Wilson Harris Wide Sargasso Sea

Wilson Harris believes that most novels make use of a myth to give even more depth to the plot and underlying message. As Harris limits himself to only exploring two books, he explains what mythical properties lie in Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre, and how these myths increase the complexity of the story. The only problem with these myths incorporated in the story is the myths can only be applied to a few characters in each of the story, so there seems to be almost no point for the other characters to be in the plot. Harris’ view is insightful and intriguing to think about, but may lack the depth to encompass other important characters and aspects of the story.
Harris starts off his essay by giving reasons for why myths exist, which are to

teach about being partial and bias, which leads to fear and a bigger “wholeness.” Wholeness could be anything really. It could be an emotion, society, or religion; Harris explores this idea through different myths applying to characters. For example, “There are legacies of slavery and catastrophe in the soil of the Caribbean which leave such deep scars on Antoinette and her relations.” Earlier in that same paragraph, Harris mentions three myths that are woven into Wide Sargasso Sea. The three myths include the fire-motif, the foodbearing tree and constellation of the Arawaks. He explains how the re-dress of Bertha leads to a constellation of Antoinette in the sky of fiction. Then the next part of the essay goes into detail about Rochester and how he effects the myth. Rochester causes so much anguish and pain to Antoinette that the “foodbearing” tree casts a shadow over her. Antoinette tries to please Rochester so much that he could never repay her with any amount of money. This all eventually lead to the conclusion of the essay, which is that Jean Rhys was attempting to turn Antoinette into a divine figure. The last sentence of the essay signifies that statement.
Harris’ essay provides great insight on what may have influenced Jean Rhys ad Charlotte Bronte’s novels. Myths have been around for centuries, and when used in a book, myths can develop a character even more. Harris mentions a “larger complex of wholeness” in the first paragraph of his essay after he goes over his view of a myth. This “wholeness” could be the bigger picture of the story, it could be why humans do what we do, or simply wanting to be a part of a society. Harris never tells the reader what this wholeness is because there is no one specific item that can be applied. As Harris teaches the reader about the mythical aspects of the stories, its seems as if Antoinette and Rochester are trying to be a part of the wholeness of their current society. Antionette tries to please Rochester, while he tries change Antoinette so she doesn’t seem insane. The irony in Harris’ exploration of wholeness is that he doesn’t capture all of the characters when discussing the myths. Harris talks about wholeness, but fails to talk about the entire story and character list from the two novels. His essay may have been much longer, but he should have tried to tie in some myths with other more minor characters to make to drive home the point of wholeness even more.
Harris’ viewpoint of novelist integrating myths into their stories is a unique thought on literature. His viewpoint leads to the bigger concept of what is “wholeness?” It is up to the reader to decide what the wholeness is, and how it applies to the story and possibly their life. This though provoking essay is a great read for anyone who is considering expanding their interpretation on a novel, especially Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre.