Jean Rhys choses to dedicate part 1 of her novel to the perspective of the main character, Antoinette. Through the symbolisation of setting , Rhys indulges in the depths of Antoinette's lonely but hopeful mind, constantly seeking refuge in the faces and shadows of familiar objects and places that remind her of better times ; they serve as a constant in contrast to the perpetual changes that threaten to tear her identity apart. Within them, Antoinette attempts to maintain her identity , or what is left of it , whole.
Jean Rhys uses this part of the book as a way to attain a somewhat solid voice for Antoinette , as a way to compensate for the known stigma of Creole women being crazy and deceitful. Although Antoinette is clearly torn between two worlds, two identities , partly rejected by both sides , this part enables Rhys to fully express what Antoinette had been through and what had led her to become who she was, what she thought of the world and herself. It illustrates all the doubts, fears and hopes that Antoinette goes through , more than less alone.
Jean demonstrates Antoinette as being an outsider through her relationship to her mother. She constantly attempts to have her show any type of affection towards her, however condition deteriorates up to the point where Antoinette realises it herself: "I hated this frown and once I touched her forehead trying to smooth it. But she pushed me away, not roughly, but calmly, coldly, without a word, as if she had decided once and for all that I was useless to her." It is clear how compassionate Antoinette is, her intentions nothing but pure.
"I never looked at any strange negro. They hated us. They called us white cockroaches." Antoinette may not have been aware of the particular reasons as to why a black girl would describe her as a cockroach and her 'friend' Tia saying: " Old time white people nothing but white nigger now, and black nigger better than white nigger." - however she was acutely aware of her reputation being linked to her financial status and her lack of a father or proper servants. Rhys uses the term 'nigger' as a form of profanity used against the whites, in this sense Antoinette and her family, in order to reflect on the change of racial issues. Slavery was no longer the norm , thus any whites that were not wealthy were immediately attacked and dragged down to the same level as blacks were. Through racial slurs thrown against Antoinette, even prominent within her own friends, Rhys begins to build her social identity as an outsider.
Throughout Part 1, Antoinette becomes more and more distanced from the people around her, choosing nature's pain and objects over them, giving them her own interpretations of the value they carried. She often eavesdropped on others as her mother got married to a wealthy man, making her more and more aware of how she was losing her identity through their marriage and thus her worth. After having realised that neither her Creole or English side would ever fully accept her, she decides to retreat into herself, as that is the only place she knows that won't betray or abandon her. Through the descriptions of other, Rhys creates an atmosphere that makes it seem as though Antoinette is constantly behind a curtain, cautiously watching as the others go on with their lives ; their experiences more vibrant and eccentric than her existence as the girl with no identity.
Jean Rhys uses this part of the book as a way to attain a somewhat solid voice for Antoinette , as a way to compensate for the known stigma of Creole women being crazy and deceitful. Although Antoinette is clearly torn between two worlds, two identities , partly rejected by both sides , this part enables Rhys to fully express what Antoinette had been through and what had led her to become who she was, what she thought of the world and herself. It illustrates all the doubts, fears and hopes that Antoinette goes through , more than less alone.
Jean demonstrates Antoinette as being an outsider through her relationship to her mother. She constantly attempts to have her show any type of affection towards her, however condition deteriorates up to the point where Antoinette realises it herself: "I hated this frown and once I touched her forehead trying to smooth it. But she pushed me away, not roughly, but calmly, coldly, without a word, as if she had decided once and for all that I was useless to her." It is clear how compassionate Antoinette is, her intentions nothing but pure.
"I never looked at any strange negro. They hated us. They called us white cockroaches." Antoinette may not have been aware of the particular reasons as to why a black girl would describe her as a cockroach and her 'friend' Tia saying: " Old time white people nothing but white nigger now, and black nigger better than white nigger." - however she was acutely aware of her reputation being linked to her financial status and her lack of a father or proper servants. Rhys uses the term 'nigger' as a form of profanity used against the whites, in this sense Antoinette and her family, in order to reflect on the change of racial issues. Slavery was no longer the norm , thus any whites that were not wealthy were immediately attacked and dragged down to the same level as blacks were. Through racial slurs thrown against Antoinette, even prominent within her own friends, Rhys begins to build her social identity as an outsider.
Throughout Part 1, Antoinette becomes more and more distanced from the people around her, choosing nature's pain and objects over them, giving them her own interpretations of the value they carried. She often eavesdropped on others as her mother got married to a wealthy man, making her more and more aware of how she was losing her identity through their marriage and thus her worth. After having realised that neither her Creole or English side would ever fully accept her, she decides to retreat into herself, as that is the only place she knows that won't betray or abandon her. Through the descriptions of other, Rhys creates an atmosphere that makes it seem as though Antoinette is constantly behind a curtain, cautiously watching as the others go on with their lives ; their experiences more vibrant and eccentric than her existence as the girl with no identity.
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