Questions on Part 2 of WIDE SARGASSO SEA

Questions on Part II of Wide Sargasso Sea
1. Explain what the following are symbols of:
a) Coulibri
b) Thornfield Hall
c) "white”/whiteness"
d) "red”/redness"
2. Explain how Antoinette is torn between racial identity, being black or white?
3. What do you see as Antoinette's main desire in this novel?
4. What two things does Antoinette's racial slur, directed at Tia, cause?
5. What's the figurative significance of Antoinette putting on Tia's dress?
6. Explain what Tia means when she says, "black nigger is better than white nigger."
7. What does Antoinette's calling Mr. Mason her "white pappy" indicate?
8. What makes Rochester question his wife's heritage and ultimately reject her?
9. What do you think Rochester's greatest fear is?
10.What is one of the great ironies concerning Rochester?
1 l.Why does Rochester call Antoinette "Bertha"?
12.Explain the narration in Part II. Is it split? If so, who narrates which
section(s)?
13. "Black feminist critics claim that it is the mystification of sexual relations between white men and black women that has given rise to the stereotype of the black whore." Find two important incidents of this kind in WSS. Who are the victims?
14.Daniel Cosway makes a clear link between sexual promiscuity and blackness. Is he believable? Is he reliable? Why or why not? Give dialogue to support what you say!
15.WSS has been said by critics to be a "story of male domination." Explain Rochester's actions through a completely European lens.
16.Research Question: What was the Victorian perception of female sexuality?
17.Research Question: How does the Victorian perception of female sexualityaffect Rochester's relationship with Antoinette?
18.Give examples through dialogue to exemplify Question # 17.
19.Research Question: Investigate the care of the mentally ill in the 19th century, and compare their treatment to the way in which Annette Cosway Mason and Antoinette Cosway are treated.
20.React to the following quote from literary criticism: "In Wide Sargasso Sea, Rhys does not place the blame for women's passivity, lack of identity, or disorientation on men. She instead creates characters who are responsible for their own fates. In showing the negative consequences of depending on others for identity, Rhys encourages the development of a strong sense of self. She punctuates that personal goal with doubt, however, by emphasizing that people are products of their environment."