When confronted with aggression one can fight or retreat. In what ways are reactions to aggression presented in the work you have studied? By bizmaltbk21 When confronted with aggression one can fight or retreat. In what ways are reactions to aggression presented in the work you have studied? Emotions are easier shown than written.
Every action has Its equal and opposite reaction, and to portray this, a great deal of detailed observation and a sack full of eloquent choice of words are required from authors. In the book, Wide Sargasso Sea,
Jean Rhys portrays the different reactions to aggression through the abundant use of diction, innuendos, and sensory details in the book. Rhys’ first move is diverse diction, or the varied choice of words, which shows the reactions to aggression by characters. Every character has a different way of reacting to aggression.
Aggression was first displayed on page 22 between Tla and Antoinette at the pool where they bathed. “… cheating nigger..
. ” symbolized that Antoinette had no respect for Tia. To this, Tia responded by saying that wasn’t what she “ hear”. Another example can be seen here.
… ate salt fish..
. o money for fresh fish…
” The use of “ sh” sounds represents the calm tone of Tia as opposed to the “ nigger… sick..
. ” of Antoinette which contained harsh sounds. Later [pg 29], we encounter the Ignorant reactions of Mr. Mason, to the aggression of the black people.
“ They are curious. It’s natural enough. ” shows the ignorance of Mr. Mason. He also said, They’re too damn lazy to be dangerous.
.. ‘ know that. ” His wasn’t still broken when he saw the mob of “ drunken negroes” under the glacis. Only when the house was on fire and they were forced to leave the house, Mr.
Mason’s prayer was heard “… n a loud pious voice ‘ May Almighty God defend us’..
. “. His ignorance can be noted by the use of neutral language such as “ curious… natural enough” as if Mr.
Mason feels bad about the Blacks. Later, during Antoinette’s first day at the convent on page 45, she encounters the “ boy and a girl” teasing her. They were taunting her which made her afraid of them. This reaction was shown when her “ hands began to sweat”, how at each “ crack I jumped” and how “ they closed in on me”. After the marriage of Antoinette and Rochester, Antoinette is infuriated by Rochester spending the night ith Amelie.
She was calling for Baptiste to bring her rum.
“… Baptiste! Christophlne! Pheena! Pheena! ” When Rochester denies Antoinette, she replies with “.
.. what right have you to tell me what I’m to do? ” This sentence has an unconventional, choppy structure (“ have you”, “ what I’m to do”) which portrays the anger shooting out of the text. Emotions can also be felt due to the underlying innuendos and connotations embedded in the text.
Such inferences can be seen when a character Is responding to aggression, let It be a minor Issue or chaotic. An example would be In page 133, damn cold lie…
She said this when Rochester claimed that “ Christophine is an evil old woman and you know it as well as I do.
.. ” The inferences made here was how ‘ Justice” is easier said than done, and that Antoinette has encountered it “[written it down] several times … ” as a “ damn cold lie”.
She also adds on about her mom and ‘ what Justice did she have… ” and how a” black devil kissing her sad mouth. Like you kissed mine.
.. ” The black devil connotes the unfortunate events that occurred to Anette with “ her sad mouth” and Antoinette accuses Rochester of being the same misfortune by declaring “..
.
Like you kissed mine”. Another example of connotations in reactions can be seen on page 136 where Christophine returns from sending Antoinette to sleep, to Rochester. She starts to argue with Rochester by saying “ l hope [ou satisfy, I hope you well satisfy’ as he had done something to Antoinette which had satisfied him and Antoinette.
She is taunting him, and in return Rochester tries to ratify himself by saying “ So she ran off to tell you I’d ill-treated her, did she? I ought to have guessed that. ” To this aggression Christophine directly replies with “ She don’t tell me a thing…
. Not one single thing.
Observing at how Rochester feel about Christophine, she is suspected of lying as Rochester assumes that Antoinette tells everything about him, and because of that, Christophine may have mixed something ‘ poison me (pg. 139)” in his drink.
Another example of subtext and innuendo is seen on page 162 where Antoinette says “… wouldn’t tell Grace this. Her name oughtn’t to be Grace. ” The implication made here is that the name “ Grace” doesn’t suit the person.
From this we can guess the possible character of Grace, in the book. Similar reactions to aggression is also be portrayed by the use of sensory details. ese details are which appeal to the readers’ 5 senses: Sight, Smell, Hearing, Touch and Taste. An example of these sensory details is found on pg. 135, after Antoinette bites Rochester’s arm.
“ My arm was bleeding and painful and I wrapped my handkerchief round it, but it seemed to me that everything round me was hostile. ” Rochester felt as if “ the telescope drew away… “, “.
.. the trees were threatening and the shadows of the trees moving slowly over the floor menaced me [Rochester]… “, “ That green menace” and “.
.. l had felt it ever since I saw this place. ” These phrases appeal to the sight, “ telescope”, “ trees..
. adows” & “ green menace”. The reader can visualize the fear and the paranoia that is building in Rochester. Seeing “ shadows” usually implies insecurity and the feeling of being followed.
The “ green menace” suggests that Rochester feels the real nature of things going on “ round me [Rochester]”. Another example is on page 154. Rochester cusses in his mind about Antoinette, “. Now. My hate is colder, stronger, and you’ll have no hate to warm yourself..
. ” The sense of touch is appealing the readers. The “ colder” hate illustrates the intensity of Rochester’s unloving hatred towards Antoinette.
When he adds “ no hate to warm purself.
.. “, an implication can be made that Rochester thinks Antoinette is infuriating him to her fancy. To stop her from “ warm[ing]” herself, he shall show “ colder” hate.
Referring to Newton’s Laws, “ Every action has its equal and opposite reaction… ” and addition can be made of “…
of which, in terms of literary work, requires versatile diction, underlying innuendos and succulent sensory details. ” In the book, Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys does an enormous Job of including such details which enrich the emotions portrayed in the reactions to aggression.
