Insanity In Wide Sargasso Sea

Insanity does not happen on its own, and relationships do not usually fall apart without some sort of catalyst. In Wide Sargasso Sea this catalyst is alcohol, specifically rum. Antoinette and Rochester have had rather troublesome pasts so consoling oneself with alcohol is not out of the ordinary, but little did they know it would lead to an even more unpleasant future. Throughout the story there are traces of alcohol, and if followed they help to explain the slow descent of the relationship between Rochester and Antoinette, and the steep decline of Antoinette’s sanity. The glass of rum in the middle of the table surrounded by the bow tie and necklace symbolizes how the relationship started out. They begin their relationship with a toast to their marriage. “Holding my hand, she went up to the sideboard where two glasses of rum punch were waiting for us. She handed me one and said, “To happiness.” “To happiness,” I answered.”” (Rhys, 66).

It is not unusual for the house servant, Christophine, to use rum to treat her friends or family. She even gave Rochester some coffee with a shot or white rum to provide relief from his unpleasant symptoms. She does the same thing for Antoinette. “There are mornings when she can’t wake, or when it’s as if she still sleeping. I don’t want to give her any more of- of what I give. So- I let her have rum instead. I know that won’t hurt her” (Rhys, 140-141). Christophine’s attempt to fix Antoinette at her time of need is logical due to their long history together, but she is unaware that it is doing the opposite of fixing. This constant use of alcohol to relieve stress and “illness” compile to an unhealthy amount of alcohol intake and Antoinette would be considered an alcoholic today based on these facts. This gives more acceleration to the dwindling of her sanity and weaken her ability to handle difficult situation on her