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Wide Sargasso Sea Study Guide

by Jean Rhys

Wide Sargasso Sea study guide contains a biography of Jean Rhys, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Wide Sargasso Sea begins in Jamaica after the Emancipation Act of 1833, under which Britain outlawed slavery in all its colonies. The first part of the novella is told from the point-of-view of Antoinette Cosway, a young white girl whose father, a hated former slaveholder, has died and left his wife and children in poverty. The family's estate, Coulibri, is quickly falling into ruin, and Antoinette's mother, Annette, is rapidly sinking into a deep depression. Since her mother frequently rejects her, Antoinette spends most of her time alone or with her black nurse, Christophine, one of the few servants who has not chosen to desert the struggling family.

One day, for the first time in a long time, visitors come to Coulibri. One of these men…

Read the full Wide Sargasso Sea Summary

• Wide Sargasso Sea Summary
• About Wide Sargasso Sea
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Summary and Analysis of Part 1, Section 1
• Summary and Analysis of Part 1, Section 2
• Summary and Analysis of Part 1, Section 3
• Summary and Analysis of Part 2, Section 1
• Summary and Analysis of Part 2, Section 2
• Summary and Analysis of Part 2, Section 3
• Summary and Analysis of Part 2, Section 4
• Summary and Analysis of Part 2, Section 5
• Summary and Analysis of Part 3
• What is "post-colonialism"?
• Related Links on Wide Sargasso Sea
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• Wide Sargasso Sea: Major Themes
• Wide Sargasso Sea: Essays
• Wide Sargasso Sea: Questions
• Wide Sargasso Sea: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• Jean Rhys: Biography