'Sandra Drake\r'

'Andrea November 17 2010 Race and Caribbean Culture Sandra Drake ad garmentes leash issues in her excerpt â€Å"Race and Caribbean Culture as Thematic of Liberation in denim Rhys’ roomy gulfweed Sea”. First we have the do of the abolishment of slavery on the ex-slave owners and the Afro-Caribbean ex-slaves. Second we receive the loss of personal identity element element that Antoinette had as she struggle to determine in the Caribbean assimilation and the side of meat culture as well. At last, Drake turns her attention into the social tension that progressively grows on Wide Sargasso Sea.The unexpected abolishment of slavery left Antoinette’s family in a bad social and economic situation. Her mother’s marriage and her own seem to be the scarce viable solution for their problems. Somewhat helpful but Antoinette still had to â€Å"struggle against the survival of the Caribbean and European patriarchy and empire” (Drake 195). The Europe an colonialism and patriarchy on Antoinette is a mirroring image of what European Colonialism did to the Afro-Caribbean people.In her struggle to find an identity she became a â€Å"zombie”, a â€Å"ghost”, concord to the ex-slaves or an â€Å"Antoinette-marionette”, according to Rochester (Drake 200). Her dependence on others, specifically, Rochester authorise to her â€Å"real death” eventually by his English like suppression of her; just as the colonizers did to the Afro-Caribbean people. His essential English controlling personality is parallel to the oppressiveness of Coco by her English stepfather when he snip his wings; which became a foreshadowing of her fate.In her pursuit for an identity â€Å"she betrays herself”, as she fervently tries to fit into the English culture by means of the Caribbean obeahs. Paying Christophine reflects her â€Å"denial of be to the Caribbean culture but rather wants to use the whirl to complete her ass imilation to England and to whiteness” (198), and a tilt crew as a signal of betrayal. ironically later on we find her calling come forward for Christophine to come and help her and protect her (202), she has flashbacks of her red dress and sees her Caribbean identity in it when she is in Thornfield Hall (WSS 86-187). This regular struggles lead to her loss of identity; having recurring dreams more or less the fire at Coulibri Estate and the persistent questions â€Å"Qui est la? ” and You frightened? â€Å"leave Antoinette with fear” (195). The answers to both of these questions ar â€Å"Bertha, Bertha” (204) from the man that hated her. Alan Gordon suggests â€Å"Antoinette feels anguish at Rochester for subjugating her as her stepfather, another Englishman, subjugated Coco by trimming his wings.Antoinettes inability to recognize her voice as the antecedent of the scream also reflects her loss of identity. Her perception of Rochesters calls to â €Å"Bertha,” an identity he imposed upon Antoinette, suggest Rochesters role in this loss. A clear comparison of what â€Å"English colonizers did to melanise slaves by changing their African names or giving them surnames” (198). In the midst of this conflict in that respect is a strong social tension among ex-slave owners and ex-slaves. These conflicts were stronger than the friendly relationship that Antoinette thought she had with Tia.When she realizes that Tia is part of the revolt she â€Å"bolts towards the natives, intuits that that is the forethought not just of her past but of her succeeding(a)”. She doesn’t even see the stone in Tia’s hand, but she feels the blood cartroad down her face (203). Such a grim and heart breaking scene shows what the tension was in the Caribbean at that time; not even both innocent girls could see pass it. Drake clearly states the make of the Emancipation Act at a personal, ethnical and individual level as we read on Wide Sargasso Sea.The similarities of what English colonizers did to women and to black slaves atomic number 18 vast for us to compare. The power and subjugation in which they applied their authority was almost â€Å"total”, do them â€Å"clever like the Devil, more clever than God. Aint’s so? ” (206). Work Cited Gordon, Alan. Dreams in Wide Sargasso Sea. 2006. 17 Nov. 2010 http://www. victorianweb. org/neovictorian/rhys/gordon14. html. Drake, Sandra. Criticism. Wide Sargasso Sea. By Jean Rhys. New York: W. W. Norton ;amp; Company Inc. , 1982. 193-206.\r\n'