‘Even when we return to a familiar text, we reread it both to ll old gaps and to become aware of new ones’ (Thomas Leitch) !onsider how and wh" two adaptations studied on the course ll or create gaps from their adapted narrative
Both Jean Rhys and Cary Fukunaga use their adaptations of the canonical identity, however the ways in Jane Eyre to retell the story of a quest for identity, which they approach the source text are completely dierent Rhys!s novel Wide Sargasso Sea replaces Jane as the heroine with the villainous "rst #rs Rochester, Rochester, providing, for the pre$udiced reader!s consideration, another side to Charlotte Bronte!s characterisation of the %"gure of otherness!& By giving the 'estiali(ed )ntoinette a voice and human past as a %she! and %*!, rather than degrading %it!, Rhys precedes the attic entrapment and tragic death with a whole new story and a dierent viewpoint +he puts to question the heroines and villains previously esta'lished and entrenched in Charlotte Bronte!s novel, unveiling unnoticed or intentionally overlooked similarities 'etween Jane!s and )ntoinette!s 'urning desire for for 'elonging and unwillingness to su'mit to their socially predestined positions Fukunaga!s visually advanced adaptation of Jane Eyre -.&&/, reworks the text cinematographically cinematographically,, re0 visioning the chronology of events in order order to showcase the imprint of mental oppression on the struggling heroine 1ithout overtly interfering with the narrative, the director also enriches the story with previously undeveloped or unused elements, in order to make the attentive viewer aware of what Bronte left unsaid 2his essay will analyse the literal and
‘The Other Stage: from from Jane Eyre to Wide Wide Sargasso Sea’, Sea’, Bronte 1 Sylvie Maurel, The Studies,34! Studies, 34! "!##$%, &&'(()'*' "&'((%
1
cinematic language the authors use to shed a fresh 'eam of light on the two women in the well0known story 3 the admired, supported one and the tragically misunderstood * will focus speci"cally on the repressed passion in 'oth Jane and )ntoinette and the ways in which one of them creates perseverance and strength, whereas the other 3 lethal madness * shall also touch on the role of Rochester in the creation or loss of )ntoinette!s and Jane!s sense of self, which 'oth of the adaptors reinterpret in some shape or form
*n Wide Sargasso Sea , Rhys precedes the %madwoman!s! tragic end 'rie4y descri'ed in Jane Eyre with the clever use of "gurative language and intricate metaphors, in order to re4ect on the deeper causes of )ntoinette!s madness, rooted in the shattering events of her early life 2he "re, which consumes 'oth her anguished 'ody, as well as the hostile milieu that is 2horn"eld 5all, resem'les the one that ravished her only place of 'elonging when she was a girl 0 Couli'ri Rhys descri'es the loss of domestic 'alm and comfort through the device of allegory *n the "rst part of the novel, devoted to )ntoinette!s 'ittersweet childhood, the sym'olic death of the parrot can 'e read as an omen of )ntoinette!s disastrous fate 2he 4ightless 'ird, with wings clipped 'y #ason, is said to have %grown 'ad tempered! -, which can refer to the heroine!s further insanity caused 'y li'erticidal entrapment, the ina'ility to %4y! freely away from another 6nglishman 3 Rochester 2he only words the parrot regularly repeats is a French question %7ui est la8! 9 :%1ho is there8!;, 2 +hys, Jean, Wide Sargasso Sea "ondon: -enguin, !###%, &!! 3 Rhys, p.22. 2
which resem'les those of Jane, echoing in the halls of 2horn"eld and representing her anxious curiosity for the mysterious, haunting presence, whenever she hears the growling or laughter of the imprisoned )ntoinette *n the passage where the maimed animal makes the attempt to 4y and falls in a deadly icarian 4ight, %all on "re! <, its screeches of agony mimic those of )ntoinette in Jane Eyre, where she %yells and gives a spring!= 'efore making the cra(e0driven suicidal $ump into the 4ames Before she dies, she stands on the roof, %waving her arms! >, which $uxtaposed with Rhys!s writing can 'e seen as a sym'ol for 'reaking free 3 )ntoinette regains the power in her %wings!, and frees herself from the shackles of confusion, as well as her crippled, fragmentary identity Rhys therefore uses the tragic death of an innocent creature as an unmistaka'le indication of the incomplete portrait of )ntoinette that Bronte paints? the other side to the story unveils, "nally giving the misinterpreted lunatic a motive to 'e mad 2hrough the destroying climax point of the house "re description in Wide Sargasso Sea , Rhys alludes to Bronte!s heroine Jane and her attachment and longing for 2horn"eld 3 the only place where her sense of self and emotional safety were ever secured Both houses turned into ashes, create a connection 'etween the seemingly dierent and distant women, making a suggestion for the reader to notice the humanity and suering in )ntoinette, as they easily do in Jane )part from su'$ecting the reader to take a more compassionate approach towards the wild, aggressive woman locked
4 Rhys, p.24. 5 .harlotte /ronte, Jane Eyre 01indle edition2, & '( 6 Bronte, p.175. 3
away in the attic, Rhys su'tly hints on the fault of the 6nglishman and the deleterious impact on his wife!s tranquillised identity and silenced "re of passion
*n his contemporary adaptation of Jane Eyre, Fukunaga does not oer dramatic changes to Bronte!s narrative overall, yet takes a risk measure of shifting the structure, which in previous cinematic interpretations stayed true to the novel!s chronological, auto'iographical order 2hrough unveiling of the plot in the reorganised form of recurring, ela'orate 4ash'acks, -.&& Jane Eyre oers a fresh, yet more distur'ing view on the heroine!s emotional $ourney and once more depreciated sense of identity, 4imsily created at 2horn"eld 2he compelling, powerful imagery of the opening scene fully maximises Bronte!s lengthy description of Jane!s itinerancy after 4eeing from 2horn"eld, commonly %softened! and shortened 'y previous adaptors By opening the "lm where the novel already proceeds to its third and "nal part, Fukunaga explores Jane!s fate with the strong, instant focus on her a'ruptly interrupted adulthood, rather than the unfortunate 'eginnings and harsh up'ringing 2o those familiar with the source text, this unusual recon"guration of the story proposes a 'a@ing, perhaps even eye0opening alternative, making the reader 0 viewer reconsider Jane!s life story in a more selective, fragmentary manner 2his interferes with the idea of the coming of age Bildungsroman genre, yet puts more emphasis on the often overlooked
%post0Rochester! part, when Jane discovers independence and does not have to 'e su'ordinate for the "rst time in her life For the audience
4
unacquainted to Bronte!s novel, the scene depicting an anonymous female vagrant, roaming vast marshes and moors in emotional distress and agony, may form a mystery the viewer has to yet unravel 3 instead of watching Jane!s 'oth literal and mental growth, we "rst see her as a 'roken woman of distur'ing, unknown past, whose struggles to regain the long lost identity were ceased 'y the reveal of a devastating secret 2he eeriness surrounding Jane is strengthened 'y a teasing, sinister voice, which murmursA %Jane 6yre! when she is 'eing asked to introduce herself 2he scene changes suddenly to the "rst retrospect of the young Jane, am'ushed 'y her violent, a'usive cousin Fukunaga plays with the idea of Jane!s lifelong strive to remain hidden and undiscovered 3 "rst as a shunned, re$ected child, now as a %almost a 'ride! , who fears if found 'y the manqu hus'and, she may not have the strength to leave him again Fukunaga!s measures are not as much !gap "llers!, as they are su'tle recon"gurations and additives to the narrative, yet they can successfully alter the perception of Jane!s story as a whole and therefore create new gaps and raise thought provoking re4ections
2he signi"cance of 'eing in the possession of a name in the persistent struggle for identity is further explored 'y 'oth Fukunaga and Rhys, whose heroines! numerous renaming plays a 'ig role in dehumanising and confusion, 'ut also a chance for empowerment and the way to achieving the desired selfhood )t Jane!s and Rochester!s "rst encounter, he mockingly refers to her as %#iss Doverness! in a patronising voice,
7 *'id, p&-& 5
la'elling her as a nameless, insigni"cant "gure, whose only role is her, not highly regarded nor admired, situation Concerning his wife, to those unfamiliar with Wide Sargasso Sea only known as Bertha, Rochester employs a similar, yet much more harmful practice Eriginally named )ntoinette in Rhys!s prequel, Rochester strips his wife of her Creole identity 'y calling her Bertha, as well as inventing an ironic nickname %marionette!, suggesting the confused woman!s fate is in his possession, reduced to a spirit0deprived shell, lifeless toy 2his device provides paradox to the story, where )ntoinette is "nally %put on stage! of her own existence, yet is still defeated Rhys exposes the intolerant, cruel nature of Rochester, shedding more light onto the in$ustices done to the mentally scarred )ntoinette, who in Bronte!s novel is limited merely to animalistic similes :%the clothed hyena! G;, frantic laughter and aggressive out'ursts 3 she therefore attempts to provide an explanation and %li'erates what Bronte!s Jane Eyre represses!&. Rhys!s device of comparing )ntoinette to a string puppet may also 'e a reference to Rochester!s in4uence on Jane, drawing on what she 'ellicosely states in the novel a'out never 'eing a'le to %'ear 'eing dressed like a doll 'y #r Rochester! && Ene could argue this statement is also re4ected in Fukunaga!s characterisation of the scene, where Jane tears o her wedding dress and returns to the ordinary plainness En the day of the wedding, she takes a 'ittersweet note of the fact that %she won!t 'e Jane 6yre any longer! &-, yet does not 8 Rhys, pGG 9 Bronte, p&-. 10 +ylvie #aurel, %2he Ether +tageA from Jane 6yre to 1ide +argasso +ea!, Bronte Studies,9<- :-..G;, pp&==0&>& :p&=>; 11 Bronte, p&&. 12 Jane Eyre, Cary Jo$i Fukunaga, Hniversal, -.&&
6
suspect that new identity she anxiously prepares herself to acquire, already 'elongs to the %human impediment! 3 the imprisoned "rst #rs Rochester 1hat in Bronte!s novel happens emotionlessly and %mechanically!&9, Fukunaga depicts as a sym'olic release of repressed passions 'y focusing the camera on Jane!s hands, loosening her tight corset with "erce pulls 2he constricting garment, that like a cage entraps Jane in feminine ideals of the Iictorian society, she strips o hastily as if it was a 'urning +hirt of essus, a poisoning deceit of Rochester!s that unleashes her from social expectations, 'ut also the 'ond with the 'eloved man )lthough she shows more inner strength than )ntoinette, Fukunaga!s adaptation takes her vivid dreams of Rochester further, creating a lucid hallucination of his and Jane!s passionate reunion 2he director uses that unexpected scene to strongly communicate to the audience the overwhelming, maddening allegiance Jane has towards her master 3 capa'le of disowning her precious, %earned! name to 'ecome #iss 6lliott, she is al'eit too weak to forswear the spiritual 'ond she shares with Rochester
2he discussed adaptations of Jane Eyre 'oth "ll and create gaps in their adapted narrative, 'oth challenging the reader with %the other side of the coin!, as well as questioning what they already know a'out the familiar plot with gentle twists and visual changes 2he purpose of Rhys!s novel is clearly to create identity for )ntoinette, regardless of her inevita'le doom in 'oth Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea +he "lls the gap of %'efore! in
13 Bronte, p&-& 7
the one0sided, %after! story featured in Bronte!s novel, where the "gure of )ntoinetteKBertha is used merely to %represent Jane!s suppressed angry self!&< *n her linguistically rich prose, "lled with intricate references, metaphors and vivid sym'olism, Rhys draws on the parallelism of )ntoinette!s and Jane!s identities, 'oth perished in "re, suggesting that suppressed madwoman is in fact Jane!s dou'le, not the demonic %Ether! )part from that, Wide Sargasso Sea also emphasises the fault of Rochester through the attack on the 6nglish patriarchy &=, 'lamed 'y Rhys for the destruction of )ntoinette!s primaeval sense of self En the other hand, Fukunaga explores Jane!s identity through the powerful depiction of her %escape0into0wholeness! &> pilgrimage, presented unusually in the opening scene of the "lm By introducing Jane as a vagrant, mysterious soul, rather than a trou'led, re$ected girl, he creates a more mature and imaginative answer to Bronte!s narrative 5is further interpretation of Jane!s quest for independence, involves a more passionate and emotionally driven reaction to Rochester!s 'etrayal and the 'urning need to untangle from the no longer existing future as his wife )lthough empowered 'oth 'y Bronte and the director to leave Rochester, in Fukunaga!s adaptation Jane is haunted 'y a lucid, passionate vision of his, which questions her sanity and therefore also, like in Rhys!s adaptation, the intoxicating in4uences Rochester may have on his women #ord count$ %&' 14 +ylvie #aurel, %2he Ether +tageA from Jane 6yre to 1ide +argasso +ea!, Bronte Studies,9<- :-..G;, pp&==0&>& :p&==; 15 5elen Carr, L%*ntemperate and Hnchaste%A Jean Rhys and Cari''ean Creole *dentityL, 1omenA ) Cultural Review, &<& :-..9;, pp 90= :p =-; 16 +andra # Dil'ert and +usan Du'ar, The Madwoman In The Attic :ew 5avenA Male Hniversity Nress, -...;, p 99>
8
*L*+-./01
Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre Oindle edition/ Carr, 5elen, L%*ntemperate and Hnchaste%A Jean Rhys and Cari''ean Creole *dentityL, 1omenA ) Cultural Review, &<& :-..9;, pp 90= 6arnshaw, +teven, L%Dive me my name%A aming and *dentity *n and )round Jane 6yreL, Bronte +tudies, 99 :-.&-;, pp &<0&G Dil'ert, +andra #, and +usan Du'ar, The Madwoman In The Attic :ew 5avenA Male Hniversity Nress, -...; Jane Eyre, Cary Jo$i Fukunaga, Hniversal, -.&&
Pacey, ) R, A Dictionary Of hiloso!hy :PondonA Routledge Q O Naul, &G>; #aurel, +ylvie, %2he Ether +tageA from Jane 6yre to 1ide +argasso +ea!, Bronte Studies,9<- :-..G;, pp&==0&>& Rhys, Jean, Wide Sargasso Sea :PondonA Nenguin, -...;
+hachar, 5ila, "ultural Afterli#es And Screen Ada!tations Of "lassic $iterature :BasingstokeA Nalgrave #acmillan, -.&-; +ternlie', Pisa Ruth, The %emale &arrator In The British &o#el :BasingstokeA Nalgrave, -..-;
9
