Wide Sargasso Sea

Jean Rhys, a native of Dominica, wrote Wide Sargasso Sea as a revision of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, focusing her novel on Bertha, the Jamaican madwoman locked in the attic of the British manor house. Written over the course of twenty-one years and published in 1966, Wide Sargasso Sea was immediately recognized as a central novel for those interested in colonialism, Caribbean culture, race, and women's writing. It is set in Jamaica, Dominica, and England between 1839 and 1845 and describes a world of changing poser relations among the English, the Creoles, and the newly emancipated slaves. The novel is considered a literary masterpiece for its simple yet rich language and its innovative narrative structure. The text of this Norton Critical Edition is accompanied by annotations that assist readers in understanding the historical background, regional and cultural references, and Creole and French phrases necessary for a full appreciation of the novel.

(back cover)