Jean Rhys
Jean Rhys (1890-1979), initially named Ella Gwendoline Rees Williams, was born in Roseau, Dominica. She was a West Indian-born writer whose works discuss themes like displacement, alienation, and the female experience in the early 20th century.
Early Life
Jean Rhys’s father, William Rees Williams, was a Welsh medical doctor, and her mother, Minna Williams (née Lockhart), was a third-generation Dominican Creole of Scots ancestry. At the age of 16, Rhys moved to England to live with an aunt due to a strained relationship with her mother. She attended the Perse School for Girls in Cambridge and later the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
In 1919, Rhys married her first of three husbands, Willem Johan Marie (Jean) Lenglet, a French-Dutch journalist. They had two children, a son who died at three weeks old and a daughter named Maryvonne. One year after their divorce in 1933, she married editor Leslie Tilden-Smith, who supported her writing career until he died in 1945. Her third marriage to solicitor Max Hamer in 1947 was marked by further personal challenges, including Hamer’s imprisonment for fraud.
Literary Themes
Rhys's literary works explore themes of disorientation and the challenges of adapting to life. Her early novels, including Quartet (1928) and Voyage in the Dark (1934), depict women's lives navigating the harsh realities of exile and societal marginalization. These works are characterized by their lyrical prose, psychological depth, and recurring themes of vulnerability and resilience.
Wide Sargasso Sea
Her most acclaimed work, Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), is a prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. This novel reimagines the life of Bertha Mason, whose backstory is rooted in the Caribbean and who is also known as the “madwoman in the attic.” Through this narrative, Rhys addresses themes of colonialism, racial inequality, and the clash of cultures while offering a nuanced critique of the prevailing imperialist narratives.
Modernist Contributions
While Rhys is often associated with post-colonial literature due to her exploration of colonial themes and identities, her contributions to modernist culture are equally significant. Her narrative technique frequently employs a stream of consciousness approach, reflecting her characters' inner turmoil and split identities. This modernist style aligns with contemporaries like Virginia Woolf and James Joyce, who similarly pushed the boundaries of traditional narrative forms. In her novels from the modernist period, Rhys often depicts female protagonists who struggle against poverty, isolation, and degradation, frequently encountering harsh treatment and contempt from others.
Jean Rhys is viewed as a modernist, postcolonial, Caribbean, British, and Creole writer. These overlapping identities enrich her works with many perspectives, establishing her as a distinctive voice in 20th-century literature.
Legacy and Recognition
Despite her significant contributions to modernist and Caribbean literature, Rhys’ work was not widely recognized until later. Wide Sargasso Sea brought her critical acclaim and established her as an international literary figure. Her works are celebrated today for their emotional intensity, stylistic innovation, and deep exploration of identity and displacement.
Jean Rhys’s literary legacy continues to influence contemporary writers, scholars, and filmmakers. Her exploration of themes such as exile, identity, and the female experience offers valuable insights into the complexities of the human condition, bridging the realms of modernist and post-colonial studies.
Selected Works
- Quartet (1928)
- After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie (1931)
- Voyage in the Dark (1934)
- Good Morning, Midnight (1939)
- Wide Sargasso Sea (1966)
- Smile Please (1979)
Sources
- Carr, Helen. "4 Jean Rhys: West Indian intellectual". West Indian intellectuals in Britain, edited by Bill Schwarz, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2003, pp. 93-113. https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526137968.00010
- Ingman, Heather. "Jean Rhys (1890-1979)".Mothers and Daughters in the Twentieth Century: A Literary Anthology, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 96-99. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474469456-016
- Johnson, Erica L., and Patricia Moran. "Introduction: The Haunting of Jean Rhys." Jean Rhys: Twenty-First-Century Approaches. Ed. Erica Johnson and Patricia Moran. Edinburgh University Press, 2015. 1–18.
- Johnson, Erica L.. "10. ‘Upholstered Ghosts’: Jean Rhys’s Posthuman Imaginary". Jean Rhys: Twenty-First-Century Approaches, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2015, pp. 209-227. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474402200-014
- Savory, Elaine. Jean Rhys. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print. Cambridge Studies in African and Caribbean Literature.