no way justified, perhaps Rochester realized this wasn't the way to get his father's attention and that caused him to hate Antoinette
ReplyDelete