Annette: This is Antoinette’s mother who provides a negative perspective on her daughter’s life. She always needed to be liked by everyone and this personality trait rubbed off on Antoinette, which reflected on her in a negative way later in the novel. “I was bridesmaid when my mother married Mr. Mason in Spanish Town...their eyes slid away from my hating face” (36). Neglected from her family and being less favored by her mother to her brother, Antoinette lives a life without love and peace, but with a lack of respect and with a husband who finds pleasure in asserting his male dominant power over his wife. Unfortunately, Antoinette has got many of her mother’s undesirable characteristics and possibly could have inherited the mental illness
In his discussion with a psychiatrist many of Antoine’s mishaps and offences are revealed, including the fact that he stole money from his grandmother and visited a prostitute. Antione’s interest in women is explored in this scene. It is also revealed that Antione had been sent to live with a wet nurse and then his grandmother because his mother did not want him around. Through her actions and words, Antione was able to notice that his mother never really cared for him, leading to a rift to be formed between them. As he explains how he found out his mother wanted to abort him, he looks down, nervously moves his fingers, and speaks in a quieter tone demonstrating that the topic of his mother is one that causes him pain and sadness; this is a contrast to when he speaks indifferently about stealing his grandmother’s money. Antione explains that the reason he stole money from her is because she is “old” and “going to die soon.” Antione’s noticeable indifference towards his grandmother, and his need to steal from her regardless of her kindness demonstrates that for Antione she does not satisfy the role of the maternal figure he desires. For Antione, his grandmother cannot take the role of his mother because she is “old” and “going to die.” His grandmother’s advanced age is a threat because in the event of her death, he will
There are such few Americans who know about Haiti, and the tragedies that the country had gone though. In Edwidge Dandicat’s Krik? Krak! This was originally published in 1991, shows her audience the audacities that happened during the Duvalier’s dictatorship. Danticat lets her audience see that even though the Haitian’s are going through these massive troubles they are also going through emotional troubles, such as heart break. These forms of troubles may not seem as difficult as the many; many other hardships the characters have gone through. Although, through “Children of the Sea” and “Caroline’s Wedding” Danticat shows two different stories, though very different, can be similar. Both Caroline and the unnamed woman were told that the men
Often, Rochester tricks her into answering questions in a way he deems unsuitable, simply to chastise her. He does this when he questions her about her mother’s death and again when he calls her dressing habits into question (Rhys). Rochester adds to his horrible treatment of Antoinette when he has sex with Amèlie. According to Rajeev Patke, “[h]er husband’s deliberately casual adultery with a coloured servant in Antoinette’s house distastes and dispossesses her of the only place she had learned to identify herself with as her natural habitat and patrimony” (192). Serving as the ultimate betrayal and reinforcing the bitterness and trust issues that Annette drilled into her head, Antoinette becomes more unstable. Edward Said expresses that “the exile experience constitutes an “unhealable rift between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home”” (137). As the couple’s relationship becomes more and more precarious Rochester taunts Antoinette’s already fragile state. Rochester’s feelings of entrapment or rather his feelings of self-pity, pressed further by his question, “[p]ity. Is there none for me? Tied to a lunatic for life-A drunken lying lunatic-gone her mother 's way (Rhys
The Infant Child plays a huge role in Blanche’s early life. As a result of her mother’s death, Blanche has a fearful temperament, and
Marie, who is a product of an abusive family, is influenced by her past, as she perceives the relationship between Callie and her son, Bo. Saunders writes, describing Marie’s childhood experiences, “At least she’d [Marie] never locked on of them [her children] in a closet while entertaining a literal gravedigger in the parlor” (174). Marie’s mother did not embody the traditional traits of a maternal fig...
...h the narration voice of Antoinette. The initial symbol of fire disguised her mother's mental collapse; where as the symbol of passion did so for Antoinette. Ironically enough, the opposites collide in the closing stages, as fire leads to Antoinette's physical demise, and the passion of Annette's consistent sexual abuse leads to hers. Although many place the blame upon the greedy and uncanny English husbands, it is certain that such incapable mental conditions are a dominant trait throughout the family. The theme of fire and passion ignite this story, and engulf Antoinette as a whole. They describe her and contrast her being to that of her mothers. Furthermore, Bertha Mason was more then just an unstable madwoman as Mr. Rochester makes her out to believe; she is Antoinette.
...d longs for her elder sister and mother. Frances is a good person – at heart – and is always looking out for her younger sister. Moreover, even though she has different views that her father and will always do the opposite of what is expected of her, it is seen that this insecurity is caused by James indeed. Frances feels that in order to gain security in her life, she must perform these actions. She feels compelled to live her life the way she does. Frances’s naughty and mischievous behaviour can be viewed as a weakness she possesses, and she longs to correct these weaknesses by her actions. She is not a role model by any means, but she is by no means the Devil’s advocate. A sincere heart – compelled by circumstances – does its best to make the situation turn out for the better than the worse, and Frances, through her love for her mother, inevitably does just that.
Towards the middle of the memoir, the theme is shown through the irony of Jeannette’s mother’s situation as well as Jeannette’s feelings towards
For Blanche, Belle Reve was the one remaining symbol of a life and a tradition that she knows in her heart have vanished, yet to which she clings with a desperate tenacity. She is dated. Her speech, manners and habit are foolishly passe, but still she cannot abandon this sense of herself as someone special, as a "lady" in the grand tradition. She knows she is an anachronism in an alien world and yet she will not compromise. She cannot and will not surrender the dream she has of herself, and even though she wants desperately not to be lonely, it is precisely the clinging to this dream, the airs, mannerisms and sense of herself, which alienate her further. She is trapped in a terrifying contradiction. Her ne...
In contrast to Lucy Temple, Charlotte’s mother, La Rue was cunning, selfish, and manipulative. As Charlotte spent time with La Rue going to meet Montraville and Belcour, she constantly questions whether she should be accompanying her friend or not. Initially, she will conclude that it is a bad idea, but eventually comes along anyway. Sometimes, La Rue played a hand in persuading Charlotte to come, but others Charlotte would plan that the visit would be her last, but continue anyway. A turning point in the beginning of the novel occurs when La Rue convinces Charlotte to read Montraville’s letter. At first, Charlotte is hesitant, stating that her mother told her to let her read through letters from men before reading it herself. La Rue quickly dismisses this by exaggerating the absurdity of Charlotte’s notion. Once she read the letter, “Charlotte had taken one step in the ways of imprudence; and when that is once done, there are always innumerable obstacles to prevent the erring person returning to the path of rectitude” (Rowson 29). In making this decision, Charlotte already knew that she should not read the letter. This event serves as the beginning to Charlotte’s
The struggle to battle with the persistent grief of self-blame and lack of identity is a constant reminder to the barriers in relationships. Leroy grieves over the fact that he has lost his identity as a father and husband. Although he often thinks of Randy, the memories of him have faded. As a result, he latches on to Norma Jean but she doesn’t respond back. This causes him to feel like a failure of a husband. Norma Jean is grieving over the emptiness in her life. It was not the life she thought she would have. Her deceased son symbolizes her emptiness because of his death. She also feels emptiness towards her husband. For example, she feels very uncomfortable around him and always tries to find something for him to do. When Leroy arrives back home from his accident Mason implies, “he thinks she’s seems a little disappointed” (Mason 220), displaying Norma Jean frustrated with his lying around doing nothing but watching television and smoking pot. In addition, Norma Jean feels emptiness towards her mother, which is presented in the way her mother criticizes her. When tragedies occur in a family and self-confidence fades it can take over your life a...
Adèle Ratignolle uses art to beautify her home. Madame Ratignolle represents the ideal mother-woman (Bloom 119). Her chief concerns and interests are for her husband and children. She was society’s model of a woman’s role. Madame Ratignolle’s purpose for playing the pia...
After the fire at Coulibri, Antoinette endures a rough time in her life, for her mother rejects her and Pierre dies. Antoinette’s mind is full of fear, sadness and instability. This trauma is clearly shown in the convent that she attends for the remainder of her adolescence. Upon entry, Antoinette takes immediate note and puts extra emphasis on describing the stones in the school. Taking note of the “cool stoneflagged room” (Rhys, 28) and providing this as the initial description suggests that she is at first uncomfortable. Having just been aggressively confronted by two residents of the island Antoinette is shaken (Rhys, 27). In order to further convey Antoinette’s distrustful mind, Rhys describes the uninviting and cold stones of the convent thus allowing the reader to more deeply
Antoinette’s husband, Mr. Rochester drives her mad because he wants to be the dominant one and controlling of Antoinette, while Antoinette is an innocent girl who only wants to be loved. In the text, it says, “If she was a child she was not a stupid child but an obstinate one. She often questioned me about England and listened attentively to my answers, but I was certain that nothing I said made much difference. Her mind was already made up…. I could not change them [her fixed ideas] and probably nothing would. Reality
This concludes both work A Doll House and Madame Bovary that some mothers are just naturally good and naturally bad. Women all over the world can be like Nora, a naturally good mother who loves, spend time, and would do what is best for their children even they are having tough situations like herself who hides the loan secret. Unfortunately, some women who are naturally bad mothers like Emma who is careless, inattentive, and try to love their children when they want. These two feminine protagonists are examples how differently as mothers women are.