Sargasso Research Articles

Including the Caribbean. A commentary on David Chandler and Jonathan Pugh's ‘Abyssal geography’.

Including the Caribbean. A commentary on David Chandler and Jonathan Pugh's ‘Abyssal geography’.

Disentangling multiproxy temperature reconstructions from the subtropical North Atlantic

Reliable reconstruction of past sea surface temperature (SST) is of prime importance for understanding the Earth’s sensitivity to external forcing. Yet, it remains a major challenge in paleoceanography because comparison between SST estimates from different proxies reveals mismatches and raise the question as to what the contrasting proxies actually record. A better understanding of these mismatches in the light of seasonal occurrence of the proxy bearing organisms (archives) and water mass changes help to assess climate models. Here, we analyze data from the last deglaciation using a sediment core site situated at the northern boundary of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre influenced by fast latitudinal migrations of the subtropical Azores Front (AF) and resulting changes in water masses that may affect the SST records. Differences between the SST estimates from different deglacial SST reconstructions obtained from (1) Mg/Ca in planktic foraminifer tests, (2) alkenone UK′37, and (3) planktic foraminifer assemblages (SIMMAX), are assumed to result from the ecology of the proxy bearing organisms, and are assessed for the impact on different SST reconstructions from local seawater δ18O (δ18Ow) reconstructions. The general trends of SSTs from all four proxies confirm the well-known deglacial succession of warm and cold events. Mismatches between amplitudes of temperature changes are explained by differences in the phenology of the proxy-bearing organisms and local changes in hydrography. The combination of δ18O SST from the three different archives of δ18Ow reconstructions may cause offsets that exceed the climate driven signals.

The photic-aphotic divide is a strong ecological and evolutionary force determining the distribution of ciliates (Alveolata, Ciliophora) in the ocean.

The bulk of knowledge on marine ciliates is from shallow and/or sunlit waters. We studied ciliate diversity and distribution across epi- and mesopelagic oceanic waters, using DNA metabarcoding and phylogeny-based metrics. We analyzed sequences of the 18S rRNA gene (V4 region) from 369 samples collected at 12 depths (0-1,000 m) at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site of the Sargasso Sea (North Atlantic) monthly for 3 years. The comprehensive depth and temporal resolutions analyzed led to three main findings. First, there was a gradual but significant decrease in alpha-diversity (based on Faith's phylogenetic diversity index) from surface to 1,000-m waters. Second, multivariate analyses of beta-diversity (based on UniFrac distances) indicate that ciliate assemblages change significantly from photic to aphotic waters, with a switch from Oligotrichea to Oligohymenophorea prevalence. Third, phylogenetic placement of sequence variants and clade-level correlations (EPA-ng and GAPPA algorithms) show Oligotrichea, Litostomatea, Prostomatea, and Phyllopharyngea as anti-correlated with depth, while Oligohymenophorea (especially Apostomatia) have a direct relationship with depth. Two enigmatic environmental clades include either prevalent variants widely distributed in aphotic layers (the Oligohymenophorea OLIGO5) or subclades differentially distributed in photic versus aphotic waters (the Discotrichidae NASSO1). These results settle contradictory relationships between ciliate alpha-diversity and depth reported before, suggest functional changes in ciliate assemblages from photic to aphotic waters (with prevalence of algivory and mixotrophy versus omnivory and parasitism, respectively), and indicate that contemporary taxon distributions in the vertical profile have been strongly influenced by evolutionary processes. Integration of DNA sequences with organismal data (microscopy, functional experiments) and development of databases that link these sources of information remain as major tasks to better understand ciliate diversity, ecological roles, and evolution in the ocean.

The Seasonal Cycle of the Eastern Boundary Currents of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre

AbstractFor the first time, four dedicated hydrographic cruises—one in each season—took place in 2015 around the Canary Islands to determine the seasonality of the flows at the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. The Canary Current (CC) is the eastern boundary current of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre and links the Azores Current with the North Equatorial Current. The 2015 estimations show that the CC has a seasonal behavior in its path and strength, flowing on its easternmost position in winter (3.4 ± 0.3 Sv), through the Canary Islands in spring (2.1 ± 0.7 Sv) and summer (2.0 ± 0.6 Sv) and on its westernmost position in fall (3.2 ± 0.4 Sv). At the Lanzarote Passage (LP), the dominant flow is southward except in fall, where a northward transport is observed at the surface (1.1 ± 0.3 Sv) and intermediate (1.3 ± 0.2 Sv) layers. Combining all the available transport estimations, a historical composite observational seasonal cycle is constructed which fits the 2015 seasonal cycle. Hence, a solid seasonal cycle is constructed supported by all the available observations in the area. The LP seasonal cycle and its seasonal amplitude match the seasonal cycle and amplitude of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) measured by the RAPID‐MOCHA data array. These results indicate that the seasonal cycle of the AMOC of the RAPID‐MOCHA data array is driven by the dynamics of the eastern boundary current system.

The Victimized Personas in Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Feminism Perspectives

The Wide Sargasso Sea - (1966). After years of contemplating Charlotte Bronte's Creole madwoman Bertha Mason, Jean Rhys set out to give voice to what is mute in Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Rhys lets Antoinette narrate her tale, revealing the "other side" of Bronte's story: what occurred in the years before and after Mr. Rochester's first marriage in Jamaica. As a twentieth-century West Indian writer, Rhys was able to expose implicit assumptions and ideals in Bronte's writing, such as imperialist England's attitude toward her colonies. The natural environment is a mirror of interior states of being and emotion, a remark on the novel's characterization and action. Even though the two books seem to be identical, they are not. Rhys flips Bronte's Victorian Romantic symbols, Wide Sargasso Sea appears more contemporary and realistic. This paper aims to highlight the victimized characters in both novels and gives a real comparison of the most victimized ones. Both works, respectively, show women fighting patriarchy and injustice at any historical time. From a feminist standpoint, this study compares, Bertha Mason, in the two narratives. Even though Wide Sargasso Sea is a forerunner to Jane Eyre, Rhys expressed a more progressive and revolutionary feminist viewpoint. Bertha Mason is a more victimized female than Jane of the patriarchal system and colonization. These feminist works have left an indelible effect on literature. Most literary commentators have concentrated on Jane, the protagonist of Charlotte Bronte's narrative, on the other hand, there is Bertha Mason, the insane lady on the upper floor imprisoned, as just Jane's evil twin. Bertha has received much less attention than Jane, not as an evil side of Jane, but as a stand-alone figure. This study compares Bertha Mason's representation in Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea. Bertha, who acts as an impediment to Jane's pleasure in Jane Eyre, is recognized as a victim of society.

Atmospheric Input and Seasonal Inventory of Dissolved Iron in the Sargasso Sea: Implications for Iron Dynamics in Surface Waters of the Subtropical Ocean

AbstractConstraining the role of dust deposition in regulating the concentration of the essential micronutrient iron in surface ocean waters requires knowledge of the flux of seawater‐soluble iron in aerosols and the replacement time of dissolved iron (DFe) in the euphotic zone. Here we estimate these quantities using seasonally resolved DFe data from the Bermuda Atlantic Time‐series Study region and weekly‐scale measurements of iron in aerosols and rain from Bermuda during 2019. In response to seasonal changes in vertical mixing, primary production and dust deposition, surface DFe concentrations vary from ∼0.2 nM in early spring to >1 nM in late summer, with DFe inventories ranging from ∼30 to ∼80 μmol/m2, respectively, over the upper 200 m. Assuming the upper ocean approximates steady state for DFe on an annual basis, our aerosol and rainwater data require a mean euphotic‐zone residence time of ∼0.8–1.9 years for DFe with respect to aeolian input.

Rapid shipboard measurement of net-collected marine microplastic polymer types using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging

Isolation and detection of microplastics (MP) in marine samples is extremely cost- and labor-intensive, limiting the speed and amount of data that can be collected. In the current work, we describe rapid measurement of net-collected MPs (net mesh size 300 µm) using a benchtop near-infrared hyperspectral imaging system during a research expedition to the subtropical North Atlantic gyre. Suspected plastic particles were identified microscopically and mounted on a black adhesive background. Particles were imaged with a Specim FX17 near-infrared linescan camera and a motorized stage. A particle mapping procedure was built on existing edge-finding algorithms and a polymer identification method developed using spectra from virgin polymer reference materials. This preliminary work focused on polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene as they are less dense than seawater and therefore likely to be found floating in the open ocean. A total of 27 net tows sampled 2534 suspected MP particles that were imaged and analyzed at sea. Approximately 77.1% of particles were identified as polyethylene, followed by polypropylene (9.2%). A small fraction of polystyrene was detected only at one station. Approximately 13.6% of particles were either other plastic polymers or were natural materials visually misidentified as plastics. Particle size distributions for PE and PP particles with a length greater than 1 mm followed an approximate power law relationship with abundance. This method allowed at-sea, near real-time identification of MP polymer types and particle dimensions, and shows great promise for rapid field measurements of microplastics in net-collected samples.

Temperature patterns along the migration routes of European eel larvae towards the south of the Iberian Peninsula

This study analysed the variations in sea surface temperature patterns along the two main migration routes of European eel larvae from their spawning grounds (Sargasso Sea) to the southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula. For this purpose, monthly time series of sea surface temperature associated with theoretical locations along the migratory routes from January 1984 to December 2006 were analysed. The results indicate that regardless of the migration route followed, the temperature pattern was characterized by two periods of maximum temperatures. Likewise, in both routes, surface temperature anomalies indicated the presence of a regime change in the mid-1990s that significantly correlated with glass eel abundance anomalies in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Along both routes, strong negative anomalies (mid-1980s, early-1990s and mid-1990s) were associated with positive anomalies of glass eel abundance. In contrast, from the mid-1990s, the negative anomalies of glass eel abundance were associated with a period in which the SST anomalies were clearly positive. These results support the hypothesis that SST is highly important for the recruitment of glass eels in the European coasts.

Taxonomic re-evaluation of Ericiolus and Mercedesia (Prymnesiophyceae) and description of three new species

ABSTRACT The genera Ericiolus and Mercedesia are distinctive extant coccolithophores that are characterized by monothecate, monomorphic coccospheres with one type of triradiate star-shaped nannoliths. The two genera were described from the Danish coastal waters, the surface waters of the Arctic, and the Southern Oceans. During a study of samples from the low photic zone of the Mediterranean and Sargasso Seas, and from the subtropical gyres of the South-eastern Pacific and the South Atlantic Oceans, 44 collapsed coccospheres with triradiate star-like nannoliths were observed via scanning electron microscopy. Observations on the morphologies and biometric assessments of these specimens revealed that three distinct sets of nannoliths can be distinguished and that these were morphologically differentiated from all currently known species of Ericiolus and Mercedesia. The new forms and the previously described species of Ericiolus and Mercedesia were, however, similar, as they all demonstrated a distinctive set of collectively shared morphological characters and almost identical size ranges. On the basis of this, and instead of describing a third genus for the same group of nannoliths, we preferred to taxonomically synonymize Mercedesia with Ericiolus and revise the definition of Ericiolus. Therefore, we describe three new species, Ericiolus bendifii sp. nov., Ericiolus sheldoniae sp. nov. and Ericiolus mattioliae sp. nov., and an incompletely defined taxon, as Ericiolus cf. bendifii, and establish the new combinations E. aspiphorus comb. nov., E. multistellatus comb. nov. and E. pusillus comb. nov.

‘Always half-and-half’: ‘Voyage in’ as halfness in Jean Rhys’s short fiction

From the initial years when criticism on the writer Jean Rhys largely circled around Wide Sargasso Sea to an interest in her other novels growing since then, Rhys’s short stories have evoked comparatively scant critical interest. Yet the thematic concerns in her short stories contribute as vitally to the writer’s continuing close scrutiny of coloniality as her novels do. In this article, it is the criss-cross traffic of imperialist voyages that is looked at through Rhys’s short stories. The thematics of contamination, bastardization and halfness that these stories probe complicate more utopian theorizations of cosmopolitanization. The voyage into the imperial capital is inseparable from the experience of creolized, stigmatized, ‘halfness’ in Rhys’s corpus and that makes for a contestatory understanding of the polyphony often ascribed to these increasingly porous cityscapes. This article looks at two stories from the writer, ‘Overture and Beginners Please’ and ‘On Not Shooting Sitting Birds’, both foregrounding the ex-centric position of the women protagonists who are specifically tied to a Caribbean background, to suggest how Rhys’s work haunts that writing of the trope of voyaging whereby the brutal abrasions of colonial history are retrospectively subsumed into the more pluralistic folds of hybridity. In these stories, the journey into the imperial metropolis sets up a probe into the limits and blindspots of cosmopolitan Europe in the early to mid-twentieth century. Rhys’s short fiction spectrally interrupts the modernist narrative of aesthetic border-crossings to tell another, more experiential, one, where boundary crossing is a haunted experience from the point of view of those voyaging in.

The Manifestation of Psychological Alienation in Jean Rhys'Wide Sargasso Sea

Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), which has been analysed by academics from a number of perspectives, is generally acknowledged to be a prelude to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (1847). In Charlotte Bronte's novel, Rochester's insane West Indian wife lives in the attic and prevents Jane from marrying him. When she ultimately perishes in the fire she starts, Rochester's home is burned down and he is rendered blind, but Jane is now free to marry Rochester. The only way to portray the insane person in Jane Eyre is from the outside. The insane West Indian wife is utterly repulsive and wicked in the view of writer and Rochester. In fact, Jane is unable to distinguish between the madwoman and the beast when she first sees them grovelling on all fours in chapter sixteen of the book. In this episode, the insane woman attacks Rochester like a hyena with swollen features. Wide Sargasso Sea is a sympathetic portrayal of the life of Rochester's insane wife, including everything from her upbringing in the West Indies, her Creole and Catholic upbringing, her courting and early marriage to the dishonest Rochester, to her last decline into madness and incarceration in England. It is obvious that in many ways Rhys' situation and the West Indian wife's situation are similar. She has created a "counter-text," a supplement to Bronte's book that fills in the "missing" testimonies and clarifies the topics that Bronte glosses over, to offer the foreign wife's side of the story. The present article focuses on how the female protagonist in Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys experiences psychological alienation and experiences loneliness, meaninglessness, and grief.

Swimbladder Function in the European Eel Anguilla anguilla

Eels use the swimbladder for buoyancy control. The ductus pneumaticus connecting the esophagus with the swimbladder is closed soon after initial opening of the swimbladder in the glass eel stage, so that eels are functionally physoclist. Subsequent filling of the swimbladder is achieved by activity of gas gland cells in the swimbladder epithelium and countercurrent concentration in the rete mirabile. Gas gland cells produce and release lactic acid and CO2. In blood, acidification induces a release of oxygen from the hemoglobin (Root effect). The resulting increases in PO2 and PCO2 provide diffusion gradients for the diffusion of oxygen and CO2 into the swimbladder, the main gases secreted into the swimbladder. In addition, the partial pressure of these two gases remains elevated in venous blood leaving the swimbladder epithelium and returning to the rete mirabile. Back-diffusion from venous to arterial capillaries in the rete results in countercurrent concentration, allowing for the generation of high gas partial pressures, required for filling the swimbladder under elevated hydrostatic pressure. The transition of the yellow eel to the silver eel stage (silvering) is accompanied by a significant improvement in swimbladder function, but swimbladder volume cannot be kept constant during the daily vertical migrations silver eels perform during their spawning migration back to the spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea. Infection of the swimbladder with the nematode Anguillicola crassus significantly impairs the function of the swimbladder as a buoyancy organ.

Micro(nano)plastics in the atmosphere of the Atlantic Ocean

The occurrence, long-range atmospheric transport and deposition of micro and nano plastics (MNPLs) remains un-quantified for the oceanic atmosphereopen ocean. Here we show the characterisation of MNPLs and the aerosol composition (PM10) in a north-south Atlantic transect from Vigo (Spain) to Punta Arenas (Chile). The analytical procedure to assess the composition of MNPLs consisted of a double suspect screening approach of the polymers and additives, the two constituents of plastics. Polymers were analysed by size exclusion chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry using an atmospheric pressure photoionization source operated in positive and negative conditions (HPLC(SEC)-APPI(+/-)-HRMS). Plastic additives were screened with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry using an electrospray ionisation source (HPLC-ESI(+/-)-HRMS). The most common polymers were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyisoprene (PI), and polystyrene (PS), with the highest polymer concentration being 51.7 ng·m−3 of PI. The air mass back trajectories showed the variable influence of oceanic and terrestrial air masses. These differences were reflected in the aerosol composition with different contributions of Saharan dust, sea spray aerosol, organic/elemental carbon, and MNPLs. Results showed that samples largely influenced by sea-spray and air masses originating from coastal South America and the north Atlantic subtropical gyre were more contaminated by MNPLs. Moreover, this information was complemented by the characterisation of the largest particles using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and µ-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (µ-FTIR). This work provides the first field evidence of the long-range transport of MNPLs in most of the Atlantic Ocean, as the result of dynamic coupling between the lower atmosphere and the surface ocean. Sea-spray formation arises as a key driver for the aerosolisation of MNPLs, and atmospheric transport followed by dry deposition may modulate the occurrence of MNPLs in large oceanic regions, issues that will require future research efforts.

A baseline assessment of the epiphytic community associated with pelagic sargassum in the Tropical Atlantic

Pelagic sargassum, historically endemic to the North Atlantic where it accumulated in the Sargasso Sea, has now expanded to other accumulation regions namely in the North Equatorial Recirculation Region (NERR) of the Tropical Atlantic. To date, efforts to understand the biological community associated with pelagic sargassum have largely focussed on the motile organisms with very little attention given to the epiphytic flora and fauna, particularly for sargassum from the NERR. This study: (1) assesses the species composition and abundance (percentage cover) of epiphytes associated with the three prevalent forms (Sargassum fluitans III, S. natans I, S. natans VIII) of pelagic sargassum arriving in Barbados over summer and winter months and; (2) uses a backtracking algorithm to determine if differences in the composition of epiphyte species are linked to putative sub-origins within the NERR. Overall, epiphyte diversity was relatively low, comprising just six species of fauna, and an unidentified filamentous alga. However, there were significant differences in the epiphytic community associated with the three prevalent morphotypes. Based on percent cover, the bryozoan, Membranipora tuberculata, was the dominant species observed on S. fluitans III and S. natans I; while S. natans VIII was predominantly occupied by the hydroid, Aglaophenia latecarinata. This research provides the first quantification of the epiphytic community associated with pelagic sargassum in the Eastern Caribbean as it transitions from open Tropical Atlantic Ocean into the Caribbean Sea and will provide a useful baseline for monitoring potential change over time. The results corroborate with previous studies from elsewhere that suggest distinct differences in the epiphytic communities hosted by different sargassum morphotypes. We found no evidence that differences in epiphytic community composition were linked to sub-origin within the NERR, indicating that sargassum morphology is likely a stronger determinant of epiphyte composition than any environmental differences encountered between sub-origins and their associated transport pathways.

North Atlantic surface ocean warming and salinization in response to middle Eocene greenhouse warming.

Quantitative reconstructions of hydrological change during ancient greenhouse warming events provide valuable insight into warmer-than-modern hydrological cycles but are limited by paleoclimate proxy uncertainties. We present sea surface temperature (SST) records and seawater oxygen isotope (δ18Osw) estimates for the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), using coupled carbonate clumped isotope (Δ47) and oxygen isotope (δ18Oc) data of well-preserved planktonic foraminifera from the North Atlantic Newfoundland Drifts. These indicate a transient ~3°C warming across the MECO, with absolute temperatures generally in accordance with trace element (Mg/Ca)-based SSTs but lower than biomarker-based SSTs for the same interval. We find a transient ~0.5‰ shift toward higher δ18Osw, which implies increased salinity in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and potentially a poleward expansion of its northern boundary in response to greenhouse warming. These observations provide constraints on dynamic ocean response to warming events, which are consistent with theory and model simulations predicting an enhanced hydrological cycle under global warming.

Spatial ecology of translocated American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) in a large freshwater lake

American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) undertake extensive migrations from their rearing grounds to spawn in the Sargasso Sea, and historically the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario provided an important source for large, fecund female eel. Following declines in the Lake Ontario population, glass eel were translocated from eastern Canada from 2006 to 2010. From 2016 to 2018, large, presumably translocated yellow eel (N = 230) with the potential to begin maturing and out-migrating within their year of capture were collected in spring and fall and tagged with acoustic transmitters. Eel were released into eastern Lake Ontario and tracked to better understand their movement patterns prior to and during migration, and the timing of migration. Most eels successfully migrated out of Lake Ontario (64%). Timing of migration was consistent regardless of year or tagging season and primarily occurred in late summer or fall, with cooling water temperatures and decreasing sky illumination associated with initiation for fall tagged eel. Eels were mostly detected in eastern Lake Ontario and those in western Lake Ontario were mostly detected in shallow waters (< 20 m) close to shore. Eels were detected on fewer receivers in the winter, suggesting reduced movements during this season. Finally, larger individuals spent less time in the system, particularly when tagged in the fall. These findings confirm that translocated eels can migrate out of Lake Ontario; however, the weeks when migration occurred were more aligned with timing in their natal range (i.e., eastern Canada) than with naturally recruited eels from Lake Ontario. This temporal mismatch requires further consideration, since it may influence arrival times of translocated eel to the spawning grounds and their recruitment potential. These results can be used to inform future assessments of eel translocation efficacy and can also aid in the design of future tracking studies to more completely explore the downstream migration success of eel translocated into the highly productive waters of Lake Ontario.

Reading Oppression and Repression in Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea

Annette and Antoinette were unwelcomed by all. They “were not in their (the white people’s) ranks” and “The Jamaican ladies never approved” (Rhys 3) of them. As Creoles, they had no root. Being of colour and not belonging to the prevalent binary structure, they never fit in. Neither the whites accepted nor the blacks. Throughout they were mistreated and suffered in the hands of both. While Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (1847) represents the unfit monster in Bertha, Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) re-presents the story leading to Bertha's present state. The journey from innocence to madness was forced onto the ‘monster’ of Bronte's Jane Eyre through various means and Rhys’ counter to the gothic romance provides an opportunity to re-read the disregarded characters in their ‘natural’ habitat, far from the cold and gloomy London. Their marginalization is realized through Rhys. The plot arouses the curiosity of the reader, illuminates the unheard story of the Creoles and brings into light the possible reasons for their ‘downfall’. This paper is an attempt to make an inquiry of the oppression faced by the ‘Others’, its impact on their psyche and the repression that led them to the doorstep of insanity. Through the means of a discursive study, it delves into the reasons for their degraded physical and mental state. The study employs the theoretical lens of Edward Said’s “Other” and Sigmund Freud’s “Trauma” to reach the desired analysis.

Gender Oppression and the Consequent Madness in Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea

Jean Rhys, through her ground breaking novel, Wide Sargasso Sea, portrays the journey of a French Creole woman Antoinette from a troubled childhood to her eventual culmination into madness. This novel is a prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre and was published in England in 1966. Jean Rhys’s protagonist Antoinette is the representation of the character “Bertha” in the novel Jane Eyre. Through this novel, Jean has given Bronte’s “Bertha” a chance to tell her side of the story of how she ended up in the attic alone and mad which finally ended up in her demise. Madness is an inherent theme which plays an important role and also acts as a consequence of gender oppression. This paper intends to study the inherent gender oppression that the protagonist Antoinette faces from her husband and the consequent madness that follows from this oppression in Jean Rhys' novel Wide Sargasso Sea. Through a detailed analysis this paper tries to investigate how Antoinette’s husband Mr. Rochester, by his patriarchal male supremacy and domination, oppressed Antoinette to the point that she not only lost her identity but also slipped into madness. The main motive of this paper is to show how Antoinette’s culmination into madness is not just a result of mental illness but also the result of long repressed scars of her traumatic upbringing which are exacerbated by her husband's rejection and cruel behaviour of her which completely erodes her self-esteem ultimately culminating into madness. This paper attempts to prove that Antoinette's abusive patriarchal husband drives her "mad" on purpose and his view of Antoinette as "mad" is the result of her not living up to his Victorian standards of restrained sexuality.

A Corpus-based Stylistic Study of Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea

A Corpus-based Stylistic Study of Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea

Composition of “Jane eyre” and “Wide sargasso sea”

Composition of “Jane eyre” and “Wide sargasso sea”