Comparing Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre in Foucault's Perspective to Interpret "The Madwoman in the Attic"

Abstract

Charlotte Bronte portrayed a marginal character in Jane Eyre, Bertha Mason, the madwoman in the attic. Many readers thought she was insane, ugly, and silent at the same time. She emerges from the attic later to recount her forgotten background in Wide Sargasso Sea when Jane Rhys investigates her family history. Whether it is the postmodern writing style or the psychological exploration of the heroine in the novel, it has the artistic research value of various interpretations. The study of Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre mainly focuses on postcolonial discourse and identity discourse. It is rare to analyze Bertha from the perspective of Foucault's discourse power theory. This essay interprets Bertha and Antoinette's characterizations in terms of the interrelationships of discourse, power, and knowledge based on Foucault's theory of discursive power. It examines the lack of women's discourse and its reconstruction, broadens the viewpoints of Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre, and deepens our comprehension of The Madwoman in the Attic.